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Higher prices for medical services caused per-person healthcare spending to increase by 4.2% in 2017.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

The February 2019 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) featured research on value-based arrangements, effects of cesarean delivery data, and more. Here are 5 findings from the research published in the issue.

This week, the top managed care news included increased demand for long-acting contraception since President Trump took office; a payer decision on an insulin pump alarmed diabetes advocates; and despite being involved in cancer treatment decisions, many primary care providers don't feel prepared to do so.

A UK study found that adding respiratory health screenings to drug clinic appointments for those trying to recover from heroin use was effective at uncovering chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in this group of patients.

CMS' Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation has launched a 5-year voluntary payment model offering more options for ambulance suppliers and providers to utilize alternative sites of care and telemedicine.

The study used the Freestyle Libre to track blood glucose levels in patients with and without type 2 diabetes (T2D) who had different surgical procedures; the CGM showed a drop in glucose on the third day after surgery among patients with T2D who had gastric bypass.

Minimal residual disease (MRD) is a strong prognosticator of cancer outcomes, and recent research found that patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (MM) are more likely to achieve MRD on daratumumab than on a standard of care alone.

How much does vertical integration among hospitals and physician provider organizations help improve care quality and patient satisfaction? According to a recently published study, not that much.

The PML Consortium formed among several pharmaceutical companies to prevent and treat a rare disease that emerged among patients taking immunomodulatory drugs. It could offer a model for finding solutions for adverse drug reactions.

The HOPE in Action Multicenter Liver Study will determine the safety of 80 HIV-to-HIV liver transplants.

Democrats have introduced a bill that would allow anyone over age 50 to buy into Medicare; an FDA advisory panel has endorsed a ketamine-like depression drug; and the EPA is set to limit the amount of manmade chemicals allowed in drinking water.

A new study has indicated that patients who experience late onset migraine with aura (MA) may be at an increased risk of ischemic stroke in late life despite having a shorter history of MA.

A study has demonstrated that D-index–guided early antifungal therapy, a novel approach to treating persistent or recurrent febrile neutropenia, is feasible in high-risk patients with neutropenia.

There is not enough evidence that manual therapy—a clinical approach of using skilled, physical, hands-on procedures to improve function, lessen pain, and facilitate movement—can successfully be used to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) is not only a leading cause of mortality among US adults, but also responsible for high medical costs that burden both the healthcare system and individual patients. New research shows that 1 in every 5 patients with ASCVD is unable to afford his or her medical bills, and even among patients with insurance, financial hardship related to medical costs is prevalent.

Half of children in with treatable mental health disorders in the United States do not get treatment; a small study demonstrated benefit with immunotherapy for glioblastoma; a task force recommends counseling services for new mothers at risk of depression.

How can the health industry ensure that cutting-edge gene therapies and other curative treatments get to the patients that need them, without leaving payers financially exposed? Representatives of payers and biotechnology companies discussed some of the novel discussions that are taking place as they work through issues of expense and access during “Paying for Cures: Ensuring patient access and system sustainability," a 1-day event in Washington, DC.

While one-third of primary care providers (PCPs) reported participating in breast cancer treatment decisions with their patients, a significant amount of them also indicated that they were not comfortable or did not feel that they had the necessary knowledge to participate in the treatment decision-making process.

The bill signed into law this week in Utah scaling back the successful voter referendum last fall that paved the way for a Medicaid expansion means that fewer people will be covered at potentially higher cost, according to organizations that recently published briefs on the issue.

Experts at the “Paying for Cures: Ensuring patient access and system sustainability" event discussed how the healthcare system can pay for curative therapies that have high upfront costs with benefits that accrue over time.

Preventive screening and treatment advances have contributed to saving lives for patients with breast cancer. A new study has identified that these changes could be responsible for averting up to 614,500 breast cancer deaths since 1989.

A systematic review has found that immune checkpoint inhibitors are safe in patients with cancer living with HIV, and that these patients have similar objective response rates for certain cancers that have been seen in uninfected patients with cancer.

An FDA announcement that it would step up oversight of the $50-billion-a-year dietary supplements industry was met with mixed reaction; a group of researchers in the United States and China are testing artificial intelligence (AI) to automatically diagnose common childhood conditions after processing data; close to 1 million people in California alone cross the border to Mexico annually for healthcare, including to buy prescription drugs.

HHS released 2 long-awaited rules meant to transform how health records and medical claims are delivered and communicated, with one aimed at aggregating electronic health records and claims information into an interoperable mobile format that patients could call up on their devices and another that would require that access to electronic health information come at no cost to the patient and end information blocking.

The CAQH Index, an annual study of progress to simplify healthcare administrative functions, found signs that the US healthcare system has become more efficient and the cost of doing business may be declining.

On February 6, the FDA approved caplacizumab-yhdp (Cablivi), the first therapy specifically indicated for the treatment of acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (aTTP) in adults. The drug is approved for use in combination with plasma exchange and immunosuppressive therapy.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is expected to make a decision soon regarding stricter regulations of polyfluoroalkyl compounds, or PFAS, which are chemicals in coatings meant to protect consumer goods from stains, water, and corrosion that have been found in drinking water; teenagers are turning to Reddit and other sites to figure out how to get vaccinated if their parents subscribe to antivaccine beliefs; Regeneron and Sanofi announced they are cutting the price of its proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9 inhibitor alirocumab (Praluent).