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This week, we recapped the top news from 2018 with a look at policy changes, new research, decisions at the polls, and more.

Males with myeloproliferative neoplasms have worse survival compared with females with MPN, even when adjusted for age at presentation, presenting phenotype, and molecular characteristics.

Metropolitan areas with a minimum wage that was $1 higher at baseline had a 27.12% lower rate of newly diagnosed HIV cases among black residents.

Mature oligodendrocytes have been overlooked in the past as a way to treat multiple sclerosis, but a new study has found they might be able to help with remyelinating axons the same as new oligodendrocytes.

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) affects 10% of women, but it is often misdiagnosed or missed entirely by physicians. Now, researchers have identified the genetic underpinnings of the syndrome, including 3 new loci, a causal link to depression, and a male phenotype for PCOS.

From chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy to value-based contracting, reimbursement issues dominated reader interest.

Of US women between the ages of 15 and 49, 64.9% use some form of contraception, and the use of long-acting reversible contraceptives is increasing; people with prolonged opioid use have an increased risk for cardiovascular problems, but they are also more likely to develop major surgery complications; there are an estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants in the United States, and they struggle to receive basic medical care.

CDC noted a rise in black lung disease, a potentially lethal disease, with a new report of a cluster of 60 cases identified in former and current coal miners at a single eastern Kentucky radiologist’s practice from January 2015 to August 2016.

The authors, led by Kashyap Patel, MD, offer the first in a series of articles on how Carolina Blood and Cancer Care Associates leveraged the strength of its team to take part in the Oncology Care Model.

Incidence of febrile neutropenia, hospitalizations, and chemotherapy dose reductions and/or delays were similar between short- and long-acting granulocyte-colony stimulating factors, according to a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

One-quarter of the government shut down early Saturday, and as the partial shutdown is expected to continue into the new year, several federal agencies will be impacted, including the FDA.

Long-term nicotine replacement therapy (LT-NRT) provides 1 way for smokers with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) to try to quit, but does not result in greater rates of cessation or harm reduction, according to a recently published study.

A recent study looked to evaluate the real-world effectiveness of hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment in patients with genotype 1 (HCV-1) infection.

A recent trial looked to compare the efficacy and safety of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) with the standard of care for the treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Patients with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) who are on Medicaid in Oregon can expect to receive curative treatment in 2019 without having to wait for liver damage to set in.

According to a new study, single-tablet regimens may provide better virologic response and control than multiple-tablet regimens for people living with HIV, likely due to a lower pill burden and, subsequently, better medication adherence.

In 2018, articles in The American Journal of Accountable Care® (AJAC) analyzed experiences within accountable care organizations (ACOs), the cost-effectiveness of initiatives to prevent readmissions, and much more. Here are the top 5 most-read articles published in AJAC in 2018.

Michigan’s plan to require Medicaid beneficiaries to show workforce engagement was approved by the Trump administration, while attorneys continue to challenge Arkansas’ own Medicaid work requirements; a new report from the Government Accountability Office has highlighted serious deficiencies with how the FDA administers the Orphan Drug Act; the FDA has granted tentative approval to a weekly and monthly treatment for moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD), but cannot grant final approval until another treatment’s exclusivity period ends.

Here are 5 interesting findings from the December 2018 issue of AJMC®.

An estimated 553,000 individuals in the United States are homeless on any given night, yet few data are available to give insight into the patterns of acute illness in this particularly vulnerable population.

Which risk factors of osteoporosis can be modified, and which cannot? With osteoporosis causing more than 9 million fractures globally, understanding how to prevent it can reduce this growing threat to a rapidly aging population, researchers recently reported.

Current guidelines for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) call for using antibiotics in the emergency department (ED) when presented with acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). A recent study sought to determine the rate at which patients with AECOPD are treated with antibiotics and also looked at the proportions of antibiotic classes prescribed, trends of antibiotic treatment, and identified independent predictors of antibiotic therapy.

Technology and issues with reimbursement with of interest to authors writing for our diabetes journal this year.

Dublin, Ireland-based S3 Connected Health discusses the need to identify barriers to healthy behavior as well as factors that can promote healthy actions.

Molly MacDonald, the founder and CEO of The Pink Fund, writes about how patients with breast cancer can approach decisions about choosing among disparate treatment protocols.

Primary care clinics are beginning to integrate more patient-reported outcomes into practice, especially with implementation of the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System. However, little is known about whether patients perceive reporting these outcome measures as useful.

Contributors to AJMC.com share their expertise about important, timely topics in managed care on a regular basis, and in 2018, these were the top 5 most-read articles they wrote and published on our online managed care network.

The practices that have been participating in CMS’ Oncology Care Model have undergone significant practice transformation in order to be successful in the program. However, even after being in the model for 2 years, there are still remaining opportunities for investment.