Anthem to Withdraw From Ohio Insurance Marketplace
Anthem has announced that it will not offer policies in the Ohio marketplace in 2018, leaving 10,500 Ohioans without an option on the exchange, according to The New York Times. Republican legislators pointed to the news as proof that the markets created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are spiraling into collapse, making a replacement law an urgent need. Senator Rob Portman (R-Ohio) accused the ACA of causing “a declining number of viable health care choices for families and small businesses.”
CDC Issues Surveillance Data on Legionnaires’ Disease Outbreaks
In an early release of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, the CDC published data on over 6000 confirmed cases of Legionnaire’s disease reported across the nation in 2015. They identified the water systems in healthcare facilities as targets for improvement, as these systems can harbor the Legionella bacteria. Confirmed healthcare-associated Legionnaires’ disease kills one-fourth of the people it infects, potentially due to their susceptible health status and the healthcare facility water systems, which can become stagnant and grow a biofilm if not properly maintained.
Dr Francis Collins to Remain NIH Director, White House Confirms
The White House has announced that Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, will remain in his current position as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), putting to rest speculation about whether he would be replaced. The Washington Post reports that the decision to retain Collins, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama in 2009, has been widely praised by bipartisan lawmakers commending Collins’ qualifications. As he continues to lead the NIH, he will have to contend with challenges like proposed budget cuts and the mounting pressure to research solutions to the opioid epidemic.
Standard Criteria for Loss of Ambulation Needed in DMD
April 19th 2024A recent study suggests the differences between ambulation definitions for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can impact the identification of ambulant vs nonambulant individuals, and standard criteria across settings are needed.
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Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
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An Overview of Health Care and Pharmaceutical Trends, 2023-2024
April 19th 2024Douglas M. Long, BA, MBA, was featured as the keynote speaker on the closing day of The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting, with a session dedicated to surveying the health care and pharmaceutical trends of the last year.
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Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
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Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights Into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
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