Republican Senators Hear Reactions to Health Bill During Parades
At Independence Day parades and celebrations across the country, constituents made their voices heard to their Republican senators, either to support or oppose the proposed Senate healthcare bill, reported the Washington Post. Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said she heard encouragement for her stance against the bill, but residents asked Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nevada) to vote for a revised bill, even though he opposed the first draft. Other Senators, like Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), said their constituents simply implored them to put the interests of their state first.
Insurers Seek Enrollment Caps on Exchange Plans
A Houston-based insurer, Community Health Choice, is considering asking CMS to let it cap its exchange enrollment in 2018, citing unsustainable financial burdens from an influx of enrollees, according to Modern Healthcare. It is not the first insurer to seek this solution, as plans in Minnesota and Kansas have already instituted enrollment caps. Generally, the plans that would benefit from caps tend to serve smaller regions where other insurers have exited the market, leading to a sudden spike in members and costs.
Scientists May Provide Inaccurate Predictions of Clinical Trial Results
A new study finds that scientists are often too optimistic in their assessment of whether clinical studies will yield significant results, according to NPR’s summary of the findings. When investigators asked 200 professors, postdocs, and graduate students to predict the results from 6 cancer trials being replicated from prior studies, they mostly overestimated the likelihood of the trials having significant effects. The study authors say these findings point to the need to be sufficiently skeptical of trial design instead of relying on intuition.
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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Overcoming Employment Barriers for Lasting Social Impact: Freedom House 2.0 and Pathways to Work
April 16th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are bringing you a special month-long podcast series with our Strategic Alliance Partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our second episode, in which we learn all about Freedom House 2.0 and the Pathways to Work program.
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Early Involvement Critical in Treating Immunotherapy-Induced Overlap Syndrome
April 19th 2024A series of case studies reveals the importance of early diagnosis and involvement of special teams of clinicians when dealing with potential cases of overlap syndrome, which encompasses myocarditis, myasthenia gravis, and immune checkpoint inhibitor–related myositis.
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Making Giant Strides in Maternity Health Through Baby Steps
April 9th 2024To help celebrate and recognize National Minority Health Month, we are kicking off a special month-long podcast series with our strategic alliance partner, UPMC Health Plan. Welcome to our first episode, which is all about the Baby Steps Maternity Program and its mission to support women throughout every step of their pregnancy journey.
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