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What We're Reading: Latest in Medicaid Expansion; Pain Treatment; Anthem May Exit ACA
Kansas Governor Vetoes Medicaid Expansion
While Kansas’ GOP-controlled state legislature voted to expand Medicaid, Governor Sam Brownback vetoed the bill. According to The Wall Street Journal, the veto was expected and lawmakers plan to override it. To do so, supporters of expansion would need 27 votes in the state Senate and 84 votes in the state House. Meanwhile, in Arkansas, lawmakers voted to keep the state’s hybrid expansion program. In May, state lawmakers will consider the governor’s proposal to move 60,000 people off Medicaid expansion and into the marketplace and impose work requirements on some expansion participants.
No More Opioids for Pain Treatment
As opioid addiction continues to ruin lives, doctors are increasingly turning to alternative treatment options for chronic pain. Primary care physicians are also looking to non-pharmacologic options, such as acupuncture and physical therapy, for patients seeking treatment for back pain, migraines, and other chronic pain issues, reported California Healthline. Physicians are becoming wary of prescribing opioids and treating chronic pain, which is making it more difficult for patients in pain to get help.
Analyst Predicts Anthem Will Leave ACA Market
June 21, 2017, marks the day when insurers will have to decide if they are staying in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance exchanges for 2018. With Aetna and UnitedHealth already scaling back operations and Humana withdrawing completely, Anthem is considering exiting most ACA exchanges, reported The Washington Post. Anthem currently sells in 14 states and covers 839,000 members through the ACA exchanges.
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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