Press Releases

Rising costs in cancer care have fueled a national conversation on how to decide whether today’s new therapies are “worth it.” A supplement of Evidence-Based Oncology features interviews with those developing value frameworks and coverage of the Oncology Stakeholders Summit, which included patient advocacy, payers and pharmaceutical manufacturers.

The arrival of direct-acting antivirals to treat hepatitis C virus raised unprecedented policy questions in healthcare. This new drug class was initially met with alarm over cost and barriers to the cure, despite the potential for long-term savings, and represents one of a number of topics explored in a special issue of The American Journal of Managed Care.

Accountable care organizations can improve outcomes and patient experience while reducing costs through integrated care and better use of technology.

Hospital readmissions are a key quality indicator, and reducing those means learning which at-risk patients return for care. A study in The American Journal of Managed Care examined children with type 1 diabetes enrolled in Managed and Traditional Medicaid programs across 25 states, who are more likely to have incidents of diabetic ketoacidosis, a costly cause of readmission.

The growth of clinical pathways in cancer care brings opportunities to improve quality and control cost, but there are frustrations, too. Physicians want to retain some freedom and are pushing back against the administrative jungle from multiple payers, according to a special issue of Evidence-Based Oncology, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care.

In preparation for the Spring Live Meeting of the ACO & Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, 2 speakers who will be at the meeting will participate in 2 30-minute tweetchats.

With the news that Medicare will soon pay for diabetes prevention, the 2016 edition of Patient-Centered Diabetes Care, presented by The American Journal of Managed Care, offered up-to-the-minute news on how technology will change the prevention and clinical care models, why ending stigma is key to treating obesity, and what’s ahead in insulin therapy.

Quantifying progress in diabetes management, by measuring blood pressure, A1C, and cholesterol, laid the foundation of healthcare’s movement from fee-for-service toward payment for value. Today, diabetes metrics are entering a more patient-centered era, as discussed in the new issue of Evidence-Based Diabetes Management from The American Journal of Managed Care.

On Tuesday, March 22, 1-2 pm ET, The American Journal of Managed Care will host a tweetchat with Joslin Diabetes Center to discuss diabetes management and the current status of diabetes performance measures.

Ted Okon, MBA, of the Community Oncology Alliance, will participate in a tweetchat with The American Journal of Managed Care on February 29, 1-2 pm ET, to discuss the 340B program, payment reform, the Oncology Medical Home, and more.

Evidence-Based Oncology, the multistakeholder publication of The American Journal of Managed Care devoted to cancer care, revisits the rapidly evolving field of immuno-oncology in its current issue. While one author calls the clinical impact of “tsunami proportions,” the healthcare system is grappling with how to pay for these therapies.

Results in the current issue of The American Journal of Managed Care show that Texas Health Resources, in collaboration with Healthways, put a care transitions program into 14 hospitals that sharply reduced readmissions through collaborative discharge planning and follow-up.

Two articles in the new issue of The American Journal of Managed Care address aspects of paying for mental health care: how valued-based insurance design, a concept pioneered by AJMC’s editors, might be applied; and how the arrival of generic risperidone was received in Medicare Part D.

Robert W. Dubois, MD, PhD, of National Pharmaceutical Council, will discuss care pathways, how they are created, their implementation in US healthcare, and more, on January 28, 1-2 pm ET, during a tweetchat.

One of the biggest stories of 2015 has been the cost of cancer drugs, which create vexing questions for payers and policymakers, as well as doctors and families. The tough choices being made today are the theme of the latest special issue of Evidence-Based Oncology, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care.

Each year, The American Journal of Managed Care devotes an issue to health information technology. The growing importance of this healthcare field is reflected in the diversity of topics covered in the 13 papers in this year’s issue.

Sessions on obesity and the role of technology in disease management will be part of the annual gathering of stakeholders, presented by The American Journal of Managed Care, April 7-8, 2016, at the Teaneck Marriott at Glenpointe in Teaneck, New Jersey.

Depending on one's point of view, the 340B prescription drug program keeps safety net hospitals afloat or serves as a profit center at the expensive of community providers. Three leading voices-Rena M. Conti, PhD; Peter B. Bach, MD, MAPP; and Michael Kolodziej, MD; recommend reforms in the new issue of Evidence-Based Oncology, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care.

On Tuesday, December 15, from 11 am to noon EST, The American Journal of Managed Care will host a tweetchat with Leah Binder, MA, MGA, president and CEO of The Leapfrog Group, about hospital quality ratings, patient safety, and healthcare outcomes.

Giving cancer patients what they want and need is the goal, but getting there isn't easy, according to healthcare experts who took part in Patient-Centered Oncology Care 2015, presented November 19-20, 2015, by The American Journal of Managed Care. Drug costs demand difficult conversations about value, and changes in the law require oncologists to learn whole new ways to be paid.

During a tweetchat on November 24 at 3:30 pm EST, Amy Berman, RN, BS, and Judith R. Peres, LCSW-C, will discuss patient-centered care, palliative care, and end-of-life care.

On November 3, at 11 a.m. EST, the president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology will host a tweetchat with The American Journal of Managed Care. Get a preview of Dr. Julie Vose's speech at Patient-Centered Oncology Care.

Dr. Adler-Milstein, an assistant professor in the University of Michigan's Schools of Information and Public Health, is already making a mark in the realm of IT in healthcare delivery. She received her PhD from Harvard University in 2011 and served as the guest editor of the 2014 special Health IT issue of The American Journal of Managed Care.

Value-based care isn't just a buzzword-it's the key to survival, as Humana's Chief Medical Officer Roy A. Beveridge, MD, discusses in a commentary in the October issue of The American Journal of Managed Care. As healthcare takes on the features of a retail environment, partnerships that put the patient first are more important than ever.

Throughout 2015, The American Journal of Managed Care has celebrated its 20th year of publication with a guest commentary series and video greetings from healthcare experts. The journal formally celebrated its anniversary last night with a reception in Orlando, Florida, where it welcomed five new editorial board members added during its anniversary year.

Earlier this year, the LIVESTRONG Foundation launched a project to fill a critical gap in cancer care: training healthcare professionals to offer fertility services for adolescent and young adult patients. A new commentary in Evidence-Based Oncology discusses the barriers to fertility training and why is essential to overcome them.

Now that accountable care organizations are up and running, the key will be engaging those with the greatest potential to make or break their bottom lines-patients. Last week's meeting of the ACO and Emerging Healthcare Delivery Coalition, an initiative of The American Journal of Managed Care, examined why changing mindsets may matter more than technology or measurement.

The Samfund, the first and largest group created to help young adults address the costs of cancer, is featured in the current issue of Evidence-Based Oncology, a publication of The American Journal of Managed Care. Samfund officers Samantha Watson, MBA, and Michelle S. Landwehr, MPH, address the challenges of "financial toxicity" for young adult survivors.