February 2018

Patients dually enrolled in Medicare and Medicaid have higher levels of Medicare spending compared to other beneficiaries, and it can impact hospitals' performance on a Medicare cost measure, according to a study published in Health Affairs.

The announcement comes after CMS canceled an Obama-era proposal for mandatory bundled payments in cardiac care, as well as a mandatory expansion of a program in joint replacements.

New drugs to treat multiple myeloma (MM) have provided clinical benefits, but a study published in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy found not all of them can be considered cost effective.

While Congress debates the fate of the Affordable Care Act, healthcare transformation continues, as seen in an update released this week at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.

As the healthcare industry struggles to address rising costs and unaffordable care, attention is turning to value-based benefit design options. Altarum has released its outline for a new value-based insurance design model that it will test at pilot sites across the country.

With growing competition, rising drug prices, and the broad generics market, stakeholders are demanding measurable “value” in medicinal products.