Providers

The proposed changes to the payment model for end stage renal disease (ESRD) would make it the first payment model under the CMS Innovation Center to directly address health equity by incentivizing increased rates of home dialysis and kidney transplants.

The measure is designed to end surprise medical billing and balance billing, taking the first step to implement the so-called No Surprises Act that passed Congress at the end of last year.

Linda Schwimmer, JD, president and CEO of the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute, discusses 2 reports on strengthening primary care after the COVID-19 pandemic: one from her own organization and the other from the National Academy of Medicine.

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has updated its guidelines for Waldenström macroglobulinemia to include zanubrutinib (Brukinsa) as a preferred regimen.

Patients with a chronic cough that persists even after treatment usually see a few specialists and have lingering triggers that cause their cough, explained Laurie Slovarp, PhD, CCC-SLP, associate professor in the School of Speech, Language, Hearing, and Occupational Sciences at University of Montana.

Research that will be presented at Heart Failure 2021 shows patients with heart failure may have a greater incidence of several types of cancer and that this chance is even higher in women vs men.

The study included over 900 patients with hematologic cancers who were hospitalized with COVID-19, revealing that giving patients plasma from people who have recovered from the virus improved the rate of 30-day mortality.

Two posters presented at the European Hematology Association 2021 Virtual Congress evaluated tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) selection in the front line and compared first-generation to second-generation TKIs.

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) suggested several changes to Medicare Advantage (MA) plan benchmark calculations, with the intent to generate yield savings for Medicare, and urged CMS to streamline alternative payment model (APMs) where it can.

A study evaluating independent risk factors for invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) in hospitalized patients with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) validated a potential model that could help providers diagnose IPA earlier.

In a 7 to 2 decision, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will stand, as plaintiffs seeking to declare the law unconstitutional did not have standing.

Experts from around the world discussed how to best manage the clinical issues presented by patients with refractory chronic cough, who often spend years trying to find effective relief.

New antitussive trials are challenged by large placebo effects and the risk of the trial being unblinded due to adverse effects, explained Ron Eccles, BSc, PhD, DSc, emeritus professor at Cardiff University.

The study explores data on liquid biopsy approaches outside of circulating tumor DNA—a commonly used approach for liquid biopsy—and includes novel methods like non-coding RNA.

Updated guidelines for adults and children highlight confusion over the name of the condition and the need for greater evidence.

An interim analysis of the phase 3 ALPINE study demonstrated that zanubrutinib has a superior response rate, improved progressive-free survival, and lower rate of atrial fibrillation/flutter compared with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed/refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia/ small lymphocytic leukemia (CLL/SLL).

A new study from Milliman investigated the potential financial impact if H.R.3, the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Costs Now Act, was fully implemented.

The populations represented in randomized controlled trials often do not match the populations being treated in the real world due to eligibility criteria, which can be challenging when translating those results to real-world decisions, explained speakers during a session at the European Hematology Association 2021 Virtual Congress.

The authors report an approach of outpatient clinic workflow reorganization utilizing simple, inexpensive measures to improve patient engagement and experience in addition to providing a safe setting for patients for clinic visits in the wake of COVID-19.

Daratumumab will likely become a part of most combination therapies for patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) because it safely adds efficacy, according to Ola Landgren, MD, PhD, of the University of Miami and Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.

With 5 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapies approved by the FDA, and 299 agents in the pipeline, it’s no surprise that the virtual meeting of the European Hematology Association (EHA) will have a heavy presence of CAR T research being presented in sessions and posters.

The study's lead author said researchers have searched for a generation for an effective therapy to give to high-risk patients with renal cell carcinoma after initial surgery for the tumor.

Also, phase 2 results for atezolizumab presented during the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology could help patients in same setting who need another option.

Biomarker testing and remote patient monitoring are just 2 areas of research presented during the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).

Equality in cancer care is not sufficient, said Lori Pierce, MD, FASTRO, FASCO, a radiation oncologist from the University of Michigan and president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Equity—which means that patients have similar outcomes, regardless of circumstance—is harder to achieve.