Health Care Delivery

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we discuss how already wide health care inequities in cancer are becoming much worse because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with guest Monica Soni, MD, associate chief medical officer at New Century Health.

The FDA is considering a second COVID-19 booster dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines; use of the unproven COVID-19 therapies hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin has been significantly greater in the highest vs lowest Republican vote share counties; infertility treatments associated with vascular and pregnancy-related complications.

Researchers compared drug costs among hospitals, specialty pharmacies, and physician offices.

This new subanalysis of data from the Rotterdam Study investigated life expectancy among women and men who live a healthy lifestyle and do or do not have heart failure.

Robert Sidbury, MD, MPH, chief of the Division of Dermatology at Seattle Children's Hospital, discusses risk factors involved in the pathogenesis of atopic dermatitis and several diagnostic methods.

James Auran, MD, a professor of ophthalmology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and president of the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma, lists potential solutions to bolster ophthalmic trauma care in the United States.

Dennis P. Scanlon, PhD, professor of health policy and administration at Pennsylvania State University and editor-in-chief of The American Journal of Accountable Care, discusses his 2021 end-of-year letter calling on health system leaders to learn and innovate in real time.

Primary central nervous system non-Hodgkin lymphomas are rare extranodal B-cell lymphomas with a poor prognosis and no standard treatment plan.

Pfizer and BioNTech’s Omicron vaccine development has been delayed; a US judge said HHS violated procedural rules in a dispute with AstraZeneca over the 340B drug discount program; Texas filed suit against the CDC’s mask mandate for airline passengers.

AHIP released a report looking at the price markups for 10 drugs that can be delivered more affordably through specialty pharmacies, including 3 drugs with multiple biosimilars available.

Asthma, aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease, and nasal cytology were identified as predictors of chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps recurrence.

Kenneth Cohen, MD, FACP, executive director of clinical research at UnitedHealth Group Research and Development and senior national medical director at OptumCare, discusses areas where low-value care is more prevalent and the shift to high-value care.

Response to immunotherapy and survival outcomes were found to be significantly associated with tumor mutational burden in patients with stage IV non-small cell lung cancer.

Patients who utilized a patient-reported outcome (PRO) symptom measurement tool reported superior postdischarge outcomes after lung cancer surgery compared with those who received usual care.

President Joe Biden's FDA nominee reaches final confirmation vote; Georgia bill that extends Medicaid coverage for low-income moms advances to House of Representatives; New Mexico bill aims to legalize test strips to detect the presence of fentanyl.

High-risk patients and patients with a history of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) had significantly different cytokine profiles compared with patients with a low risk of the condition.

By making diligent compliance efforts a priority in the years ahead, health plans can shore up existing processes to achieve financial success and ensure risk adjustment as regulatory bodies take aim at organizational missteps.

The National Clinical Care Commission (NCCC) issued 39 recommendations to improve diabetes prevention and care in the United States.

Rajini Katipamula-Malisetti, MD, a medical oncologist and hematologist with Minnesota Oncology who practices in Coon Rapids, has seen telehealth’s usefulness up close. During a pandemic, it can increase the number of touch points in areas such as survivorship care and nutrition, which would otherwise require a separate visit to the office.

The FDA delays its decision on Pfizer/BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine in young children; the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will vote on whether to investigate pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs); nearly half of high-volume antibiotic prescribers are located in Southern states.

In this column, Calum Yacoubian, MD, outlines how artificial intelligence, specifically, natural language processing, can help address gaps in patient data.

Eosinophilic esophagitis is a complex disorder with significant health burdens and a recent review described how management strategies have changed over time.

This new study from investigators at University of Calgary investigated the potential of midwall striae fibrosis to predict hospital admission for heart failure.

More patients with moderate-to-severe psoriasis were found to be early responders to ixekizumab vs ustekinumab; all those who achieved early response were associated with stable skin clearance long-term.

The national coverage determination will help detect early non-small cell lung cancer, CMS said.