Insurance

Extended hospital stays among Medicare Advantage beneficiaries translated to an estimated 1.8 million additional hospital bed days in 2022.

Many states are enacting restrictions on insurers’ prior authorization policies, but these laws may increase costs and lead to other undesirable consequences.

To mark the 30th anniversary of The American Journal of Managed Care, each issue in 2025 includes a special feature: reflections from a thought leader on what has changed—and what has not—over the past 3 decades and what’s next for managed care. The September issue features a conversation with Dora Hughes, MD, MPH, chief medical officer and director of the Center for Clinical Standards and Quality at CMS.

Why is health care so staggeringly difficult to use? How do we fix it? To move forward, we first must look back, because the system we have today was not really designed, it evolved, notes Ariela Simerman, Turquoise Health.

Patients with acute respiratory failure who’ve been placed on a mechanical ventilator are less likely to be transferred to high-volume centers if they are uninsured, thus increasing their odds of mortality.

Hospital accountable care organization (ACO) participation did not impact emergency department admission rates, length of stay, or costs, suggesting limited effectiveness in reducing spending for unplanned admissions and challenging hospital-led ACO cost-saving strategies.

More large employers with high-deductible health plans with health savings accounts offer preventive drug list benefits over time.

Laxmi Patel, chief strategy officer at Savista, outlines major impacts of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act on Medicaid and what hospitals can do to prepare for these changes.

Proposed Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium hikes threaten health care access, with potential increases of over 75% for enrollees.

Medicare Advantage outperformed traditional Medicare on clinical quality measures before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; mid-pandemic, however, traditional Medicare narrowed the gap on some in-person screenings.

This retrospective analysis explored the impact of infertility health benefit design on the use of infertility medications and procedures and pregnancy outcomes.

This study examined the impact of price transparency and prosocial messaging on patient engagement of price-protected consumers in seeking value-based care.

Key legal, ethical, and compliance considerations for managed care professionals navigating the evolving landscape of psychedelic-assisted therapy include regulatory risks, data privacy challenges, reimbursement limitations, and the need for culturally informed care models.

To mark the 30th anniversary of The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC), each issue in 2025 includes a special feature: reflections from a thought leader on what has changed—and what has not—over the past 3 decades and what’s next for managed care. The August issue features a conversation with Charles N. (Chip) Kahn III, MPH, the president and CEO of the Federation of American Hospitals and a longtime member of the AJMC editorial board.

Patients who experienced a formulary-related rejection of cariprazine for adjunctive treatment of major depressive disorder had significantly higher hospitalization rates than those with approved claims.

Mental health, care of acute and chronic conditions, primary care access and prevention, and maternal and perinatal health were identified as key focus areas among a majority of states.

There is a great need to streamline the process from the tissue sample to the diagnostic lab, whether it's genomic or immunohistochemistry, Robert Kratzke, MD, says.

According to the American Medical Association, blame for the ongoing physician shortage may lie with overly burdensome administrative processes, an antiquated Medicare payment system, and lack of education for residents in primary care and psychiatry.

Apixaban would still cost patients 9 times more through the Eliquis 360 Support program than with commercial insurance.

Robert Kratzke, MD, urged insurance providers to prioritize fast biomarker testing in non–small cell lung cancer, saying it’s both cost-effective and life-saving.

Medicare inflation rebates fail to curb rising drug prices, highlighting the need for further policy action to control costs.

A webinar held by KFF on July 9 emphasized the immediate effects of the new budget bill, highlighting the impacts on Medicaid and health spending in the next decade.

Families caring for individuals with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) face significant financial burdens from necessary home and vehicle modifications to enhance quality of life.

Access to and affordability of immune checkpoint inhibitors, which can be lifesaving if patients receive them on time and under optimal circumstances, continue to top the list of reasons behind outcomes disparities for patients who have private insurance vs those who remain uninsured.

From the impact of rising grocery prices to disparities in myeloma outcomes, check out news from the Center on Health Equity & Access this past week.