Insurance

A new study indicates that palliative care can significantly reduce end-of-life hospitalizations and aggressive procedures among Medicare beneficiaries with advanced cancer.

To avoid bias, the study did use aggressive titration protocols that might be found in a real-world setting. Still, patients using CGM saw greater reductions in A1C and more time in range.

Study finds there is little evidence to suggest that an oxycodone HCI extended-release tablets nonformulary restriction has a direct effect on patient enrollment behavior.

This week, the top managed care articles included a report from the Congressional Budget Office on the impact of eliminating the cost-sharing reduction payments; a decision from CMS to eliminate 2 mandatory bundled payment programs; and a new value-based alliance that called for ending use of a test for diagnosing heart attacks.

Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, will leave his position as the deputy administrator for Innovation and Quality at CMS and the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to lead Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC).

Coverage from the 2017 meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

New research has found that the steady increase in the price of targeted oral anticancer medications is washing out the potential for savings that patients would experience in their out-of-pocket payments following closure of the Medicare Part D coverage gap.

Coverage from the 2017 meeting of the American Association of Diabetes Educators.

The standards warn that too few people with diabetes or prediabetes have access to programs that would help them.

Many accountable care organizations participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program focus on disease control and medication use, but a new study published in JAMA Cardiology has found that the programs have not made any meaningful changes in medication use or adherence.

If there's good news, it's that the rate of increase in number of individuals with diabetes seems to be slowing. But the disease is hitting hardest on the populations with the fewest resources to manage it.

Coverage from the first of 3 Peer Exchangeâ„¢ discussions from the Diabetes Stakeholders Summit.

CareMore is beginning to form innovative partnerships with companies like Lyft, while also strengthening its internal ability to provide more outreach, according to Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA, president and CEO. Jain said that CareMore’s prepaid model allows it to fully manage every dollar it receives.

The report foresees the rules for durable medical equipment becoming increasingly inadequate to keep pace with technology advances, and wants a review of policies.

The proposal to mostly leave virtual providers out of the 2018 launch of the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program makes no sense in light of the evidence that these programs work.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care news included insurers staying away from HealthCare.gov, where you live can affect your chance of surviving cancer, and a new deal could help people on Medicare with diabetes.

Digital providers have been seen as crucial to scaling the Diabetes Prevention Program to the 22 million seniors with prediabetes. Medicare spends $1 out of every $3 on diabetes, and disease prevention is essential to lowering overall healthcare spending.

A partnership of federal departments announced a coordinated takedown of hundreds of defendants accused of perpetrating schemes to defraud Medicare and illegally distributing opioids.

The agreement paves the way for those over age 65 to gain access to continuous glucose monitoring, following a historic policy change.

The authors make a case that using messengers to reach vulnerable populations isn't just a good idea. In the age of value-based reimbursement, it's becoming a necessity.

Administration officials say fewer insurers filing an intent to offer coverage for 2018 shows the ACA is failing.