Insurance

Puerto Rico’s community health centers face grave challenges because of a lack of funding.

What we're reading, December 24, 2015: more than half of Affordable Care Act co-ops will be closed by the end of 2015, but this could have been avoided; 5 senators are pressing CMS for information on containing drug costs; and a task force does not recommend screening all teens and children for high cholesterol.

A new study finds that Medicare recipients can prevent hospital admissions if they seek medical assessment from clinical home visits, which increase the number of visits to the doctors while reducing the costs of healthcare because of treatment in less-costly sites.

Featuring stories about single-payer healthcare, studies on alcohol, and superbugs.

What we're reading, December 18, 2015: HHS report finds generic drug prices rising faster than inflation; UnitedHealthcare's real-time drug approval tool; and government overcharged by private Medicare Advantage plans.

A new report by the Berkeley Research Group provides numbers on Medicare Part B spending by 340B entities, especially for oncology drugs.

A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology predicts financial stress on Medicare Part D beneficiaries on oral anticancer medicines, even after the expected closing of the donut hole in 2020.

What we're reading, December 16, 2015: a new study casts doubt on what experts thought they knew about healthcare costs; unprecedented interest in health insurance coverage has prompted the government to extend the deadline for full-year 2016 coverage; and a law to create multi-state health plans won't reach it's 2017 goal.

There are 3 potential solutions for reforming the 340B drug pricing program, according to Michael Kolodziej, MD, national medical director of oncology solutions in the Office of the Chief Medical Officer at Aetna.

HIMSS is working to determine the readiness of providers to participate in the types of value-based payment models that CMS is moving toward.

The National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship has submitted comments to CMS, providing feedback on the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System and Alternative Payment Models proposed by CMS as it transitions toward value-based reimbursement.

Health economist Austin Frakt, PhD, of Boston University, weighs in on Ben Carson’s healthcare plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act, implement personal savings accounts for all citizens, and reform Medicare and Medicaid.

Management of high and rising costs in oncology requires a multifaceted approach using both innovative strategies and pragmatic tools. In this article, we discuss several factors that influence the costs of oncology care.

What we're reading, December 11, 2015: CMS penalized hospitals for patient safety deficiences; MedPAC approved reducing Medicare Advantage plan reimbursement; and Kentuckians favor keeping Medicaid expansion.