Policy

Top US health officials outlined plans for rolling out COVID-19 booster shots to all American adults beginning in September, while CMS announced that nursing homes will be required to implement mandatory vaccinations for staff.

Recent research showed that patients with Medicaid are more likely than commercially insured patients to have worsened end-of-life experience and that Black patients with breast cancer fare worse than other ethnic groups when it comes COVID-19 outcomes.

President Joe Biden pushes for measures aimed at lowering drug prices; the Supreme Court allows a vaccine mandate imposed by Indiana University to stand; heat advisories issued for almost 200 million Americans.

The meeting comes a day after the FDA approved a third dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna in people who have received organ transplants or have other conditions that have damaged their immune systems.

This study provides the first evidence on how Marketplace insurers are altering their marketing in response to changes in competitive pressure over time.

Survey results underscore parents’ frustration with insurers when it comes to caring for their children with rare diseases.

The combined toll of the COVID-19 pandemic and the health effects of climate change tests an already beleaguered US health system.

FDA reportedly aims to fully approve Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine by early next month; Biogen’s Alzheimer drug sees little uptake; majority of Americans over 65 have received at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.

Seventy percent of Americans have received at least 1 dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; CMS releases payment rules for fiscal year 2022; alcohol linked to over 700,000 new cancer diagnoses in 2020.

The study was conducted to shed more light on the growing issue of polypharmacy, an issue that is expected to increase as the US population ages.

Gary Lyman, MD, MPH, an oncologist and hematologist, discusses how financial incentives, concerns for patients, and interchangeability impact biosimilar prescribing patterns.

Drug optimization in older adults improved outcomes in this retrospective study.

A newly released internal CDC report shows the agency's communication struggles and its challenges in combatting the virulent delta variant, acknowledges the need for universal masking, and illustrates the effectiveness of vaccines in preventing more severe illness and death in those who are inoculated.

A new CMS rule increases reimbursement for providers; coffee is linked to decreased risk of arrhythmia; the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine’s shelf life is extended.

When a New Zealand health care network switched to telehealth visits, its rheumatology patients had more health care interactions, but they had fewer changes in care and were less likely to be categorized as having active disease.

The designation means that pharmacists can switch patients to the less-expensive version of insulin without seeking approval from the clinician.

President Joe Biden requires federal workers to get vaccinated for COVID-19 or face strict safety protocols; Pfizer files federal lawsuit over reimbursing drugs through Medicare; and the CDC revises its testing guidance for fully vaccinated individuals.

Saying that in rare cases vaccinated people can spread COVID-19 due to the unique behavior of the delta variant, the CDC Tuesday recommended that vaccinated individuals revert to indoor mask wearing in hot-spot areas, including in schools this fall.

Two oncologists dive into the reasons behind physician hesitancy and unwillingness to prescribe biosimilars to patients with cancer and make suggestions on how to increase confidence in these agents.

With nearly all parts of the country seeing a steady increase in COVID-19 infection, health care and medical groups are calling for mandatory vaccinations of their staff, and on Monday, the Department of Veterans Affairs, New York City, and California also announced vaccine requirements for workers.

While polypharmacy, along with hospital length of stay and other factors, was linked to a higher risk of 30-day hospital readmission, the type of medication mattered as well.

Mississippi's attorney general asks the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v Wade; the Biden administration releases more COVID-19 funds to combat the delta variant; Missouri Supreme Court rules to expand health care access.

The federal government requires insurers to cover PrEP; Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and pharmaceutical wholesalers agree to settle opioid crisis lawsuits; NYC health care workers will be required to receive a vaccine or weekly tests for COVID-19.

Members covered by an integrated pharmacy benefit (as opposed to a pharmacy carve-out) experienced slower growth in medical spending.

With the delta variant now dominant in the United States, study results highlight the need for officials to do everything they can to increase vaccine uptake.