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ACA Can Help Smokers Quit, Experts Write
A perspective published in the New England Journal of Medicine affirms that provisions of the Affordable Care Act will allow improved coverage of smoking cessation tools, which could be a big boost in the number of smokers planning to quit.
In its review of tobacco-dependence treatments, the 2008 clinical practice guideline of the U.S. Public Health Service concluded, “Indeed, it is difficult to identify any other condition that presents such a mix of lethality, prevalence, and neglect, despite effective and readily available interventions.” The low utilization of clinical cessation interventions by smokers and physicians alike is partly attributable to inadequate insurance coverage: many health insurers still fail to cover the evidence-based counseling and medication treatments recommended in the 2008 guideline. Even when these treatments are covered, barriers to utilization such as copayments and prior-authorization requirements make obtaining them costly and inconvenient. Furthermore, complex, unclear, and variable tobacco-cessation coverage can be confusing for both physicians and patients, making it harder for physicians to help patients quit smoking.
Improved coverage of cessation treatments increases attempts to quit, treatment use, and rates of successful quitting. In particular, coverage that reimburses cessation interventions may increase the chances that physicians will intervene with smokers. Methods that rapidly and easily connect smokers with cessation-treatment resources also increase treatment utilization and cessation rates.
Link to the article on NEJM: http://bit.ly/1wYPqWE
Standard Criteria for Loss of Ambulation Needed in DMD
April 19th 2024A recent study suggests the differences between ambulation definitions for patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) can impact the identification of ambulant vs nonambulant individuals, and standard criteria across settings are needed.
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Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
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An Overview of Health Care and Pharmaceutical Trends, 2023-2024
April 19th 2024Douglas M. Long, BA, MBA, was featured as the keynote speaker on the closing day of The Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy 2024 annual meeting, with a session dedicated to surveying the health care and pharmaceutical trends of the last year.
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Drs Raymond Thertulien, Joseph Mikhael on Racial Disparities in Multiple Myeloma Care Access
December 28th 2023In the wake of the 2023 American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition, Raymond Thertulien, MD, PhD, of Novant Health, and Joseph Mikhael, MD, MEd, FRCPC, FACP, chief medical officer of the International Myeloma Foundation, discussed health equity research highlights from the meeting and drivers of racial disparities in multiple myeloma outcomes.
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Real-World Study Reveals Key Insights Into DLBCL Treatment Patterns, Outcomes
April 18th 2024A recent study offers valuable insights into the characteristics, treatment patterns, and outcomes of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) in patients across different lines of therapy, providing a look into the landscape of DLBCL management.
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