As the panelists suggest methods to help control the costs of agents for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and improve patient care, Gary M. Owens, MD, explains that the US needs to aggressively review a drug’s cost versus its value and make products that do not provide outcomes sufficient to their costs more difficult for clinicians to access and treat patients with.
Dr Owens explains that because clinicians treat their MS patients at a population level, clinical guidelines are a necessity.
Leslie Fish, PharmD, agrees and believes that it is important that healthcare professionals receive clinical data about treatment effectiveness for certain patient populations.
Patricia K. Coyle, MD, suggests that improvements in MS disease activity biomarkers can also help clinicians make more educated decisions about treatment.
California Aims for Equity by Redefining Cancer Care
December 8th 2023Authors highlight key aspects of the California Cancer Care Equity Act, including its focus on Medi-Cal beneficiaries, the requirement for managed care plans to contract with specialized cancer centers, and the definition of complex cancers.
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Oncology Onward: A Conversation With Thyme Care CEO and Cofounder Robin Shah
October 2nd 2023Robin Shah, CEO of Thyme Care, which he founded in 2020 with Bobby Green, MD, president and chief medical officer, joins hosts Emeline Aviki, MD, MBA, and Stephen Schleicher, MD, MBA, to discuss his evolution as an entrepreneur in oncology care innovation and his goal of positively changing how patients experience the cancer system.
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What We’re Reading: RSV Vaccine Demand; Permanent Contraception; Drug Negotiation Impact
December 8th 2023The Biden administration recently met with manufacturers of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) immunizations to encourage them to increase access to the vaccine; since the Dobbs v Jackson decision, many patients have been seeking more permanent reproductive health care solutions; a Mathematica analysis showed that Medicare prescription drug price negotiations could have cut seniors’ out-of-pocket costs by nearly a quarter had the program been in effect in 2021.
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Insufficient Data, Disparities Plague Lung Cancer Risk Factor Documentation
September 24th 2023On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with the senior author of a study published in the September 2023 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® on the importance of adequate and effective lung cancer risk factor documentation to determine a patient's eligibility for screening.
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Negotiations to extend US global HIV/AIDS relief work are deadlocked; the Biden administration delayed its rule on the proposed menthol cigarette ban until March 2024 after lobbying by civil rights groups; federal agencies have partnered with a digital health company to create an at-home test-to-treat program for flu and COVID-19.
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Humana Report Shows Benefits of Value-Based Care for Patients, Physicians
December 6th 2023Patients seen at value-based care clinics received more preventive screenings and had lower risks of hospitalization and emergency room visits, according to Humana’s 10th annual value-based care report.
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