Centene Is Expanding ACA Offerings
Just 1 day after Vice President Mike Pence said the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was in a “death spiral,” a big insurer is expanding its ACA offerings. According to The Wall Street Journal, Centene is entering 3 new states even while other insurers are retreating from participating in the ACA exchanges. In addition, it will increase offerings in 6 states where it is already participating. However, Centene did announce it will exit the Massachusetts exchange because of low enrollment.
FDA Increases Scrutiny of Abuse-Deterrent
Opioid
Formulations
The FDA is increasing its scrutiny of opioids. Just a week after it asked a company to remove its opioid from the market, the agency is now ramping up scrutiny of abuse-deterrent formulations of opioids, reported The Washington Post. The FDA is trying to determine whether these formulations are “having their intended impact” and actually limiting abuse, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, said in a statement.
Hidden Disabilities Pose Challenges for Gaining Benefits
A story by NPR highlights the challenges that people with non-visible disabilities face when trying to access benefits. Overall, less than half of people who apply for disability benefits through the Social Security Administration are accepted, and getting accepted is more difficult for people whose disabilities stem from diseases that are hard to see or measure. And the agency’s attempt to weed out fraud has led to a rule that does not give special consideration to an individual’s personal, longtime doctor, which could make it more difficult for people with hidden disabilities.
AA Unlikely to Cause Anxiety, Depression but May Be Affected by Mental Illness
May 7th 2024A Mendelian randomization study using genetic analysis found that alopecia areata (AA) increases the risk of anxiety and depression, but not the other way around, providing unique evidence for a causal link while adding to existing evidence.
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Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
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AUA Session Highlights the General Urologist’s Role in Gender-Affirming Care
May 7th 2024During her session, Polina Reyblat, MD, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, highlighted best practices urologists should incorporate to make transgender and gender-diverse patients comfortable during physical exams and avoid retraumatization.
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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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Access Denied: CMS’ Action Hurts Patients With Cancer in Rural America
May 6th 2024CMS rules hindered the access of rural patients with cancer to medically integrated pharmacies in 2023. The authors discuss the impact on equity in health care, emphasizing the need for regulatory change.
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What Mass General Brigham Is Doing to Combat Prostate Cancer Disparities Among Men of Color
May 5th 2024Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, MBA, chief of urology at Brigham & Women's Faulkner Hospital, highlighted successful efforts to improve prostate cancer care access for underserved communities in Massachusetts.
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