Hospital Repeatedly Double-Booked Surgeries
Federal lawsuit is alleging that Massachusetts General Hospital juggled multiple surgeries and kept patients under anesthesia longer than was safe. According to The Boston Globe, the lawsuit claims that at least 5 surgeons endangered patients in this way and the whistleblower, a former anesthesiologist, witnessed surgeons going back and forth between operating rooms to perform simultaneous operations. When patients stay under anesthesia longer than necessary, it increases the risk of complications.
Some Counties Will Have No ACA Insurer in 2018
There will be 45 counties with no insurer participating in their Affordable Care Act marketplaces in 2018, affecting about 35,000 people. An analysis from The New York Times found that an additional 1388 counties could have just 1 insurer, affecting about 3 million people. The places of the country that will be hardest hit are the South and the Midwest. However, some insurance companies have yet to make a decision about what they will do in 2018 and the final numbers could change. For instance, Anthem has already pulled out of Ohio, but it hasn’t decided about the 299 counties outside of Ohio where it is currently the only insurer.
Congressional Hearing on Drug Prices
The US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions will hold a hearing on Tuesday about how America’s drug-delivery system impacts what patients pay. The hearing will explore how industry practices, such as rebates, affect total drug spending, according to The Wall Street Journal. There will be no company executives or industry lobby groups represented at the hearing.
HOPE-CAT Can Identify Maternal Cardiovascular Risk 2 Months Earlier Than Doctors, Study Says
April 25th 2024In a retrospective study, the machine learning tool was able to screen for potential risks of cardiovascular disease nearly 60 days before the patient's medical record showed any signs of a related condition or before they were officially diagnosed or treated for it.
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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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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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Data Back Neoadjuvant Combo vs Chemo Alone for Early-Stage NSCLC
April 24th 2024For patients with early-stage non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), combining neoadjuvant immune checkpoint inhibitors and platinum-based chemotherapy improves 2-year outcomes over chemotherapy alone, suggest findings of an extensive literature review and meta-analysis.
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