Aetna Letters Reveal Patients’ HIV Status in Envelope Window
Insurer Aetna has apologized after a mailing to 12,000 people was sent out in envelopes that inadvertently revealed that the recipient is taking a prescription for HIV, according to STAT. Legal advocacy groups say that they have heard several reports of patients’ family members finding out their HIV status through the envelope window, and that “people have been devastated.” Aetna could be forced to pay millions in fines to HHS to settle this apparent violation of health privacy laws.
Google Provides Depression Test in Response to Searches
People Googling “clinical depression” from a mobile device will now receive a short questionnaire in their search results meant to identify potential depressive symptoms. The PHQ-9 is a clinically validated screening test used by mental health professionals that includes questions about mood, energy, sleep, appetite, concentration, and more. In a Google blog post, Mary Giliberti, JD, CEO of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, said that “the results of the PHQ-9 can help you have a more informed conversation with your doctor.”
Ohio Insurer to Offer ACA Coverage in Last Bare County
An insurer has stepped in to sell health plans on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges next year for Paulding County, Ohio, the last remaining county in the United States without coverage, NBC News reports. According to Vox, as recently as June, there had been 47 “bare” counties with no available ACA exchange plans for 2018, but governors and state officials convinced insurers to re-enter the markets. Despite CareSource’s decision meaning that there are no remaining areas where the exchanges will have zero plans, there are still 1340 counties with only 1 insurer, creating a monopoly for the 2.7 million total consumers living there.
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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Patients With RA in Remission Withdrawing From TNF Inhibition Show Flare Increases
December 8th 2023New data presented at ACR 2023 highlighted the differences in rates of flares and Boolean 2.0 remission rates compared to patients with rheumatoid arthritis who continued a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor (TNFi).
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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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Research Reveals the Role of Structural Racism in Lung Cancer Risk
December 7th 2023Spanning 22 studies, the analysis illuminated housing disparities, occupational hazards, unequal health care access, economic inequality, and discriminatory industry practices and how they collectively contribute to heightened lung cancer risks.
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Refining Precision Prevention for Benign Breast Disease
December 7th 2023Many questions remain surrounding accurately classifying the risk of developing invasive breast cancer associated with the benign breast disease diagnoses of nonproliferative lesions and proliferative changes without atypia.
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