Humana to Pull Out of 2018 Exchanges
Shortly after calling off its proposed merger with Aetna, Humana announced it would not participate in the Affordable Care Act exchanges in 2018. After analyzing membership data from the 2017 open enrollment period, “Humana is seeing further signs of an unbalanced risk pool,” the insurer stated in a press release explaining the decision. In a tweet, President Donald Trump seized the news as an example of how “Obamacare continues to fail.”
Polypharmacy On the Rise in Elderly Patients
A study recently published in JAMA Internal Medicine points to a concerning trend of physicians prescribing 3 or more central nervous system (CNS) drugs at once for elderly patients. CNS polypharmacy among those aged 65 or older has more than doubled between 2004 and 2013, partially driven by an increase in prescribing among patients with a pain diagnosis. The largest increase in CNS polypharmacy was among rural visits, “where access to specialty mental health or pain care is particularly limited,” the authors wrote.
Pharma Executives Keep Wary Eye on FDA's Future
President Trump’s calls to slash government regulations and speed up the FDA’s drug approval processes have put some pharmaceutical industry leaders on edge, according to a Reuters article. Over a dozen drug and biotechnology firms have implored the new administration not to implement a too-hasty approval process, worrying that insurers will refuse to pay for a new drug if its safety is not thoroughly proven. "It is one thing to get a drug approved, but you have got to get reimbursed," said Paul Perreault, chief executive of biotech company CSL Ltd, in the article.
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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SABCS 2023 Sessions Touch on "Every Aspect of Breast Cancer"
December 4th 2023The 46th annual San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium will take place December 5-9, with new and experienced attendees able to choose and learn from a schedule overflowing with the latest developments in breast cancer science and research.
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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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NK Cell Therapy SNK01 Improves Cognitive Function in Alzheimer Disease for up to 11 Weeks
December 3rd 2023Among 10 patients evaluated, compared with their baseline at 1 week after receiving their final dose in the trial, 30% demonstrated clinical improvement on the Alzheimer’s disease composite score.
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Health Equity and Access Weekly Roundup: December 2, 2023
December 2nd 2023The Center on Health Equity and Access highlights the most recent updates in the realm of health equity, including news, research findings, and initiatives focused on mitigating health care disparities and enhancing overall access to quality care.
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