Week in Review

This week, the top stories in managed care include the largest healthcare fraud takedown, one successful accountable care organization imparted its secrets, and a report identifies pharmacy trends in the public health exchanges.

Improved health literacy will help consumers understand plans and benefits so that they can make better decisions and Florida Blue has focused on experiential marketing where customers are engaged in community events, outreach programs, and educational sessions, explained Anne Jessup, senior director of digital channels at Florida Blue.

This week in managed care, the top stories included House Republicans' new plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, new funding from HHS to help small practices follow the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, and the Supreme Court rules on a patent lawsuit that impacts pharmaceutical companies.

This week, the top stories in managed care included study results presented at the 76th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association from the SWITCH and LEADER trials, a recommendation for a smarter way to screen for prostate cancer, and researchers found physicians underutilize medications to treat opioid addiction.

This week in managed care, the top stories included discussions on biomarkers and financial toxicity at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and a preview of the 76th Scientific Sessions of the American Diabetes Association.

The top managed care stories this week included an update to the American Society of Clinical Oncology's value framework, a study that reported readmission rates among safety net hospitals after cancer surgery, and findings that bariatric surgery can benefit patients with diabetes.

This week in managed care, the top stories included new guidelines for treating obesity, updated guidelines for heart failure, and a study shed light on a shift in payment for opioids.

The top stories in managed care included the Supreme Court declining to rule on the contraception case Zubik v Burwell, Oklahoma and Louisiana both move toward expanding Medicaid, and the price of the opioid overdose drug naloxone has increased 17-fold over 2 years.

This week, the top managed care stories included an exclusivity deal that has patients with type 1 diabetes unhappy, a report found the healthcare system could have saved $73 billion from greater use of generics, and The American Journal of Managed Care seeks your nominations for an emerging leader award.

This week in managed care included takeaways from the annual meeting of AMCP, the Supreme Court hears arguments regarding drug patent review, and CMS updates Medicaid managed care rules.

This week, the top stories in managed care included the news that UnitedHealth will be exiting most Obamacare exchanges in 2017, and coverage from both the annual meeting of the Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy and the Community Oncology Conference.

The top stories in managed care this week include findings on cancer survival disparities, CVS Health claimed drug spending growth slowed in 2015, and Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey's OMNIA plan is interfering with existing patient-centered medical homes.

Lower-income consumers can encounter a lot of difficulties if they end up in a high-deductible plan paired with a health savings account, explained Lydia Mitts, senior policy analyst at Families USA.

This week's top managed care stories included the release of 7 core sets of quality measures, more evidence that value-based insurance design works to lower costs, and the FDA assigns breakthrough designation to AstraZeneca's PD-L1 inhibitor.

Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, deputy administrator for innovation and quality and chief medical officer at CMS, describes the proposed changes to the Medicare Shared Savings Program and how they will assist accountable care organizations transitioning to tracks with more risks.

Top managed care stories this week included UnitedHealth reporting larger-than-expected losses on Affordable Care Act health plans, new guidelines from the government that will improve patient access to medical records, and new information that can reduce risk of diabetes.

Placing greater focus on patient experience can build trust between consumers and healthcare organizations, which important for the effectiveness of the healthcare system, said Ashish K. Jha, MD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Top managed care stories include Sanofi ending its deal to market Afrezza, Aetna cut ties with America's Health Insurance Plans, and a new study found bankruptcy looms large for cancer survivors.

This week in managed care top stories included the news that patients suing states for access to hepatitis C medication, a study that found 91% of patients who survive an opioid overdose get another prescription, and Martin Shkreli's arrest continues to affect the pharmaceutical world.

This week The American Journal of Managed Care offers a special episode of highlights from the American Society of Hematology's annual meeting, including sessions on newly approved treatments, how the move to pay-for-performance affects hematologists, and the increasing role of patient-reported outcomes.

This week in managed care, The American Journal of Managed Care celebrated 20 years and presented its first Emerging Leader award, plus confusion reigns after study links processed meats to cancer and death rates on the decline.

Top managed care stories this week include comparing US healthcare spending and outcomes to other wealthy nations, identifying how many Americans are affected by Medicaid expansion coverage gaps, and a look at adolescents and young patients with cancer.

Top managed care stories this week include how much waiting to see the doctor costs patients, Express Scripts announced it will cover both PCSK9 inhibitors, and HHS proposed simplifying rules for providers using electronic health record.

Top managed care stories this week include the follow up to the National Academy of Medicine's groundbreaking "To Err Is Human" report, findings on the sharp increase in deductibles, and discussing costs in cancer care.

The top managed care news this week included draft guidance to reign in the controversial 340B drug program and the top pharmacy benefit managers made it clear they are looking for price discounts for the PCSK9 inhibitors.

Top managed care news this week included results for accountable care organizations during 2014, avoiding delays in cancer diagnosis with the use of an electronic health record trigger, and 3 studies look at colorectal cancer screening.

The top stories in managed care, including what providers really think about the use of quality metrics, readmission rates for Medicare patients, and preventing drug-resistant infections.

The top story was Marilyn Tavenner became the nation's top healthcare lobbyist when she was named the new president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans, plus the controversial new guidelines that called for more Americans to take statins were validated, according to the results of a new study.