What We're Reading: Prepping for Nuclear War; Hospital Shortages; Idaho to Loosen ACA Rules
January 8th 2018CDC to hold workshop that prepares for a public health response to a nuclear detonation; hospitals face shortage of intravenous bags after Hurricane Maria damages production in Puerto Rico; Idaho's governor signs executive order to loosen the Affordable Care Act's rules on health coverage requirements.
Combination Therapy May Benefit Subset of Patients With CLL Who Have Poor Response to Ibrutinib
January 7th 2018A subset of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with highly expressed CD49d have poorer outcomes while on Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib, which antagonizes B-cell receptor (BCR) signals. However, a team of researchers may have found a way to treat these patients.
What We're Reading: Tackling Opioid Addiction; Drug Price Increases Slow; Serving Medicaid Patients
January 5th 2018New legislation in California would aim to curb opioid addiction; increasing number of generics are causing medicines to be more affordable; healthcarey company focused on serving low-income urban residents receives first round funding.
What We're Reading: Vision Loss Gene Therapy; Autism Spectrum Disorders; Dementia in the Hospital
January 3rd 2018New vision loss gene therapy gets a price tag below the expected $1 million mark; new evidence finds that the prevalence of autism spectrum disorders has plateaued; hospitals are ill-equipped to care for dementia patients, but a new effort could change that.
What We're Reading: Drug Approvals; Home Health; American Healthcare Costs
January 2nd 2018FDA approved 46 drugs in 2017, a 21-year high; pilot program tests using home care to reduce emergency department visits; a look at how increasing prices, not increased use of services, has caused American healthcare spending to grow so much faster than peer nations.
Determining Discharge Criteria for Pediatric Patients Admitted With Febrile Neutropenia
December 30th 2017Management of pediatric oncology patients with febrile neutropenia and hospitalization duration currently vary by institution and by provider. A poster presented at the 59th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting reviewed pediatric hematology/oncology patients who were admitted with febrile neutropenia to determine discharge and release, as well as subsequent readmission within the next 4 days.
What We're Reading: State Insurance Mandates; Utah Medicaid Expansion; 10-Year Medicaid Waiver
December 29th 2017Rhode Island and Vermont consider state-level individual insurance mandates; Utahns support full Medicaid expansion; CMS approves a first-of-its-kind 10-year Medicaid waiver for Mississippi.
What We're Reading: ACA Repeal Misconception; ACA Enrollment Status; Zika Vaccine Trial
December 28th 2017Poll finds one-third of Americans believe the Affordable Care Act has been repealed; enrollees in Obamacare coverage largely come from states that voted for President Donald Trump; 2 trials find Zika vaccines are safe and effective.
What We're Reading: TV Drug Ads; Kmart Drug Settlement; Evidence-Based Medicine
December 27th 2017In the last 4 years, the number of drug ads seen on TV has increased 65%; Kmart settled a prescription drug case over allegations it was being overpaid by the government; understanding the term "evidence-based" and how critics and supporters view it.
What We're Reading: Hospital Penalization; New APMs; EHR Challenges
December 26th 2017More than 700 hospitals were penalized for having the highest rates of patient injuries; the Physician-focused Payment Technical Advisory Committee backed 2 new alternative payment models; and experts outline the biggest challenges of implementing and maintaining electronic health records going into the new year.
What We're Reading: Arizona Medicaid Requirements; CHIP Will Wait for 2018; Opioid Overdoses
December 21st 2017Arizona submitted a waiver to impose work requirements and a lifetime limit for able-bodied people on the Medicaid program; Congress will tackle long-term funding for the Children's Health Insurance Plan in 2018; the opioid epidemic escalated in 2016.
What We're Reading: GOP Tax Bill Passes; Healthcare Deals; Discussing High Drug Prices
December 20th 2017Republicans pass tax bill and repeal the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate; potential healthcare mergers and deals pick up in December; millions of dollars paid out to combat the national conversation around rising drug prices.
What We're Reading: FDA Targets Homeopathic Meds; ACA Fix; Alabama to Cut Children's Insurance
December 19th 2017The FDA plans to crackdown on alternative remedies; Senator Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, says his Obamacare insurer fix will be in the government funding bill; Alabama prepares to drop coverage for 7000 children.
What We're Reading: State Individual Mandates; Contraceptives Rule; McCain's Cancer Treatment
December 18th 2017Some states are considering implementing their own Obamacare individual mandates; a federal judge blocks a rule making it easier for employers to opt out of contraceptive coverage; Senator John McCain, R-Arizona, will miss tax bill vote, but the GOP should have enough votes.
What We're Reading: Medicare Lab Testing; CHIP Deadline; AMA Expands Diabetes Efforts
December 15th 2017Medicare is alleging laboratories improperly billed the government for improper tests; time is running out for children receiving healthcare from CHIP; the AMA extends its diabetes prevention model to Maryland and other states.
What We're Reading: Medical Device Tax; Marijuana and Vaping; Birth Control Without Prescriptions
December 14th 2017New legislation would suspend the Affordable Care Act’s medical device tax for 5 years; teenagers are now more likely to vape or use marijuana than smoke cigarettes; California women can access birth control at a pharmacist without a doctor’s prescription, but are unlikely to do so.
What We're Reading: Bad Drug Ads; DC's Public Hospital; Slowing Parkinson Disease Progression
December 13th 2017The FDA wants to enlist consumers to help identify troubling drug ads; DC's only public hospital needs a $17 million bailout; intense exercise can slow the progression of early-stage Parkinson disease.
What We're Reading: Harsh Flu Season; Potential Hospital Giants Merger; ACA Sign-Up Deadline
December 11th 2017Health officials are warning of an unusually harsh flu season; Ascension and Providence St. Joseph Health are in talks about a possible merger; and heavy traffic is expected as the final week of ACA sign-ups begins.
What We're Reading: Drug Imports; Insurers See ACA Profits; Alzheimer's Forecast
December 8th 2017How counties, cities, and schools are saving money by importing drugs for employees; insurers are finally turning a profit on their Obamacare plans; new report projects the number of Americans with Alzheimer's disease will more than double by 2060.