Katie Sullivan, MA

A proposed Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services ruling would make it easier for consumers to automatically re-enroll in their plans from the healthcare insurance exchanges if they liked them.

Providers recently reviewed the cost-effectiveness of accountable care organizations (ACOs). While half of surveyed providers said value-based reimbursement had potential to improve population health management, as well as the patient experience, 80% said it would require more staff, more time, and greater financial investments.

Adherence is important to improving the health outcomes of patients with diabetes. Health technology and digital tools are just on way providers are encouraging patients to remain consistent with the treatment regimens.

Increasingly, pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) are refusing to purchase high-cost drugs from manufacturers or include them in their formularies - the lists of drugs that a health plan will cover.

For patients who survive cancer, annual medical costs can be nearly double those of non-cancer patients.

Officials from HHS released new data detailing the profile of consumers who enrolled in federal health insurance exchange plans, and the data show that more than 8 million people signed up for coverage.

Despite reform and shifts in health policy, the United States healthcare system ranked last in quality compared with 10 other industrialized counties-just as it did in 2010, 2007, 2006, and 2004.

What is the state of value-based insurance design so far for 2014? According to a survey commissioned by McKesson and conducted by ORC International, pay-for-performance (P4P) is on the rise.

The Office of the National Coordinator (ONC) outlined a 10-year plan that will strengthen the nation's health IT infrastructure by 2024. This interoperable system would promote a "continuous learning" environment that would enforce higher-quality data standards, improve population health, better engage patients, and lower care delivery costs.

An analysis examining Medicare data found that the number of elderly beneficiaries receiving narcotic painkillers and anti-anxiety medications drastically increased from 2007 to 2012.

Personal health information may be key to reducing the costs of care. To work most efficiently, patient participation and compliance will be necessary.

New studies suggest that privately insured patients may receive better cancer care than Medicaid beneficiaries. Although a variety of factors impact patient access to cancer treatment, low-income patients were found to have greater difficulty with navigating health systems.

Health insurance exchanges continue to be a work in progress, at least for several states that are facing ongoing challenges. In particular, 5 states-Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, and Oregon-estimate that it will cost $240 million to fix their existing exchanges, or to transition to using the federal exchange.

A recent study found evidence suggesting that genetically modifying immune cells might effectively treat multiple myeloma.

For oncologists and other cancer care specialists, value-based care is essential.

With 36 states utilizing Healthcare.gov, and with at least 2 additional states considering enrollment, the concept of a national healthcare insurance exchange (HIE) may quickly become a reality.

Beginning July 1, health providers can expect to receive incentives for prescribing specific cancer treatments backed by the insurance company WellPoint. The WellPoint's innovative program will pay providers $350 per patient per month each time they choose 1 of the insurer's "preferred" cancer treatment options.

Controlling the costs of prescription medications for patients with chronic illnesses is at the forefront of almost every stakeholder's agenda in healthcare. Increasingly, efforts are being made to incentivize providers to engage with patients in financially responsible decision making.

Recent controversy over the cost of Sovaldi (Gilead Sciences)-a $1000-per-dose treatment for hepatitis C-has sparked a debate as to whether there should be federal caps on the costs of certain prescription drugs.

A change to provisions in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would allow insurers to receive federal funding for any financial losses they endured due to the health law.

A CMS proposal could extend the deadline for providers to transition to Stage 2 meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs). Agency officials said they have received extensive feedback from health providers who felt they did not have enough time to efficiently transition their EHR systems.

A CMS ruling would force healthcare providers to enroll in Medicare by June 1, 2015, if they plan to prescribe medications that are paid for by the program. The agency said in a report that changes to Medicare Part D were necessary in order to cut down on inappropriate prescription practices and to improve patient safety.

New Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) regulations could limit certain hospitals from participating in the 340B drug discount program.

In an era of heavy-duty strategies and tough decisions, one healthcare expert urged providers to consider the accountable care organization (ACO) as part of their future.

States that resisted expanding their Medicaid programs still saw an increase in new enrollees through the end of March.

Emerging health models all focus on 2 things in transforming care delivery: quality and cost-effectiveness. In order to achieve those standards, providers must adopt practices which support value, and cut those services or procedures that don't.

Many state legislators remain wary of the costs associated with expanding their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). However, a new report from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) that details the budgetary effects of the ACA said differently.

As the elderly population grows, state legislators across the United States are seeking to control the rising costs of caring for them. Specifically, legislators are focused on those elderly who have Alzheimer's disease.

Cancer treatments are evolving to work more effectively, but consequently, their costs are rising. In 2013, cancer medicine spending reached $91 billion globally-up from $71 billion in 2008.

Only 50 physicians and 4 hospitals that enrolled in the federal electronic health record (EHR) incentive payment program have reported achieving Stage 2 meaningful use of EHRs. Officials from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) said that due to these low numbers, many participating practitioners who did not achieve Stage 2 risk having their Medicare reimbursement payments lowered at the end of 2014.