Laura is the vice president of content for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®) and all its brands, including Population Health, Equity & Outcomes; Evidence-Based Oncology™; and The Center for Biosimilars®. She has been working on AJMC since 2014 and has been with AJMC’s parent company, MJH Life Sciences®, since 2011.
She has an MA in business and economic reporting from New York University. You can connect with Laura on LinkedIn or Twitter.
Consumption of Salt Associated With Increased Risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Researchers Say
September 18th 2017Salt intake may be associated with an increased risk of developing diabetes. Research presented at the annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of Diabetes and published in Diabetologia found sodium intake increased the risk of developing both type 2 diabetes and latent autoimmune diabetes in adults.
Guidelines Discourage Using Brain Imaging as a Test for Chronic Pain
September 13th 2017Recent advances in brain imaging have improved understanding of acute and chronic pain, but have led to an increased in the demand to use this data for insurance and medical legal cases. However, a task force is advising against the use of brain imaging as a “lie detector” test for chronic pain.
New Value-Based Insurance Plan Helps Consumers Who Use Healthcare the Most
September 12th 2017As the healthcare industry struggles to address rising costs and unaffordable care, attention is turning to value-based benefit design options. Altarum has released its outline for a new value-based insurance design model that it will test at pilot sites across the country.
New Value-Based Insurance Plan Helps Consumers Who Use Healthcare the Most
September 12th 2017As the healthcare industry struggles to address rising costs and unaffordable care, attention is turning to value-based benefit design options. Altarum has released its outline for a new value-based insurance design model that it will test at pilot sites across the country.
Possible Connections Between Sleep Issues and ADHD
September 11th 2017There may be a connection between sleep troubles and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to an expert at the 30th European College of Neuropsychopharmacology Congress, which was held September 2-5 in Paris, France.
Hickenlooper, Kasich Discuss Bipartisan Health Reform Proposals and Remaining Challenges
September 8th 2017Ohio Governor John Kasich and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper sat together at an event co-hosted by the American Enterprise Institute and the Center for American Progress to discuss bipartisan consensus around health reform policies and their commitment to quality, not quantity, medicine.
Just 3.3% of ED Visits Are Truly "Avoidable," Study Finds
September 5th 2017Most emergency department (ED) visits may not be as preventable as once thought. A new study in the International Journal for Quality in Health Care pointed out that while some estimates of "avoidable" ED visits have run anywhere between 4.8% and 90%, the reality is even lower.
Healthy, but Still Hurting: Challenges of Cancer Survivorship
September 4th 2017The assumption in the United States is that once someone with cancer is cured, done with treatment, and healthy, that they are now okay. However, the reality is that survivors contend with lingering challenges that aren’t visible and make it difficult for them to ask for help or admit they need it.
Severe Psoriasis Linked to Increased Risk of Death
September 2nd 2017Psoriasis severity has been linked to increased risk of death in a new study published in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology. Researchers found that the risk of death increased for patients who had more surface area covered by psoriasis.
Patient Support Program Improves Adherence to TNF Inhibitors in RA and IBD
September 2nd 2017Despite trials showing that antitumor necrosis factor (TNF) therapy is safe and effective to treat inflammatory diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease and rheumatoid arthritis, but adherence rates remain low.
FDA Approves Tisagenlecleucel, the First CAR-T Cell Therapy in the United States
August 30th 2017The FDA has approved the first chimeric antigen receptor-T (CAR-T) treatment, tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah), for the treatment of B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia in certain pediatric and young adult patients. The therapy represents a new frontier in cancer care.
Comorbidities in Patients With Heart Failure: Treating the Whole Patient
August 29th 2017Patients with heart failure tend to have other health issues, requiring cardiologists to understand how to care for heart failure while keeping in mind treatment for these other comorbidities, said panelists at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017, held August 26-30 in Barcelona, Spain.
An Eye on Cardiovascular Prevention: Begin in Childhood, Identify All Risk Factors
August 27th 2017For each level of cardiovascular risk, lifestyle factors remain a significant contributor that can be modified to reduce risk. However, some risk will remain nonmodifiable and require therapy, according to panelists during a session on cardiovascular prevention at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017, held August 26-30 in Barcelona, Spain.
COMPASS: Rivaroxaban Plus Aspirin Protects Against Heart Attack, Stroke
August 27th 2017Rivaroxaban plus aspirin has significant benefits for patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD) and stable coronary artery disease, according to the results of the COMPASS (Cardiovascular OutcoMes for People using Anticoagulation StrategieS) trial, presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2017, held August 26-30 in Barcelona, Spain.
CBO: Eliminating Cost-Sharing Reduction Payments Has Short-Term Pains, Long-Term Gains
August 15th 2017Since taking office, President Donald Trump has toyed with the idea of eliminating the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) payments to insurers under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Doing so would actually decrease the number of uninsured individuals starting in 2020, but would increase the federal deficit by $194 billion from 2017 through 2026, according to a new report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
Dr Patrick Conway Is Leaving CMS to Lead Blue Cross NC
August 8th 2017Patrick Conway, MD, MSc, will leave his position as the deputy administrator for Innovation and Quality at CMS and the director of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to lead Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC).
AJMCtv® Interviews, August 2017
August 8th 2017AJMC®TV interviews let you catch up with experts on what’s new and important about changes in healthcare. The interviews provide insights from key decision makers-from the clinician, to the health plan leader, to the regulator. When every minute in your day matters, AJMC®TV interviews keep you informed. You can access the video clips at ajmc.com/interviews.
Bipartisan Group Reveals Proposals for Stabilizing the Healthcare Market
August 1st 2017After Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) returned to Congress last week after surgery and a brain tumor diagnosis, he called on his fellow senators to put aside partisan differences and work together on healthcare reform. In the House of Representatives, a bipartisan group is trying to do just that.
Senate Republicans Vote on Motion to Proceed on ACA Repeal Debate
July 25th 2017The Senate voted mostly along party lines in support of the motion to proceed to debate a replacement for the Affordable Care Act. Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine were the only 2 Republicans who voted against the motion.
Study Finds ACOs Have No Meaningful Impact on Medication Use or Adherence
July 25th 2017Many accountable care organizations participating in the Medicare Shared Savings Program focus on disease control and medication use, but a new study published in JAMA Cardiology has found that the programs have not made any meaningful changes in medication use or adherence.
Tocilizumab More Cost-Effective at Treating Patients With RA Than Abatacept
July 22nd 2017In a study designed to identify the relevant cost per number needed to treat for the 2 biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs tocilizumab (TCZ) and abatacept, researchers determined that TCZ had a higher efficacy.
Without Votes for BCRA, McConnell Calls for Repeal and Delay of ACA
July 18th 2017With plans to repeal and simultaneously replace the Affordable Care Act derailed now that 4 Republican senators have announced they would oppose the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) is returning to an older plan: repeal and delay.
Four Republicans Now Oppose Senate Healthcare Bill
July 18th 2017With 2 more Republicans announcing that they oppose the Senate healthcare bill, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) no longer has enough votes to pass the Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017, which would repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act.