Mary Caffrey is the Executive Editor for The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®). She joined AJMC® in 2013 and is the primary staff editor for Evidence-Based Oncology, the multistakeholder publication that reaches 22,000+ oncology providers, policy makers and formulary decision makers. She is also part of the team that oversees speaker recruitment and panel preparations for AJMC®'s premier annual oncology meeting, Patient-Centered Oncology Care®. For more than a decade, Mary has covered ASCO, ASH, ACC and other leading scientific meetings for AJMC readers.
Mary has a BA in communications and philosophy from Loyola University New Orleans. You can connect with Mary on LinkedIn.
Out-of-Pocket Costs for Insulin Are a Problem. Litigants in Case Disagree on Who Is at Fault
March 23rd 2018A case filed more than a year ago has taken many turns, landing in a federal court in Trenton, where it has been shaped by a difference of opinion over how to address the role of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs).
CVD-REAL Results in More Diverse Countries Link SGLT2s to Lower Risk of Death, Heart Attack, Stroke
March 12th 2018CVD-REAL, the giant study of real-world evidence comparing sodium glucose co-transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors with other glucose-lowering drugs to treat type 2 diabetes, found a 49% lower risk of all-cause death and a host of other benefits across 6 new, more diverse countries, the study’s lead author told a packed room Sunday at the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in Orlando, Florida.
For Patients With Heart Failure, Healthcare Reform Brings Change and Unintended Consequences
March 12th 2018Healthcare reform pledged to do better for patients with heart failure, creating the incentives and team-based approaches these fragile patients need. In some cases, this has happened, but there have also been unintended consequences, according to a panel appearing Sunday at the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, being held in Orlando, Florida.
CV Events, Bleeding Drop When Antiplatelet Drugs Are Picked With Genetic Tests, PHARMCLO Finds
March 11th 2018Patients with acute coronary syndrome who used a genetic test to select an antiplatelet drug were 42% less likely to have a cardiovascular (CV) event or major bleeding, according to a study presented Sunday at the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology, taking place in Orlando, Florida.
A Champion of Women's Heart Health Tells How the Journey Starts With Better Data
March 11th 2018The journey to better women's heart health starts with having more data, said Nanette Kass Wenger, MD, MACC, MACP, FAHA, professor of cardiology at Emory University School of Medicine, during the Simon Dack Keynote Lecture, which opened the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.
Bringing Care Coordination to the Fight for Recovery From Opioids
February 26th 2018A symposium at Seton Hall Law School examined the role of care coordination and transitions in helping those with substance use disorder find success in treatment. Some experts say that managed care has not supported care coodination despite evidence that it works and ultimately saves money for health systems.
With Approval of CAR T-Cell Therapy Comes the Next Challenge: Payer Coverage
February 22nd 2018CAR T- cell therapies are among the most expensive ever invented. For now, there’s a lot of uncertainty, as both government and commercial insurers, and a handful of the nation’s leading cancer centers, navigate a reimbursement structure that truly has no precedent.
The Clinical Trial and the Patient's Voice: "I'm Extremely Lucky to Be Alive"
February 21st 2018Two stories--of taking part in clinical trials, and of serving as a voice for patients among scientists who run them--highlight how the advances in cancer are built on the trust between those living with the disease and the clinicians on the frontiers of care.
Value-Based Programs Bring Positive Financial Results, Yet Providers Tread Cautiously, Survey Finds
February 20th 2018A survey of healthcare executives finds that ongoing issues with interoperability are holding back the transition to value-based reimbursement mechanisms. Humana's Chief Medical Officer, Roy A. Beveridge, MD, said the healthcare system must demand the same level of seamlessness seen in the banking industry.