Diabetes

In 2017, as advocates and researchers discussed the potential for continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) to become a tool in clinical trials, most of the discussion involved testing in new therapies. The discussion culminated in an international consensus on CGM, published in December 2017, that included standards for assessing hypoglycemia in clinical trials.

Nearly 3 years after UnitedHealthcare set off a firestorm among the type 1 diabetes (T1D) community by naming Medtronic its preferred supplier of insulin pumps for adults, a fresh wave of protest has erupted after the payer extended the pact to youth, starting at age 7. The change was announced in a UnitedHealthcare bulletin February 1, 2019.

Even when things go well, managing diabetes is not easy. Keeping tabs on this disease 24/7 takes planning, commitment, support, and the right tools. For years, a chief complaint among those living with diabetes has been that managed care nickel-and-dimes people over basic supplies, which are comparatively cheap—things like test strips and sensors for a continuous glucose monitor—but will shell out thousands for dialysis and amputations. In the years ahead, if Congress wants to understand rising costs for end-stage renal disease or an increase in emergency department visits for hypoglycemia, it should look directly to CMS’ foray into competitive bidding for blood glucose test strips.

Three years after results from a study in Diabetes Care revealed how flaws in CMS’ Competitive Bidding Program endangered Medicare patients who rely on supplies to test their blood glucose, the federal government has allowed contracts to expire for the dwindling number of suppliers, raising fears that the program for seniors with diabetes has reached the point of collapse.

Coverage of our peer-reviewed research and news reporting in the healthcare and mainstream press.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

Researchers found that a prescription for healthy food can improve health outcomes for beneficiaries in Medicare and Medicaid.

This week, the top managed care news included new primary prevention guidelines that could increase the use of some diabetes drugs; the FDA expanded criteria for which patients can take part in clinical trials; a summit on value-based insurance design showed the need for tough conversations with stakeholders.

For SGLT2 inhibitors and a fish oil capsule, there was plenty of good news; for aspirin, not so much. A recap of the American College of Cardiology's 68th Annual Scientific Session, held March 16-18, 2019, in New Orleans, Louisiana.

If approved the oral form of semaglutide would be the first pill in the GLP-1 receptor agonist class.

New findings show reduced hospitalizations for a wide group of patients with heart failure. For high-risk patients with reduced ejection fraction, the drug appears to cut deaths, but more studies will answer these questions.

The joint guidelines from the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association call on clinicians to pay more attention to social determinants of health. They were announced Sunday at the 68th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care news included the 2020 budget plan proposing a mix of healthcare spending cuts and increases; the FDA approving the first immunotherapy regimen for breast cancer; and researchers uncovering how sodium glucose co-transporter-2 inhibitors work.

The results come after the American Diabetes Association and the American College of Cardiology have recently issued guidelines calling for the use of GLP-1 receptor agonists for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk.

The change comes on the heels of hearings in Congress where insulin costs were held up for scrutiny.

A technology update, a new drug approval, and a drug recall due to more impurities.

Here are the top 5 articles for the month of February.

The study followed a directive from CMS to screen dialysis patients for depression and develop a follow-up plan for care for those diagnosed.

A bill would allow the importation of insulin from Canada and other countries; a survey highlighted the prevalence of anxiety and depression among teens; and the World Health Organization has established a committee to set guidelines for gene editing.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care news included increased demand for long-acting contraception since President Trump took office; a payer decision on an insulin pump alarmed diabetes advocates; and despite being involved in cancer treatment decisions, many primary care providers don't feel prepared to do so.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care news included House and Senate hearings on the cost of prescription drugs; a study finding patients with diabetes can be safely switched to cheaper insulin; and the first non-chemotherapy combination being approved for the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

We present an International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) translation of the adapted Diabetes Complications Severity Index and show its performance in predicting hospitalizations, mortality, and healthcare-associated costs.

The Senate Committee on Finance convened a hearing with economic and medical experts and the mother of child with insulin-dependent diabetes to discuss the burdens of high prescription drug prices and potential policy solutions that can address the rising costs without harming innovation by drug companies.

The study appeared as one of its authors testified before Congress on the high cost of prescription drugs, including insulin. Experts told the House Committee on Oversight and Reform that branded drug makers enjoy monopolies and that barriers to competition harm consumers.

Between 2012 and 2016, insulin costs for patients nearly doubled while utilization remained flat; the pharmaceutical industry's lead lobbying group spent a record amount in 2018; and alcohol-associated liver disease has surpassed hepatitis C as the top cause of liver transplants.

While depression and diabetes have been linked previously, the study from Hong Kong examined the effects of an early diagnosis of type 2 diabetes on hospitalization over time.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.