Latest Conference Articles

What are the biggest drivers of change in oncology care and what needs most attention? This was the crux of the discussion during an early panel at the Association of Community Cancer Centers' 44th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit, held March 14-16, 2018, in Washington, DC.

The increasing complexity and personalization of clinical trials are major challenges for managing clinical trials, said James Hamrick, MD, MPH, Kaiser Permanente and Flatiron Health.

At the Association of Community Cancer Center’s 44th Annual Meeting & Cancer Center Business Summit, March 14-16, 2018, in Washington, DC, payer and physician representatives shared the stage with the president of a cancer foundation that is striving to break the barriers that prevent easy healthcare information exchange and access to cancer care.

Panelists brought diverse viewpoints to a discussion on creating a smarter high-deductible health plan at a session during the University of Michigan Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID)’s annual V-BID Summit on March 14, 2018, at the Big House in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Patient education is critical for improving adherence as many patients don’t always know what their medications are or even how they can be taken with other medications they area already on, said Ali McBride, PharmD, MS, BCPS, clinical coordinator for University of Arizona Cancer Center.

Anne L. Schwartz, PhD, executive director of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, discusses the role of MACPAC in sharing data with policy makers.

Information technology and an integrated clinical team can help improve medication adherence for patients receiving oral oncolytics, said Steven D'Amato, RPh, BSPharm, executive director of New England Cancer Specialists.

Sanofi–Regeron's offer to cut prices if payers improve access comes on the heels of the FDA Commissioner's critique of the "Kabuki" constructs that harm the sickest patients.

The burden of high drug costs is something that everyone with health insurance coverage is facing, explained Leigh Purvis, director, Health Services Research, AARP Public Policy Institute.

Linda Frisk, PharmD, of Arizona Oncology, discusses the role of the pharmacist in new value-based payment models and her experience with the Oncology Care Model (OCM).

Georgia is struggling with people who are able to get health insurance, but not access care; unfortunately, little is expected to get done in Washington, DC, with 2018 being an election year, according to Representative Doug Collins, R-Georgia.

Sara Rosenbaum, JD, the Harold and Jane Hirsh Professor of Health Law and Policy and founding chair of the Department of Health Policy at the Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, mentions her concerns about what states may include in their waivers in Medicaid programs.

Coverage of the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

Thomas Graf, MD, chief medical officer and vice president, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, discusses the impact of increases in drug prices on oncology stakeholders.

CVD-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.

Coverage of the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

Healthcare 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.

Coverage from the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

Patients 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.

The 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.

Thomas LeBlanc, MD, Duke Cancer Institute, discusses the trends of hospice care services used among patients with blood cancer compared with patients with solid tumors.

Coverage of the 67th Scientific Session of the American College of Cardiology.

We live in a society in the United States where more is better, so why would we think that when we go to the doctor that our attitude would be different, said Dr Robert Dubois, MD, PhD, chief science officer and executive vice president, National Pharmaceutical Council.

Ed F. Haislmaier, the Preston A. Wells Jr senior research fellow at the Institute for Family, Community, and Opportunity at The Heritage Foundation, discusses the policies under the Trump administration and how they will affect financial burdens.

Financial navigator programs in hospitals take commitment and money to start up, but they more than pay for themselves, said Todd Yezefski, MD, senior fellow in the Clinical Research Division at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington.

Elected officials and others who affect policy know that cost-sharing and out-of-pocket costs are issues in healthcare, but they don’t truly understand the issues, said panelists during a policy discussion on ways to improve access and reduce financial hardship during the Cost-Sharing Roundtable.

The study will be presented during the 67th American College of Cardiology Scientific Session in Orlando, Florida.

Experts from healthcare policy organizations and advocacy groups that cater to Medicare enrollees exchanged best practices and proposed policies to help alleviate access issues during the Cost-Sharing Roundtable, co-hosted by the Patient Access Network Foundation and The American Journal of Managed Care®, on February 23, 2018, at the Barbara Jordan Conference Center in Washington, DC.

Healthcare cost-sharing remains a significant barrier to healthcare access, especially among patients with chronic conditions or those with financial constraints, and could prevent patients from getting much-needed health services, use of diagnostic tests, or result in adherence issues due to patients skipping doses or not filling their prescription medications. At the Cost-Sharing Roundtable on February 23, 2018, presenters and panelists—from academic institutions, health policy organizations, and charitable foundations—shared their findings and experiences with financial hardships faced by patients, and brain stormed ideas on how best to address the situation via practical advice and policy changes.

Leaders from charitable organizations that provide the safety net so patients can meet their healthcare costs and access their required medical treatment have concerns with the widening gap between patient financial needs and available resources. They were speaking at the Cost-Sharing Roundtable in Washington, DC, co-hosted by the Patient Access Network Foundation and The American Journal of Managed Care®.