June 30th 2025
From the impact of rising grocery prices to disparities in myeloma outcomes, check out news from the Center on Health Equity & Access this past week.
Ixekizumab Linked With Improved Outcomes vs Adalimumab in PsA With Concomitant Psoriasis
November 3rd 2021A greater proportion of biologic-naive patients with psoriatic arthritis treated with ixekizumab vs adalimumab achieved the combined endpoint of 100% resolution in the Psoriasis Area Severity Index and 50% or greater improvement in the American College of Rheumatology criteria at week 24 and 52.
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CMS Finalizes Policy to Improve Kidney Care for Low-Income Medicare Patients
November 3rd 2021To help close health equity gaps, CMS finalized a rule that will update payment rates and improve incentives for providers to encourage them to increase access to home dialysis and kidney transplants for low-income patients with end-stage renal disease.
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California judge rules Allergan, Endo, Johnson & Johnson, and Teva not liable for state's opioid crisis; CDC panel to decide on approval of and recommendations for Pfizer/BioNTech's COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 5 to 11 years; screen time among teenagers more than doubled during the pandemic.
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FDA announce it will need more time on its decision to approve Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine in children aged 12 to 17 years; lingering questions as the Supreme Court proceeds with hearings on the legality of the Texas abortion law; global death toll from COVID-19 surpasses 5 million.
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Potential Link Found Between Reduced QOL, Higher BMI Among PLWH
October 30th 2021Because persons living with HIV (PLWH) are now living longer, issues beyond their positive serostatus are having an adverse impact on their quality of life (QOL), such as obesity; recent research findings note these should be a consideration when choosing how to manage HIV.
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Long-term Adherence to CPAP May Reduce Blood Pressure in Patients With OSA
October 29th 2021Patients with obstructive sleep apnea with adequate continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy adherence exhibited significant reductions in diastolic blood pressure long term, compared with counterparts with poor adherence.
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Biologic Treatment, Smoking May Increase Psoriasis Risk in Patients With IBD
October 29th 2021Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with adalimumab had greater risk of developing psoriasis than those administered infliximab, with gender and smoking incidence also linked with greater IBD risk.
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Leveraging Predictive Modeling, Data Analytics in Member Health Management
October 29th 2021Erika Glenn, Division Head of Sales, Care Management, CVS Health, addressed some of the latest innovations in predictive modeling and data analytics being leveraged by her organization in the management of patients with chronic conditions at the Asembia 2021 Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas.
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Aligning Value and Cost Considerations to Improve Access to, Outcomes of Gene Therapies
October 29th 2021A panel at Asembia 2021 Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas addressed challenges in the treatment journey of patients with rare diseases, efforts to improve access to gene therapies, and cost and value considerations for stakeholders.
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The state of value-based contracting in specialty pharmacy was addressed in a panel discussion at Asembia 2021 Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas, with speakers touching on the essentials of such agreements, how to optimally integrate them, and future considerations for the pharmaceutical marketplace.
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Investigating if 340B Led to Improved Care in Underserved Populations
October 28th 2021In the years since its inception, debates around the 340B program have centered on whether savings actually benefit the underserved as intended. A new paper in The American Journal of Managed Care® analyzed secondary data on 340B participation and uncompensated care provision from general acute care and critical access hospitals between 2003 and 2015.
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Lance Grady Discusses Continued At-Home Administration of Specialty Pharmaceuticals
October 27th 2021After the public health emergency is over, there will likely remain incentive to keep some administration of specialty therapies at home, in a less acute setting of care, said Lance Grady, market access practice director, Avalere Health.
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Unraveling the Growing Influence of Consolidation, 340B, and Industry in Specialty Pharmacy
October 27th 2021Panelists of the opening session at Asembia 2021 Specialty Pharmacy Summit in Las Vegas address emerging shifts in specialty pharmacy, its impact on the health care system, and future implications post pandemic.
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Diagnostic Testing in Thyroid Cancer: An AJMC® Profiles in Care
October 27th 2021Michelle Afkhami, MD, from City of Hope, discusses best practices for oncology organizations to leverage molecular/genomic testing, the importance of identifying RET-positive patients early so they can receive targeted treatment, and more.
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This analysis of health insurance claims data demonstrates rapid increase and sustained high utilization of telemedicine services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Addressing Senior Health Needs Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic
October 26th 2021On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we discuss senior health needs amid the pandemic and how Centerwell Senior Primary Care's holistic, team-based approach and value-based care delivery contributed to upticks in senior patient visits despite fears of COVID-19.
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Moderna's COVID-19 vaccine was found to be safe and effective in children aged 6 to 11 years; the Biden administration seeks to increase the availability of cost-effective rapid at-home COVID-19 tests; President Joe Biden will impose new vaccine requirements for international air travelers and lift current travel restrictions.
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Researchers Hope Single-Cell Tumor Immune Atlas Can Improve Predictions in Precision Oncology
October 26th 2021A pan-cancer reference atlas provides a framework for an immune-based patient stratification that study authors expect to be predictive for patient prognosis and immunotherapy response at an elevated level after further studies.
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Comparing Costs and HRU for Tisagenlecleucel vs Axicabtagene Ciloleucel for DLBCL
October 25th 2021Posters presented at AMCP Nexus 2021 evaluated the health care resource utilization (HRU) and costs associated with the chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapies tisagenlecleucel and axicabtagene ciloleucel.
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The nation's top infectious disease expert expects COVID-19 vaccination to be made available for children aged 5 to 11 years by early November; Walmart recalls aromatherapy spray due to rare and deadly bacteria contamination; COVID-19–related brain fog has been found to persist in patients for months after infection.
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