Policy

Updated Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes guidelines and a consensus report with the American Diabetes Association support the use of finerenone in certain patients who have chronic kidney disease (CKD) that may be linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D).

A brief report found that a need for prior authorization affected biologic approval wait times for patients with psoriasis, especially those with private insurance.

Liability concerns cited by education administrators and nurses regarding the use of stock albuterol in school are overblown, according to researchers who examined how legislation about the issue has played out in Illinois.

Joseph Alvarnas, MD, vice president of government affairs at City of Hope and chief clinical adviser of AccessHope in Duarte, California, spoke on how the California Cancer Care Equity Act will allow oncologists to escalate the care of patients with advanced cancers toward established centers that can better meet their needs, as well as implications from the decision to exclude genomic testing coverage in the bill.

An analysis of Medicaid coverage found that Mississippi was the only state not to provide coverage for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination in adults aged 27 to 45 years.

Abortion rights measures on the ballot saw victories in all 5 states; South Dakota voted to expand access to Medicaid; rates of inflammatory heart conditions were increased in people with the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine.

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) will give cancer claims priority when a new law takes effect in January 2023; Pfizer is looking to use its COVID-19 profits to grow other blockbusters; the probable loss of Medicaid coverage for millions next year is setting off debate.

The Supreme Court will hear a nursing home case Tuesday that could have far-reaching consequences; COVID-19 is continuing to take a toll on worker productivity; ultra-processed foods are linked to premature deaths in a new study.

More than 3 billion people worldwide live within highly vulnerable areas with implications for skin health, according to climate change policy makers.

Physicians and scientists are worried about the future pandemic preparedness, and the reasons why are largely due to social and political influences, according to a keynote speech and panel discussion on the first day of Kidney Week 2022.

Medicaid enrollees residing in counties with greater food affordability had lower odds of preventable hospitalization related to diabetes.

Few eligible individuals apply for the Advance Premium Tax Credit due to knowledge barriers. Additionally, specific sociodemographic characteristics appear to predict applying status.

Sessions at Kidney Week 2022 range from combatting medical misinformation to learning about the latest clinical advances, as well as championing health equity for patients with kidney disease.

Susan E. Quaggin, MD, FASN, president of the American Society of Nephrology (ASN) for the 2021-2022 term, discussed the major focuses and breakthroughs in nephrology to be presented at Kidney Week 2022, which include novel treatments for common and rare kidney diseases, as well as efforts to address disparities for transplant and care access.

Joseph Alvarnas, MD, vice president of government affairs at City of Hope and chief clinical adviser of AccessHope in Duarte, California, discusses the recently passed Cancer Care Equity Act in California that provides access to clinical trials and advanced care for Medi-Cal beneficiaries.

Exclusions from Medicaid eligibility based on immigration status may be linked with increased health care disparities among immigrant women compared with US-born women, a study suggested.

The limited data on heart failure (HF)-related mortality among young adults, those aged 15 to 44 years, prompted this analysis of data from 1999 to 2019 that considered HF as a contributing or underlying cause of death.

Black and Latino Americans saw surges in health care insurance enrollment through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) between 2020 and 2022; Medicaid enrollment and spending is expected to slow in 2023; the Biden administration is preparing a national hepatitis C treatment plan.

Several elements of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) align with CMS’ goals of promoting equity through health policy, explained A. Mark Fendrick, MD, co–editor in chief of The American Journal of Managed Care® and director of the V-BID Center at the University of Michigan.

Melissa O'Connor, PhD, MBA, RN, FGSA, FAAN, endowed professor in Community and Home Health Nursing, M. Louise Fitzpatrick School of Nursing, Villanova University, and director, Gerontology Interest Group, discussed several policy needs for home health care, including improved caregiver support, updated eligibility criteria for in-home care, and reimbursement for telehealth.

The author, the dean of the College of Ethnic Studies at California State University Los Angeles, says a Supreme Court ruling could upend insurance protections for patients with kidney diseases, disproportionately hurting those who are Black, Hispanic, Asian, and other diverse ethnicities.

Despite known racial disparities in access to advanced heart failure (HF) treatments, the reasons for this continue to require further exploration. In this new study, investigators searched for associations between ventricular assist device use and heart transplant and race (Black or White).

CDC advisory group votes to add COVID-19 vaccines to the pediatric immunization schedule; a new report says workplaces can be hazardous to the mental and physical health of Americans; drug makers are lobbying to ease the impact of the Inflation Reduction Act.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) temporarily extended Affordable Care Act premium subsidies and instituted an insulin co-pay cap for Medicare beneficiaries, but bipartisan agreement is needed to make these changes permanent and more broadly applicable, explained A. Mark Fendrick, MD.

It's hard to predict whether the Medicare drug price negotiation provision in the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) could lead to higher or lower prices in the commercial market, said A. Mark Fendrick, MD, co–editor in chief of The American Journal of Managed Care® and director of the V-BID Center at the University of Michigan.

Compared with Ethiopia’s current nonmandatory hepatitis B vaccination program, expanded vaccination coverage among health care workers was shown to be more cost-effective and result in improved life expectancy gains.

President Joe Biden is directing HHS, through an executive order, to use the Innovation Center to lower drug prices; the US extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days; the CDC reported that 75% of teenagers experienced adverse childhood experiences in 2021, which worsened their mental health.

The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) contains provisions allowing Medicare to negotiate net prices for prescription drugs, but it remains to be seen whether this will translate into savings for beneficiaries, explained A. Mark Fendrick, MD, co–editor in chief of The American Journal of Managed Care® and director of the V-BID Center at the University of Michigan.

The FDA authorizes the COVID booster shots for children as young as 5; babies born during the pandemic may experience delayed communication skills compared with babies born prior; regulatory burden has increased for 89% of medical practices.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we speak with Matthew D. Eisenberg, PhD, lead author of a study published in the October issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® that investigated the use of high-deductible health plans and their impact on substance use disorder care and spending.