What We're Reading: New HealthCare.gov Site More User Friendly

Newly Remodeled HealthCare.gov Site More User Friendly

The new website, reports The New York Times, has worked as the government promised, during the third open enrollment season. A new feature this year is a cost calculator that helps would-be enrollees compare different health plans based on their estimate of low, medium, of high use of medical services in 2016, though it does not let users sort plans based on total costs.

Read more here: http://nyti.ms/1k73ejo.

2015 Sees a More Gradual Slope to Prescription Drug Prices

A new analysis by the healthcare technology firm Truveris, reports that prescription drug prices rose 9.1% through September 30, 2015, for all medicines, compared with 10.9% seen in 2014. This information is based on the company’s analysis of claims data that included more than 300 million prescription payments to US pharmacies. The claims data does not account for drug rebates, coupons, or copay cards.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/208u4bH.

USPSTF Recommends Screening for Glucose and T2DM in Overweight and Obese Adults

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF), as part of cardiovascular risk assessment in obese and overweight adults 40 to 70 years of age, has recommended screening for blood glucose levels. Additionally, the USPSTF recommendation urges physicians to refer patients with abnormal glucose levels to behavior counseling to ensure a healthy diet and incorporating physical activity in their daily life.

Read the paper published in the Annals of Internal Medicine here: http://bit.ly/1N38TCJ.