Nonadherence Is Out of Control
Despite being nearly 100% preventable, nonadherence to prescribed medications is staggeringly high in the United States. The New York Times reported that up to 30% of medication prescriptions are never filled and people who do take them only take half the prescribed dose. Cost is just one reason why nonadherence is so high. Other reasons include that medications remind people they’re sick and some people think medications are “unnatural.”
Insurers Lean Toward ACA Participation in 2018
Although President Donald Trump could cancel payments to insurers that help low-income individuals afford care and Republicans may still try to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), insurers plan to remain in ACA marketplaces in 2018. A recent survey found that 96% of insurers still plan to participate in the marketplaces next year, but that they may make adjustments in strategy, reported The Hill. However, any definitive actions that impact the cost-sharing subsidies will likely make insurers reconsider.
Private-Sector Healthcare Program for VA
Trump will extend a program that allows veterans to access care through the private sector. The program was created as a way to provide care while the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) developed a way to reduce wait times by letting veterans receive care outside the VA medical system, according to the AP. The program has nearly $1 billion in funding remaining and the extension will simply let the program continue until that funding is completely used up.
New Research Challenges Assumptions About Hospital-Physician Integration, Medicare Patient Mix
April 22nd 2025On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Brady Post, PhD, lead author of a study published in the April 2025 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care®, challenges the claim that hospital-employed physicians serve a more complex patient mix.
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Personalized Care Key as Tirzepatide Use Expands Rapidly
April 15th 2025Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, Harvard Medical School, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes.
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Integrated CKD Care Model Cuts ED Visits by 30%, Boosts Specialized Treatment
April 21st 2025An analysis of an interdisciplinary care model for managing chronic kidney disease (CKD) shows hospital admissions dropped by 26% and emergency department (ED) visits decreased by 30% after clinic initiation.
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