Briana Contreras is an editor at Managed Healthcare Executive, where she covers the clinical, business and policy developments that matter to payers and health plan leaders, with an additional focus in multiple clinical spaces. Her reporting spans from new cancer therapies and clinical trial data to drug affordability and biosimilars, pharmacy benefit management (PBM) and health plan operations, giving healthcare executives clear context on how new evidence can affect coverage and care decisions.
Experience:
Before joining MHE in 2019, Briana was a reporter at The Morning Journal in Lorain, Ohio, west of Cleveland, where she covered local government, community news and the issues affecting residents across Lorain and Erie counties. She reported on city council, downtown redevelopment, library and school projects, local business, nonprofits and breaking news in Elyria, Lorain and nearby communities.
Education:
Briana graduated from Cleveland State University with a B.A. in Journalism and Promotional Communication.
In a video interview with MHE editors, Brian Anderson, MBA, a principal and consulting actuary at Milliman, shared his entry into the pharmacy benefits space was driven by a desire to improve healthcare by making it easier for people to access what they need—especially medications. Anderson is one of this year's six inaugural winners of Managed Healthcare Executive’s PBMI Innovator Award.
Pavblu, an Eylea biosimilar, shows stable vision outcomes and minimal side effects in real-world use, promising a reliable treatment option for patients.
Homecare Homebase revealed over 4 million patients are denied home health services annually, highlighting critical access issues and the impact of proposed Medicare cuts.
New insights emerge from ongoing analyses of GA studies, enhancing AMD treatment strategies and patient management at Bay Area Retina Associates.
Discover new safety insights on Syfovre for geographic atrophy treatment, as Roger A. Goldberg highlights promising long-term data at ASRS 2025.
New findings reveal Syfovre may protect central vision in macular degeneration patients, delaying vision loss and enhancing treatment strategies.
New findings reveal that early treatment with Syfovre significantly improves vision preservation in geographic atrophy patients, according to Robert Goldberg, M.D., MBA, of the Bay Area Retina Associates.
CVS Health reports Q2 earnings decline due to litigation charges but boost adjusted EPS guidance, highlighting transformation and growth in healthcare services.
The Joint Commission revamps pediatric care standards, prioritizing children's unique healthcare needs for safer, more effective hospital experiences.
Medicare Advantage enrollment transforms post-acute care, impacting home health, hospice and skilled nursing services amid evolving value-based care challenges.
Rising Medicare exit rates among physicians, especially primary care, highlight growing dissatisfaction and administrative burdens, raising concerns for healthcare access.
Proposed Medicaid changes could lead to 1,500 excess deaths and $135 billion in economic losses annually, impacting healthcare and rural communities.
The vision research community rallies to protect the National Eye Institute from funding cuts, emphasizing its vital role in preventing blindness and advancing treatments.
Employers increasingly shift health benefit costs to workers in 2026, while prioritizing mental health and innovative affordability strategies.
BioMarin's Roctavian gene therapy shows long-term effectiveness in treating severe hemophilia A, reducing bleeding and improving quality of life for patients.
Replimune's RP1 treatment for advanced melanoma faces FDA rejection due to trial design issues, despite promising results from the IGNYTE trial.
Driven by expensive drugs, hospital stays and growing behavioral health needs, healthcare spending is expected to keep rising—encouraging insurers to tighten oversight and explore new ways to control costs.
Switching to extended half-life from standard half-life therapies for hemophilia enhances treatment adherence and reduces infusion frequency, despite initial cost increases.
Frequent flares in atopic dermatitis predict future disease severity, highlighting the need for improved treatment strategies, as found in a new study published in JAMA Dermatology.
Long-acting injectable PrEP may improve access, protection and adherence, especially for young people and pregnant women, according to Hasina Subedar, a senior technical advisor at South Africa’s National Department of Health, who spoke with editors at IAS 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda.
Mulugeta Gebregziabher, Ph.D., spoke with Managed Healthcare Executive ahead of his presentation at IAS 2025 in Kigali, Rwanda, about the risks posed by U.S. cuts to global HIV prevention funding.
At the IAS 2025 conference in Kigali, Rwanda, Banky Olatosi, M.P.H., M.S., Ph.D., of the University of South Carolina, shed light on how systemic racism and social determinants of health influence HIV diagnoses and care across U.S. regions.
According to experts at the IAS 2025 meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, AI revolutionizes HIV vaccine development by enhancing design, data analysis and clinical trials, especially in low-income regions, creating a faster progress.
Experts, such as Lloyd Mulenga, M.Sc., M.B., Ch.B., Ph.D., discuss long-acting injectable HIV PrEP's potential in Zambia, emphasizing community involvement and sustainable rollout amid funding challenges.
Alarice Marsh, M.P.H., a deputy director in the National Department of Health of South Africa and program lead of HIV testing services, spoke with MHE editors about her thoughts on the new recommendations for HIV and sexually transmitted diseases that were issued by the World Health Organization (WHO) today.
Leqselvi (deuruxolitinib) 8 mg tablets are approved for adults with severe alopecia areata, a disease that causes the immune system to attack hair follicles, leading to partial or complete hair loss on the scalp and body.
Kerendia was originally approved in July 2021 to reduce cardiovascular and kidney complications in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) associated with type 2 diabetes. This new approval extends its use to a broader patient population.
In this part three interview of a video series, Hari Prasad, CEO of Yosi Health, told Managed Healthcare Executive editors that cutting administrative burdens through digitized prior authorizations could improve patient outcomes and restore valuable time to physicians.
