Articles by Peter Wehrwein

Matthew Bennett is senior vice president of Evernorth Care Delivery, a health services company and subsidiary of Cigna. Bennett is one of the emerging health leaders featured in the October 2021 issue of Managed Healthcare Executive. In this video he talks about the career achievement that has given him the greatest satisfaction, dissects his recent promotion and who has had the greatest influence on his life.

Matthew Bennett is one of 13 up-and-coming health leaders featured in this annual Managed Healthcare Executive series.

Ellen Beckjord, Ph.D., M.P.H., vice president of population health and clinical transformation at UPMC Health Plan in Pittsburgh, is one of the emerging health leaders featured in the October 2021 issue of Managed Healthcare Executive. In this video she talks about the career achievement that has given her the greatest satisfaction and the person who has had the greatest influence on her life.

Ellen Beckjord is one of 13 up-and-coming health leaders featured in this annual Managed Healthcare Executive series.

Before the pandemic, rural areas were ahead in telehealth adoption. That has changed during the pandemic, most obviously because many rural residents don’t have access to broadband.

In this video series, Agboola addresses two questions asked in the annual Emerging Health Leaders series: Which career accomplishment has given you the greatest satisfaction? and who has had the greatest influence on your life?

Foluso Agboola is one of 13 up-and-coming health leaders featured in this annual Managed Healthcare Executive series.

1 in 10 patients with early-onset atrial fibrillation have gene variants associated with a cardiac disease, most commonly some form of cardiomyopathy, according to research conducted by Vanderbilt researchers. Results would justify routinizing genetic testing of young afib patients, the researchers said.

This week, MHE editors Briana Contreras and Peter Wehrwein chat with MHE Editorial Advisory Board Member Cindy Hundorfean for the latest episode of the Meet the Board podcast series. Hundorfean, who is CEO of Allegheny Health Network, told MHE a few things about her time with the Cleveland Clinic, where Allegheny Health Network stands in the competitive Pittsburgh healthcare market and what the organization is doing to improve the health of the population.

In this excerpt of an interview with Managed Healthcare Executive®, Paulus discusses the COVID-19 pandemic, Prime's response and the future of its headquarters building.

Commercial health insurance markets in almost three-quarters (73%) of U.S. metropolitan statistical areas are highly concentrated, according to a report from the American Medical Association.

In the third part of an interview with Managed Healthcare Executive®, Paulus discusses Prime's collaboration with Express Scripts, the GPO they co-own and bringing some uniformity to the pharmacy benefit management of the 23 health plans that Prime services.

In the second part of an interview with Managing Editor Peter Wehrwein, Paulus talks about the role of PBMs and aligning providers with payers.

Judging by common end points such as overall survival and progression-free survival, results of a network meta-analysis show that Keytruda in combination with platinum-based chemotherapy achieves the best results among the immune checkpoint inhibitor therapies used to treat advanced nonsmall cell lung cancer.

Paulus, a relative newcomer to the industry, discusses the advantages of having a fresh perspective, the complexity of the industry, rebates, and big employers pushing for more transparency.

Three experts say that pulmonary rehabilitation programs don’t necessarily result in improved lung function but are associated with improved physical and other sorts of functioning. Less than 5% of those who might benefit from pulmonary rehabilitation services received them.

The next step is for the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to make a decision on whether to add a COVID-19 booster to its recommendations

Exact Sciences test that uses DNA methylation biomarkers is more sensitive than alpha-fetoprotein.

Advisory panel endorses Pfizer vaccine booster for some, Brukinsa gets third indication, oral migraine med makes headway and other FDA-related news this week.

Committee's two votes are only recommendations but a narrower booster emergency use authorization now seems likely.

The specialty drug spend and data flow and connectivity were among the themes of the presentations given at the hybrid conference this week in Orlando, Florida.

CVS’ Joshua Fredell, Pharm.D., and Tierra Ford, Pharm.D., described how an integrated, proactive approach can engage members and rein in costs.

Paula Bickley and Ashleigh Burdette of Biologics by McKesson described a program that identifies 1 in 3 patients as being at risk of nonadherence and then provides support to keep them on track and identify side effects and other problems early.

Confidio VP Thatcher Sloan described how applying formulary and utilization management effectiveness calculations to drug costs managed by PBMs may paint a truer picture of their economic value to their clients.

IQVIA's Doug Long shared a torrent of data illustrating the effects of the pandemic — and its unintended effects, such as far fewer flu cases — on utilization, diagnostic visits and drug prescriptions. Whether there will be a 2021-22 flu season is one of the many wild cards in the months ahead.

Abarca’s Javier Gonzalez discussed the advantage of health plans insourcing PBM services in an à la carte fashion.

Government regulations are designed to encourage data fluidity in healthcare, which could "radically empower" consumers, said Kim Diehl-Boyd, CoverMyMeds vice president of industry relations and government affairs, at the 2021 Annual National Conference of the Pharmacy Benefit Management Institute.

Amazon is gearing up for an era that includes telehealth and home testing, but the former FDA commissioner says the new model is more than a logistics challenge and that healthcare companies will prevail.

High hopes for COVID-19 vaccine for children before the end of the year, Breakthrough Designation for Jardiance, thumbs down on an EUA for cytokine storm therapy and no decision yet on Juul's vaping products.

A genomic analysis of the lung cancer tumors of 232 never smokers grouped them into three categories with musical names: piano, mezzo-forte and forte.