News

In this third of a six-part series, respondents give administration poor marks.

The most popular article from the Managed Healthcare Executive® print publication was a pre-pandemic story about the top 6 challenges facing healthcare executives.

In this second of a six-part series, the biggest concern is short supply.

In this week's episode, MHE's Senior Editor Peter Wehrwein spoke with Sumit Dutta, Optum Rx chief medical officer. The two spoke about COVID-19 vaccines and how the pharmacy benefit market responded to the pandemic.

Respondents ranked the importance of healthcare issues.

The biosimilar to Rituxan is expected to erode market share of the mainstay cancer drug for Roche.

With the number of PCPs declining, health plans can come in to support PCPs and play an active role in improving overall health literacy.

The decrease in in-person healthcare this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic could be a good thing for telehealth and programs that deliver hospital-level care at home.

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected our lives in many ways, including how companies communicate with their employees. Many employees don’t know how to use health savings accounts (HSAs) in unison with their high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and aren’t taking advantage of several tax saving strategies as a result.

Orgovyx, the first oral drug in its class, may help reduce clinic visits for men with prostate cancer. Fewer visits may be important during the COVID-19 pandemic.

If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that the status quo of an inefficient, outdated healthcare system cannot continue. One thing that is changing is medical billing. Medical billing will completely change because of the events of 2020.

All the Medicare Advantage trend lines seem like they are northward bound. Enrollment, the number of plans, the number of companies selling those plans — they’re all up. So Avalere Health’s report last month on the percentage of beneficiaries in highly rated plans stood out — and not in a good way.

Many of the large insurers are responding by expanding into new markets.

TPG International Health Academy held an educational summit on COVID-19 and spotlighted were the different efforts of Japan and Sweden, as well as their eagerness toward a vaccine. Sweden rep shares the country’s “hands off approach,” while Japan looks to adapt telemedicine in their line of care.

Prostate cancer is often “indolent,” so it can be monitored and not treated right away.

In this episode, Briana Contreras of MHE spoke with Dr. David Moen, president of Prospero Health Partners. The two discussed how Prospero is closing a gap in the healthcare system by taking care of patients with chronic, serious health issues, who are not yet in hospice care, but are prone to frequent, costly hospital admissions. They also talked about the skyrocketing demand for in-home care and telehealth during the pandemic, especially for seniors with advanced illnesses and compromised immune systems.

Digital health apps offer solutions to improve diabetes self-management.

Pre-pandemic momentum helped keep the number of novel therapies approved by the FDA high, and then COVID-19 tested just how fast the pipeline could adjust and expand.

The monoclonal antibody medicine treats neuroblastoma in the bone and bone marrow.

FDA deemed Moderna’s vaccine candidate “highly effective,” so the agency may grant an emergency use authorization later this week.

Optometrists say their wide distribution and medical expertise make them ideal candidates to administer the COVID-19 vaccine. As healthcare workers they also want to be prioritized to receive the vaccine.

With the 2020 election season nearly behind us, conventional wisdom is that we will have divided government: a Democratic president, a Republican Senate and a razor-thin Democratic majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. That combination is a recipe for compromise on President-elect Joe Biden’s healthcare priorities; namely, the federal response to the COVID-19 pandemic and adjustments to the ACA.

Results of a poll of more than 2,000 U.S. physicians found 82% would recommend the COVID-19 vaccine to patients.

Pfizer's other vaccine news of the week involves pneumococcal disease.

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn and CBER Director Peter Marks also fielded questions about pregnant women, teenagers and one dose versus two.

The five states have moved to prohibit accumulators and maximizers as the federal government takes a hands-off approach, according to John “Jack” S. Linehan, a lawyer at Epstein Becker Green, who is featured in this second part of a two-part video series.

The FDA's first emergency OK of a COVID-19 vaccine is expected to be followed next week by a second one for Moderna's vaccine.