News

Among the many poster sessions being presented at the 2015 American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago, IL, are several on the latest trials that are planned to evaluate potential treatment options for breast cancer. These trials include 1 phase 2 study and 3 phase 3 studies.

The FDA approved two new treatments to treat irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea (IBS-D), Viberzi (eluxadoline) and Xifaxan (rifaximin), this week.

A new survey indicates consumers' biggest concerns about health insurance marketplace plans, and the top factors they consider when selecting a plan.

If we can accurately understand each patient’s risk for disease, we can create more nuanced preventive care plans and better invest our resources.

To survive, hospital executives must find new and creative ways to help uninsured and low-income patients secure health insurance.

FDA actions in brief, complete response, breakthrough therapy designation, fast-track designations, orphan drug designations

A significant spike in prescription drug costs helped drive healthcare costs for families covered under an average employer's health insurance plan up an estimated 6.3% in 2015, according to the Milliman Medical Index (MMI) report.

CVS Health’s acquisition of Omnicare for $12.7 billion is expected to significantly expand the drug chain’s business in specialty pharmacy, generics and long-term care.

The higher cure rate of treating hepatitis C patients with a combination of ledipasvir and sofosbuvir (Harvoni) led to substantially better work productivity, according to a new study. In fact, improved work productivity and lack of absenteeism could save the United States and 5 European countries more than $3.2 billion a year.

By working with service providers that are employing robotics and advanced analytics, organizations can leverage automation and innovation to address key challenges.

In this blog, the vice president of medical affairs for Quest Diagnostics discusses how Medicaid expansion has impacted diabetes diagnoses.

Johnson & Johnson is expanding its reach in the lucrative hepatitis C drug market after announcing it will collaborate with Achillion Pharmaceuticals to develop its HCV drugs.

In FDA's 2012 Draft Guidance on Biosimilars, the Agency called for "labeling of a proposed product to include all the information necessary for a health professional to make prescribing decisions," including clear statements of a product's approval as a biosimilar to a reference product and whether or not it has been determined to be interchangeable.

Health exchange Covered California said it is the first in the United States to adopt benefit design changes to improve access to high-cost specialty drugs.

FDA has approved the first and only 4-times-per-year schizophrenia drug.

After more than 20 years with America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) as president and CEO, Karen Ignagni is leaving the organization to become the CEO of New York-based EmblemHealth.She will replace Frank Branchini effective September 1. Branchini, who has served EmblemHealth and its predecessor GHI as president/CEO for 30 years, will continue as the Chair of the Board of Directors.

Streamlining equipment maintenance and repair processes presents an enormous opportunity for healthcare facilities to reduce expenses associated with outside technicians.

We asked healthcare experts and analysts how the move to value-based care will affect prior authorizations. Here's what they said.

Nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients taking uninterrupted rivaroxaban or warfarin had a low rate of major bleeding and thromboembolic complications, according to data presented at Heart Rhythm 2015, the Heart Rhythm Society's 36th Annual Scientific Sessions, and published in the European Heart Journal.

Several changes, from new payment models to the "Cadillac Tax," are impacting the health insurance market.

A Hepatitis C patient is suing Blue Cross because the payer will not cover her Harvoni medication. According to the complaint, filed this week in Los Angeles Superior Court by Shernoff Bidart Echeverria Bentley LLP, Blue Cross has arbitrarily chosen to give the treatment only to those patients suffering from the worst stages of liver damage.

The FDA is warning that the type 2 diabetes medicines canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin may lead to ketoacidosis, a serious condition where the body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones that may require hospitalization.

A new health rankings report indicates in which states health plans and health executives encounter the most challenges when caring for seniors.

Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes, high blood pressure or high cholesterol may achieve better health outcomes when using pharmacies that are part of performance-based networks, according to early results of a pay-for-performance program conducted by SCAN Health Plan and Express Scripts.

The population of Americans who spend more than $50,000 per year on prescription drugs grew 63% in 2014, largely driven by hepatitis C and cancer therapies, according to an Express Scripts report.

As managed care and hospital organizations increasingly take on the risk for managing patient populations, it is critical to improve patient engagement and awareness of patient care opportunities beyond the acute care setting, according to the results of a new survey.

Global pharmaceutical manufactures need to invest billions of dollars to prevent antibiotic-resistant “superbugs”, according to Jim O’Neill, an economist leading a UK government review into antimicrobial resistance.