News

It will be critical to have appropriate awareness campaigns in the area of palliative and hospice care services

The Board of Directors of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) has chosen Executive Vice President Andrew Dreyfus as the company's new president and chief executive officer. Dreyfus succeeds Bill Van Faasen who has served in an unpaid interim role of president and CEO since March 16, 2010.

Consumer driven health plans (CDHPs) in the U.S. experienced continued growth this year, albeit at a slower rate than in 2009, according to preliminary results released by United Benefit Advisors (UBA) from its "2010 UBA Health Plan Survey."

Though the debate and eventual passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) filled news cycles for months, the bill ? and healthcare in general ? are so complex that plans have been working overtime to explain the many provisions of the new law.

According to the Foundation for Health Coverage Education (FHCE), on September 23, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will allow consumers who purchase new or revised insurance plans or policies to receive an array of preventive care services with no out-of-pocket cost. The Foundation cautions that this provision could instead lead to out-of-control medical costs, which will escalate insurance premiums.

Because members are becoming more cognizant of their out-of-pocket expenses, many are turning to complementary and alternative medicine therapies as a less-expensive alternative

Health plans must accurately assess the overall opportunity for their individual business.

Express Scripts can sum up its overall strategy with a concept its CEO calls "Consumerology." The philosophy is based on the convergence of consumer behavior and healthcare.

State health directors breathed a loud sigh of relief last month when Congress finally managed to approve added funding for Medicaid just before leaving Washington for its summer recess.

Many organizations have started filing patent applications directed to such business improvements, such as online insurance claims formatting and filing, for example.

Conventional wisdom says families should set aside an emergency fund for unexpected expenses, however, one consumer group is recommending that health insurers' emergency funds should be rigorously examined.

When it comes to minor care episodes, time isn't the only thing wasted in emergency rooms. Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Virginia recently launched a program to reduce unnecessary emergency room visits.

Exchanges could bring in millions of potential customers. Insurers need to begin formulating marketing plans now.

While many health plans already have an appeals process in place for self-insured employers under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, new federal rules clarify the process for consumers to challenge denials and rescissions.

For technology professionals leading IT efforts among health plans, the biggest changes haven't come from hardware and software, but rather, from their roles in implementing new business concepts.

Neuropathic pain presents a difficult challenge. When the peripheral or central nervous system isn't functioning correctly, it can lead to pain that continues for months or years.

Whether you're moving forward with an acquisition, with a sale or by outsourcing, remember some things will never change.

Weight management agents in late-stage development.

Recent FDA Approvals (through July 2010) related to Tribenzor, Daiichi Sankyo, Aricept, Eisai and Pfizer, Daytrana, Glassia, Zuplenz, Infergen, Cuvposa

Fingolimod is an investigational drug being studied for the treatment of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) and may represent a first-in-class sphingosine 1-phosphate receptor modulator as well as the first oral therapy for the treatment of RRMS.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a significant cause of disability among young adults, more commonly women, and usually strikes patients in the prime of their lives. Despite recent therapeutic advancements, MS remains an incurable, chronic illness. Clinical evidence supports the role of disease-modifying therapy early in the disease course to reduce the number of acute attacks, delay disease progression, maintain quality of life, and prevent disability.

In patients with low back pain of at least moderate severity and lasting for at least 6 weeks, a new 7-day buprenorphine transdermal system was found to provide better pain control, improve sleep quality, and health-related quality of life as compared with placebo.

New Formulation: Buprenorphine (Butrans) was approved in June for the management of moderate-to-severe chronic pain in patients requiring a continuous, around-the-clock opioid analgesic for an extended period of time.

On July 8, FDA released a "Drug Safety Communication" warning that off-label use of quinine sulfate (Qualaquin, AR Scientific) to treat night-time leg cramps has been found to result in serious and life-threatening adverse effects.

A systematic review and meta-analysis conducted by researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine and University Hospitals Case Medical Center, Cleveland, suggests that angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) are associated with "a modestly increased risk" of developing cancer (RR increase of 8%, P=.016).

Generic drugs approved by FDA (through July 2010): Naratriptan hydrochloride tablets, Famotidine for oral suspension, Adapalene cream, Enoxaparin sodium injection, Oxymorphone hydrochloride

New Combination: Mometasone furoate and formoterol fumarate dihydrate (Dulera) was approved in June for the treatment of asthma in patients ?12 years of age.

Seven-day, transdermal buprenorphine patches are as effective as sublingual buprenorphine in the treatment of patients with osteoarthritis pain, according to a randomized, double-blind clinical trial recently published on-line ahead of print in the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management.

A number of high-profile drug and biotech manufacturing breakdowns in recent months is raising questions about industry investment in, and commitment to, modern production systems able to meet FDA standards.

Technology is being thrust to the foreground, to enable preventive care and advance the outcomes of managed care.