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Rheumatoid Modern Management is Better but More Costly
The mantra of rheumatologists worldwide is to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA) earlier and more aggressively. While referral of early RA patients has improved, there is little data demonstrating that more aggressive treatment works or is cost effective.
Read ArticleThe Price of Drugs Continues to Increase
Drug prices increased an average of 10% in 2015 (after a 13.5% increase in 2014) and includes big name drugs from major pharmaceutical companies.
Read ArticleEHR Connected Doctors May Be Disconnected from Patients
Reuters reports doctors who entered data into electronic health records (EHR) during patients' appointments tend to communicate less and receive lower ratings from their patients.
Read ArticleThe Rising Price of Dermatologic Drugs
Containment of health care costs was a primary goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But there is little evidence of success in curbing the rising price of prescription drugs. As such, many medications are unaffordable to those who need them.
Read ArticleACP Says There are Reasons for Generics Over Branded Drugs
The American College of Physicians (ACP) says that prescribing generic medications whenever possible can improve adherence to therapy, improve outcomes, and reduce costs for patients and the health care system. ACP’s best practice advice paper is published in Annals of Internal Medicine.
Read ArticlePharmacy Benefit Managers at Odds with Specialty Pharmacies
Reuters and the Wall Street Journal have reported that the largest U.S. pharmacy benefit managers (PBM) of private prescription drug benefits have cut off at least eight pharmacies that work closely with drugmakers, intensifying scrutiny of a system that helps inflate drug prices.
Read ArticleEconomic Burden of ANCA-Associated Vasculitis in the USA
To assess the prevalence and magnitude of healthcare costs associated with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (GPA) and microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) in the USA, researchers analyzed adminstrative data from Truven Health MarketScan Commercial and Medicare Supplemental databases.
Read ArticleObamacare Deficient in Rheumatologists, Other Specialists
The October 27 issue of JAMA reports a study of federal marketplace insurance plans shows roughly 15 percent completely lacked in-network physicians for at least one specialty, a practice found among multiple states and issuers.
Read ArticleU.S. Pays 10 Times More for Prescription Drugs than Other Countries
Prescription drugs may cost up to 10 times more in the United States than they do in other countries, according to a 2013 Comparative Price Report was released last month by the International Federation of Health Plans (IFHP).
Read ArticleArthritis and Poverty: Chicken or Egg?
The development of arthritis is an underappreciated reason why individuals become impoverished -- a finding that was particularly pronounced for women, an Australian study found.
Read ArticlePoll: Americans Favor Federal Action on Drug Prices
Most Americans value the prescription products the drug industry produces, but they sure don't like the prices and want the federal government to take action, according to a new survey
Read ArticleCDC Report: 22% of USA Population is Disabled
CDC has released the findings of its 2013 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS), with 5 questions addressing different forms of disability - vision, cognition, mobility, self-care, and independent living. Overall, 22.2% of U.S. adults (53,316,677 persons) reported any disability.
Read ArticleOutcry Over the Cost of Drugs
Several news articles have addressed the rising concern by patients and physicians over the cost of newer drugs. This issue comes to a head as more than 100 oncologists from top cancer hospitals around the U.S.
Read ArticleResidents Satisfied and Optimistic
Recently released 2015 Medscape resident salary & debt report shows that most medical residents are satisfied with their compensation, professional relationships, and career choices.
Read ArticleWomen Paid Less as Consultants to Pharma... Again?
Historically, women’s salaries have lagged behind their male colleagues. Women are less likely to achieve leadership roles or be full professors at academic institutions.
Read ArticleGet Ready for ICD-10
With three months until the switch from ICD-9 to ICD-10 coding, CMS and the AMA have announced efforts to continue to help physicians get ready ahead of the October 1 deadline.
Read ArticleACP Backs Supreme Court Decision on Obamacare
ACP has endorsed the Supreme Court ruling that the premium subsidies created by the Affordable Care Act, essential to making coverage affordable to millions, will continue to be available in states where the federal government manages their health insurance marketplaces.
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IM Residents Concerned about Cost, But Don't Have Access to Cost of Care Numbers
A large ACP survey of over 18,000 US internal medicine residents shows they often incorporate cost of care in discussions and decisions, but may not know the data (citation source http://buff.ly/1KeLq0D).
Read ArticleNICE Judges Apremilast Less Cost Effective than TNF Inhibitors
The National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence has turned down Otezla for coverage under the U.K. healthcare system for psoriatic arthritis.
Read ArticleExpanding Global Biosimilar Market
Between 2010 and 2013, $95 billion in branded pharmaceutical patents will have expired, leading to significantly higher sales opportunities for those manufacturing generics and biosimilars.
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