Blogs

A seven-year model proposed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has been temporarily restrained following multiple lawsuits filed by pharmaceutical corporations and physician organizations. The Most Favored Nation (MFN) model, which was scheduled to go live on January 1, 2021, is now stalled. The CMS Innovation Center announced the mandatory MFN model on November 20, 2020, to test whether reimbursing care providers for Medicare Part B drugs and biologicals (these are drugs administered in a doctor’s office or at an infusion center) at rates that match international prices would reduce the nation’s health care spending. This would ...

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014 has had a notable impact on the diagnoses of early-stage colorectal cancer compared to non-expansion states, according to a recent study published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons (JACS) . In addition to cancer diagnoses, changes in cancer staging, surgical outcomes, and decisions regarding treatment all saw a positive effect of Medicaid expansion. The study included Medicaid and uninsured patients listed in the National Cancer Database before the expansion (2011-2012) as well as post-expansion (2015-2016). Specifically, the study analyzed 4,438 patients who resided in ...

Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2014 has had a notable impact on the diagnoses of early stage colorectal cancer compared to non-expansion states, according to a recent study published in the Journal of American College of Surgeons (JACS) . In addition to cancer diagnoses, changes in cancer staging, surgical outcomes, and decisions regarding treatment all saw a positive effect of Medicaid expansion. The study included Medicaid and uninsured patients listed in the National Cancer Database before the expansion (2011-2012) as well as post expansion (2015-2016). Specifically, the study analyzed 4,438 patients who resided in ...

H.R. 1570 - Removing Barriers to Colorectal Cancer Screening Act of 2020 has been passed by Congress. The bill—which passed the House vote on December 9, 2020 , and the Senate on December 21, 2020, and will become law once signed by the President—will be phased in over the next eight years. This bill has been devised to improve colorectal cancer (CRC) screening rates within the Medicare population, which in turn will allow earlier diagnosis and improve health outcomes. The Colon Cancer Foundation was a co-signee on a letter drafted by 35 other organizations and led by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, urging Congressional leaders to include ...

Colon cancer and rectal cancer, commonly grouped together as colorectal cancer (CRC), is on the rise among individuals under the age of 50, with the most notable increase observed amongst individuals aged 20-39 years, according to the American Cancer Society . Recently, award-winning actor and “Black Panther” star, Chadwick Boseman, lost his 4-year long battle to colon cancer at age 43. Boseman’s tragic death provides an opportunity to convey the urgent message of how colon cancer can impact a young person’s health, even if they are younger than the suggested screening age for those at average risk--usually 50 years. Colon and rectal cancer remain ...

The anticipated draft recommendation from the U.S. Preventive Task Force Services (USPSTF) is here…and it brought forth great news for the colorectal cancer (CRC) community. This independent panel of experts has proposed lowering CRC screening age for average-risk adults from 50 to 45 years. The B grade recommendation means private insurance plans must cover this preventive service without the individual paying anything out-of-pocket (no copayment, coinsurance, or deductible). A key provision of the Affordable Care Act is that private health insurance plans must cover preventive health care services recommended by expert medical bodies without cost-sharing. ...

As 2020 nears to a close, the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has reached its 11-month mark, leaving many aspects of human life at a continued pause. While rescheduling weddings and graduations is rather possible, immunocompromised individuals do not have the choice to place aspects of their health care on hold. Immunocompromised individuals fear that they will come into contact with COVID-19 at a hospital or medical clinic, forcing many to neglect treatment plans, screenings, or check-ins with their care providers. Cancer patients make up a large portion of the immunocompromised population in the world. During a presentation at the European Society ...

As 2020 nears to a close, the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States has reached its 11-month mark, leaving many aspects of human life at a continued pause. While rescheduling weddings and graduations is rather possible, immunocompromised individuals do not have the choice to place aspects of their health care on hold. Immunocompromised individuals fear that they will come into contact with COVID-19 at a hospital or medical clinic, forcing many to neglect treatment plans, screenings, or check-ins with their care providers. Cancer patients make up a large portion of the immunocompromised population in the world. During a presentation at the European Society ...

Working in the pharma industry for nearly 17 years, I've had a front row seat to the digital revolution in healthcare. Since before the launch of WebMD and Medscape to the full-scale roll out of inter-connected EMR sytems. From the first eRx prescription to fully integrated tele-health platforms. You don't need a career in pharma to see the evolution. Health wearable like FitBit and Apple Health are now mainstream. Peloton became a $13B business in under 7 years. With all the innovation in tech and health, it always felt like the practice of medicine continued to lag. It's no secret that Fax Machines remain a staple of most healthcare practices. Despite the ...