Briana Contreras

4 days ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Briana Contreras

All-virtual, at-home acute care programs can lower costs for hospitals and payers, but broader adoption may require changes to reimbursement policies, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open. Hospital-at-home care delivers medical staff, equipment and treatments—such as IV infusions—directly to patients’ homes. In the U.S., Medicare requires two in-person visits per day for reimbursement, which can be difficult to fulfill in large or high-traffic areas, according to study authors.

4 days ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Briana Contreras

Nonprofit hospitals are a major driver of America’s rising healthcare costs, consuming over $1.5 trillion in 2023 due to inefficiencies, unclear pricing and executive excess, according to a new report by the Center for Medicine in the Public Interest (CMPI). While drug prices and insurance companies often draw scrutiny, the report shifts the spotlight to hospitals—particularly nonprofit systems—as the main contributor to inflating costs.

1 week ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Briana Contreras

A phase 3 trial published in The Lancet found that combining Zepzelca (lurbinectedin) with Tecentriq (atezolizumab) as first-line maintenance therapy for extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer (ES-SCLC) significantly improved survival outcomes compared to atezolizumab alone—though with a higher rate of side effects. Small-cell lung cancer (SCLC) is a fast-growing and aggressive form of lung cancer, accounting for about 15% of all lung cancer cases.

1 week ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Briana Contreras

Today, the FDA approved Dupixent (dupilumab) as the first and only targeted therapy for adult patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP), a rare, chronic and painful inflammatory skin disease. This approval marks the eighth disease indication for Dupixent as a new alternative for patients—many of whom are elderly and have limited treatment options.

1 week ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Briana Contreras

As the healthcare system faces the potential threat of Medicaid cuts, rural hospitals and communities may be among the hardest hit. In a recent conversation with Managed Healthcare Executive, Marcel Botha, founder and CEO of healthcare technology company 10XBeta, stressed that saving rural healthcare requires more than just policy—it demands on-the-ground innovation shaped by the people it’s meant to serve. “You cannot design new solutions in isolation,” Botha said.