Peter Wehrwein

2 weeks ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Briana Contreras |Peter Wehrwein

In this second part of a video series, editors of Managed Healthcare Executive spoke with Shawn Kwatra, M.D., professor and chair of dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, about challenges in treating chronic itch and how managed care policies may be limiting patient access to innovative therapies. Kwatra shared that chronic itch, often overlooked, can severely impact quality of life.

2 weeks ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Peter Wehrwein |Briana Contreras

Shawn Kwatra, M.D., professor and chair of dermatology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, shared with Managed Healthcare Executive that while chronic pruritus, or long-lasting itch, has a history of challenging patients and physicians, recent years have brought significant progress in how this condition is understood and treated. The first major breakthrough, Kwatra shared, is the development of new therapies that can directly target what causes chronic itch.

2 weeks ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Peter Wehrwein

While other parts of U.S. healthcare sector are reeling from funding cutbacks or fighting against them, Medicare Advantage plans are racking up wins under the Trump administration. Today CMS announced that payments to Medicare Advantage and Part D Prescription Plans would increase by 5.06% next year compared with the 2.23% increase that CMS had proposed under the Biden administration.

2 weeks ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Peter Wehrwein

Eric Tichy, Pharm.D., MBA, is vice chair of pharmacy formulary for the Mayo Clinic Health System, which is headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota. Tichy spoke about Mayo’s approach to biosimilars, aligning with payers, communicating with providers and patients, and interoperability in a Managed Healthcare Executive K-Cast video series.

2 weeks ago | managedhealthcareexecutive.com | Peter Wehrwein

In a recent Managed Healthcare Executive K-Cast video series, R. Robert Auger, M.D., a psychiatrist and sleep specialist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, spoke about the diagnosis and treatment of narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia. Excessive daytime sleepiness, the cardinal feature of narcolepsy, negatively affects individuals’ quality of life in several ways, Auger explained. It can be embarrassing in social or occupational settings.