Managed Care Cast

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we’re talking with the co–editors in chief of The American Journal of Managed Care® (AJMC®), Mark Fendrick, MD, and Michael Chernew, PhD. They look back on the research and news that stood out to them from the past year and discuss what they’re looking forward to in 2026.

Check out the dedicated page featuring our efforts to celebrate AJMC’s 30th anniversary: https://www.ajmc.com/anniversary

Have the shorter, darker days of fall and winter ever left you feeling sluggish, down, or simply "blah"? Today, we are discussing seasonal affective disorder with Craig Sawchuk, PhD, LP, a clinical psychologist at Mayo Clinic. He details how the seasonal pattern often presents as "hibernation syndrome"; explores the characteristics that increase vulnerability to SAD; and covers the effective and unique evidence-based treatment for SAD: bright light therapy.

Frameworks for Advancing Health Equity: Dental Health Care Access by Managed Care Cast

Today we are bringing you a conversation on the evolving landscape for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) and progressive pulmonary fibrosis (PPF) treatment.

Ryan Haumschild, PharmD, MS, MBA, vice president of ambulatory pharmacy at

Emory Healthcare and Winship Cancer Institute, spoke with Marilyn Glassberg, MD, the John W. Clarke Professor and Chair of medicine at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine; Ayodeji Adegunsoye, MD, MSc, PhD, FACP, FCCP, assistant professor at the University of Chicago; and Janet Pope, MD, MPH, professor of medicine and division member of rheumatology at the University of Western Ontario in Canada.

IPF and PPF are increasingly prevalent conditions that pose a growing burden on both patients and health care systems. Despite the availability of FDA-approved antifibrotic therapies, the median survival for patients with IPF and PPF remains less than 5 years after diagnosis—underscoring the critical unmet needs that persist in this field. The panelists discussed the impact these conditions have on patients' lives, evaluated emerging agents, and addressed economic considerations that affect treatment decisions and health care resource allocation.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, Rachel A. Prusynski, DPT, PhD, an assistant professor at the University of Washington's School of Medicine, speaks with The American Journal of Managed Care® about her research published in the November 2025 issue.

Her study, "Medicare Advantage Reimbursement Structures Impact Home Health Delivery and Outcomes," explores how home health care delivery and patient outcomes differ between 3 plan types: traditional Medicare, episodic Medicare Advantage, and per-visit Medicare Advantage.

Throughout the conversation, Prusynski discusses what motivated the research, the study's key findings, and the broader implications for improving the quality and accessibility of future home health care.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, AJMC spoke with lead CML researcher, Jorge Cortes, MD, to discuss the evolution of the groundbreaking treatment Imatinib and its effect on survial in patients with chronic myelogenous lukiemia.

Donovan Campbell, CEO, and his organization Medbridge are urging CMS to finalize specific refinements to RTM as part of the Calendar Year 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (CMS-1832-P), recognizing that RTM is critical for supporting physical therapy, patient health, and patient engagement. We will explore how this shift provides a crucial financial incentive for organizations, but more importantly, how the successful adoption of RTM enhances the clinical value proposition by improving population health, lowering overall costs, and tackling the problem of access barriers to conservative care.

On today’s episode, Dr. Tabby Khan, senior director of analytics for Komodo Health, spoke about their newest data analysis measuring age and insurance disparities in antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, treatment rates in patients with metastatic breast cancer. The analysis was in partnership with the Tigerlily Foundation, a national breast cancer advocacy organization, in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Today we are bringing you a conversation on how topical therapies can effectively manage atopic dermatitis.

Brian Keegan, MD, PhD, FAAD, a dermatologist with Princeton Dermatology, spoke with Alexa Hetzel, MS, PA-C, physician assistant with Schweiger Dermatology Group; Vikash D. Oza, MD, director of pediatric dermatology at NYU Langone; and Amy Spizuoco, DO, FAOCD, dermatologist and dermatopathologist at True Dermatology.

In addition to discussing the clinical benefits and impact on patient outcomes of using topical therapies for atopic dermatitis, the panelists explored how health economics research informs treatment decisions by demonstrating the cost-effectiveness and accessibility of topical therapies. The panel also analyzed the potential health care cost savings and resource optimization achieved through strategic use of topical treatments and atopic dermatitis management.

In this episode of Managed Care Cast, we talk with Barbara Kelley, executive director of the Hearing Loss Association of America. In our conversation, we discuss advocating for hearing loss awareness, breaking down care barriers related to stigma, and empowering individuals through legislation and public policy. Kelley also highlights the importance of early intervention, advancements in hearing technology, and the social and financial challenges faced by individuals with hearing loss, advocating for better hearing health integration into overall wellness.