In a new letter published in the February issue of The American Journal of Managed Care, Martin Makary, MD, a professor of surgery at Johns Hopkins University, and his coauthors assessed price markup variation by hospital and by oncology specialty to better understand the financial hardships patients can face when charges for the same service vary widely across hospitals.

The United States healthcare system is about to undergo some changes. The proposed cross-sector merger between CVS Health and Aetna created some waves and it was followed by an even bigger surprise: the partnership between Amazon, JP Morgan Chase, and Berkshire Hathaway to create a new healthcare company.

Rita Numerof, PhD, the co-founder and president of Numerof & Associates, and Patricia Salber, MD, MBA, of The Doctor Weighs In, discuss the changes and the underlying factors that have led to so many attempts to shake up healthcare.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managedcare stories included Indiana being approved as the second state to implement work requirements in Medicaid; research found 5-year survival rates for cancer are increasing; coverage from the American Society of Clinical Oncology's 2018 Genitourinary Symposium.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

Indiana Joins Kentucky as Second State With Medicaid Work Requirements: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/indiana-joins-kentucky-as-second-state-with-medicaid-work-requirements

What We're Reading: Flu Vaccine Protection; Ind. Drops Medicaid Enrollees; Global Outbreak Prevention: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/what-were-reading-flu-vaccine-protection-ind-drops-medicaid-enrollees-global-outbreak-prevention

What We're Reading: Adherence Pilot; Va. Work Requirement; Disease Linked to Flint Water: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/what-were-reading-adherence-pilot-va-work-requirement-disease-linked-to-flint-water

5-Year Survival Rates for Patients With Cancer Worldwide: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/5year-survival-rates-for-patients-with-cancer-worldwide

Cancer Mortality Statistics and Disparities in the US: Dr Patricia Salber Interviews Dr Otis Brawley: www.ajmc.com/managed-care-cast/cancer-mortality-statistics-and-disparities-in-the-us-dr-patricia-salber-interviews-dr-otis-brawley

Risk-Sharing Contracts Can Potentially Decrease Drug Prices: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/risksharing-contracts-can-potentially-decrease-drug-prices

Genitourinary Cancers Symposium: www.ajmc.com/conferences/gu-symposium-2018

There has been some good news regarding cancer: a decline in the death rate and in new cancer diagnoses for men. However, the latest findings also highlight what still needs to be worked on, according to Otis W. Brawley, MD, MACP, FASCO, FACE, chief medical and scientific officer for the American Cancer Society.

In the latest Managed Care Cast, Brawley and Patricia Salber, MD, MBA, of The Doctor Weighs In, discuss the decline in cancer rates for men, concerns with vaping, weighing the risks and benefits of certain screening procedures, and more.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care news included President Donald Trump vowing to lower drug prices during his State of the Union address; 3 corporate giants joined forces on healthcare; and CAR T-cell therapy was named the cancer advance of the year.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

Trump Targets Drug Prices, Right-to-Try in State of the Union: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/trump-targets-drug-prices-righttotry-in-state-of-the-union

CDC Chief Resigns After Trading in Tobacco Stocks: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/cdc-chief-resigns-after-trading-in-tobacco-stocks

Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Berkshire Hathaway: We'll Tackle Employee Health Costs With New Firm: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/amazon-jpmorgan-chase-berkshire-hathaway-well-tackle-employee-health-costs-with-new-firm

Prime Therapeutics, Boehringer-Ingelheim Reach Outcomes-Based Contract for Jardiance: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/prime-therapeutics-boehringeringelheim-reach-outcomesbased-contract-for-jardiance

CAR T-Cell Therapy Named ASCO's Advance of the Year: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/car-tcell-therapy-named-ascos-advance-of-the-year

Evidence-Based Oncology—January 2018: www.ajmc.com/journals/evidence-based-oncology/2018/january-2018

Using Health IT to Increase Medication Adherence and Enhance Precision Medicine by Managed Care Cast

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care news included Senate confirming Alex Azar as the new HHS Secretary; a report found that healthcare prices rose in 2016; the accountable care organization movement continued to expand.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

Senate Confirms Alex Azar as HHS Secretary: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/senate-confirms-alex-azar-as-hhs-secretary

Kentucky Medicaid Recipients Sue HHS Over Work Requirements: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/kentucky-medicaid-recipients-sue-hhs-over-work-requirements

Americans Used Less Care in 2016 but Healthcare Costs Still Soared, Report Says: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/americans-used-less-care-in-2016-but-healthcare-costs-still-soared-report-says

561 ACOs Participating in Medicare Shared Savings Program in 2018: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/561-acos-participating-in-medicare-shared-savings-program-in-2018

ODYSSEY Outcomes Results for Sanofi's Praluent to Lead Off ACC Meeting: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/odyssey-outcomes-results-for-sanofis-praluent-to-lead-off-acc-meeting

Patients Prefer End-of-Life Care in Their Location of Choice: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/patients-prefer-endoflife-care-in-their-location-of-choice

Implementing the Merit-Based Incentive Payment System for Improved Population Health: www.ajmc.com/webcast/mips

The introduction of biosimilars to the US market has led to an unprecedented amount of uncertainty as stakeholders try to understand the implications of their arrival. In the following Peer Exchange discussion from the Center for Biosimilars, held in September 2017, industry experts discuss regulation, policy, and litigation issues in the world of biosimilars.

The Center for Biosimilars, a sister site of The American Journal of Managed Care, serves as an online resource that brings together the worlds of clinical, business, regulatory, policy, and economic outcomes of biosimilars.

For more insight into the world of biosimilar therapies, visit centerforbiosimilars.com.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week in managed care, the top stories included the announcement that Kentucky is the first state approved to require patients work to receive Medicaid benefits; FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, reveals a new program to improve clinical trial transparency; research finds the worst cases of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder could lower life expectancy.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

Kentucky First State Approved for Medicaid Work Requirements: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/kentucky-first-state-approved-for-medicaid-work-requirements

FDA Launches Pilot Program to Improve Transparency of Clinical Trial Information: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/fda-launches-pilot-program-to-improve-transparency-of-clinical-trial-information-

FDA Approves Olaparib for Breast Cancer With a BRCA Gene Mutation: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/fda-approves-olaparib-for-breast-cancer-with-a-brca-gene-mutation

Psychologist Barkley Says Life Expectancy Slashed in Worst Cases for Those With ADHD: www.ajmc.com/conferences/apsard-2018/psychologist-barkley-says-life-expectancy-slashed-in-worst-cases-for-those-with-adhd

American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders: www.ajmc.com/conferences/apsard-2018

January 2018 Health IT Issue: http://www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2018/2018-vol24-n1

The Electronic Health Record Landscape: An Interview With Dr Jacob Reider by Managed Care Cast