Healthcare could be improved if policy makers, leaders, and administrators thought more about the role of medical professionalism and the intrinsic motivations of physicians, said Richard J. Baron, MD, MACP, president and CEO of the American Board of Internal Medicine and the ABIM Foundation, during an interview with Patricia Salber, MD, MBA, of The Doctor Weigns In.

During their discussion, Baron and Salber touched upon professional, social justice in healthcare, burnout in medicine, 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 stories included an analysis of how healthcare spending has changed in the United States; a study finds people willing to try e-cigarettes smoke less and are more likely to quit; and a new cholesterol test that doesn't require fasting gives more accurate results.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

How US Spending on Healthcare Has Changed Over Time: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/how-us-spending-on-healthcare-has-changed-over-time

Smokers Willing to Try E-Cigarettes More Successful at Smoking Less, Study Says: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/smokers-willing-to-try-ecigarettes-more-successful-at-smoking-less-study-says

New Cholesterol Test More Accurate Than Old Test That Requires Fasting: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/new-cholesterol-test-more-accurate-than-old-test-that-requires-fasting

Perspectives of a Lipidologist: LDL Cholesterol Testing, PCSK9 Inhibitors: www.ajmc.com/journals/evidence-based-diabetes-management/2017/december-2017/perspectives-of-a-lipidologist-ldl-cholesterol-testing-pcsk9-inhibitors

Study Suggests Screening Patients With Fibromyalgia Syndrome for ADHD: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/study-suggests-screening-patients-with-fibromyalgia-syndrome-for-adhd-

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

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 stories included a road map to develop state-level programs to care for complex populations; the Physician-focused Payment Technical Advisory Committee backed 2 new alternative payment models; a new cancer gene profiling test may open doors to new targeted therapies.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

Developing State-Level Programs for Care of Complex Populations: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/developing-statelevel-programs-for-care-of-complex-populations

Renee Murray Explains How Hotspotting Is Used: www.ajmc.com/conferences/aco-fall2016/renee-murray-explains-how-hotspotting-is-used

What We're Reading: Hospital Penalization; New APMs; EHR Challenges: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/what-were-reading-hospital-penalization-new-apms-ehr-challenges

Cancer Gene Profiling Test Can Open Doors to New Targeted Therapies: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/cancer-gene-profiling-test-can-open-doors-to-new-targeted-therapies

5 Events in the Nation's Capital That Drove Managed Care News in 2017: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/5-events-in-nations-capital-that-drove-managed-care-news-in-2017

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 stories included the elimination of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate; a new gene therapy for inherited vision loss that could cost $1 million; and a study found that social isolation can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

What We're Reading: GOP Tax Bill Passes; Healthcare Deals; Discussing High Drug Prices: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/what-were-reading-gop-tax-bill-passes-healthcare-deals-discussing-high-drug-prices

FDA Approves Gene Therapy for Inherited Vision Loss: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/fda-approves-gene-therapy-for-inherited-vision-loss

What We're Reading: GOP Tax Bill Passes; Healthcare Deals; Discussing High Drug Prices: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/what-were-reading-gop-tax-bill-passes-healthcare-deals-discussing-high-drug-prices

Links Between Social Isolation, Type 2 Diabetes Show Need for Friendships: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/links-between-social-isolation-type-2-diabetes-show-need-for-friendships

Evidence-Based Oncology—December 2017: www.ajmc.com/journals/evidence-based-oncology/2017/december-2017

Are cancer drug costs a problem? Of course, and oncologists can do more to impact them, said Dr. Michael Kolodziej, who was the keynote speaker at The American Journal of Managed Care’s annual Patient-Centered Oncology Care® (PCOC®) meeting, which was held in November in Philadelphia. Dr Kolodziej is the current vice president and chief innovation officer at ADVI. Prior to his current position, he worked for Flatiron Health and spent 3 years at Aetna.

In this interview, recorded at the end of the first day of PCOC, Torrie Fields, senior program manager at Blue Shield of California, and Dr Kolodziej discuss the move to value-based care in oncology, what practices need to do to be successful, and the role of team-based care.

See coverage from PCOC: http://www.ajmc.com/conferences/pcoc-2017

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 coverage from the 59th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition; recommendations on the use of diabetes drugs with cardiovascular indications; and a new study found that despite changes in insurance plans to give consumers more clout, unnecessary medical spending remains a problem.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

What We're Reading: Medical Device Approval; Medical Laboratories Sue Government; ACA Sign-Up Deadline: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/what-were-reading-medical-device-approval-medical-laboratories-sue-government-aca-signup-deadline

CAR T Progress: Global Submissions for Kymriah, 42% Ongoing Response With Yescarta in ZUMA-1 Patients: www.ajmc.com/conferences/ash-2017/car-t-progress-global-submissions-for-kymriah-42-ongoing-response-with-yescarta-in-zuma1-patients-

Dr Stephen Schuster Outlines CAR T Results Seen in Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Myeloma: www.ajmc.com/conferences/ash-2017/dr-stephen-schuster-outlines-car-t-results-seen-in-leukemia-lymphoma-and-myeloma

American Society of Hematology coverage: www.ajmc.com/conferences/ash-2017

ADA 2018 Standards Address Drugs With CV Benefits, Hold Firm on Blood Pressure: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/ada-2018-standards-address-drugs-with-cv-benefits-hold-firm-on-blood-pressure

Impact of Consumer-Directed Health Plans on Low-Value Healthcare: www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2017/2017-vol23-n12/impact-of-consumerdirected-health-plans-on-lowvalue-healthcare

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Overuse of medical services has been a costly issue in US healthcare for decades. Now in its fifth year, the Choosing Wisely initiative from ABIM Foundation seeks to increase conversations between physicians and patients to help them make wise decisions about appropriate care and reduce the use of low-value services.

Learn more about Choosing Wisely: http://www.choosingwisely.org/

Choosing Wisely Brings Lots of Energy, but No Growth in Awareness: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/choosing-wisely-brings-lots-of-energy-but-no-growth-in-awareness

Physician Perceptions of Choosing Wisely and Drivers of Overuse: www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2016/2016-vol22-n5/physician-perceptions-of-choosing-wisely-and-drivers-of-overuse

Despite efforts by Republicans to scale back the Affordable Care Act, there is another movement to push the healthcare industry further left and into a single-payer system.

In the latest Managed Care Cast, Donald M. Berwick, MD, MPP, FRCP, president emeritus and senior fellow of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement and a former administrator of CMS, and Patricia Salber, MD, MBA, of The Doctor Weighs In, discuss the idea of single-payer system and misconceptions about the concept, such as that is means the government will run healthcare. Some countries have chosen government-run healthcare in addition to a single-payer system, but the United States has been discussing a single-payer environment, which is a discussion around payment, not care delivery.

They also speculate on the steps of getting from the current multipayer system in the United States to single-payer system and what individual states are doing to investigate the possibility of setting up a single-payer system.

This week, the top managed care news included a new proposal from CMS that insurers warn will cause confusion; a new review examines the prevalence and cost of chronic conditions in Medicaid; and a study finds 42% of all new US cancer cases in 2014 were due to potentially modifiable exposures.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

Health Insurers to CMS: Your Changes Will Confuse Consumers, Hurt Markets: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/health-insurers-to-cms-your-changes-will-confuse-consumers-hurt-markets

Identifying the Most Prevalent and Costly Chronic Conditions in Medicaid: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/identifying-the-most-prevalent-and-costly-chronic-conditions-in-medicaid

Leading Diabetes Groups Publish Consensus Statement on "Beyond A1C" Measures to Guide FDA, Researchers: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/leading-diabetes-groups-publish-consensus-statement-on-beyond-a1c-measures-to-guide-fda-researchers

Significant Amount of Cancer Cases Attributable to Potentially Modifiable Risk Factors: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/significant-amount-of-cancer-cases-attributable-to-potentially-modifiable-risk-factors

Impact of Health Reform on Young Adult Prescription Medication Utilization: www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2017/2017-vol23-n11/impact-of-health-reform-on-young-adult-prescription-medication-utilization

This week, the top managed care stories included a new rule from CMS to address drug costs for seniors; a campaign to get payers to fund the artificial pancreas is working; and a new survey identifies how Americans prefer to treat pain.

Read more about the stories in this podcast:

New CMS Rule Takes Aim at Drug Costs for Seniors, Opioid Crisis: www.ajmc.com/focus-of-the-week/new-cms-rule-takes-aim-at-drug-costs-for-seniors-opioid-crisis

JDRF Announces Anthem Policy Change on Medtronic Artificial Pancreas: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/jdrf-announces-anthem-policy-change-on-medtronic-artificial-pancreas

Survey Identifies Americans' Preferences for Pain Management: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/survey-identifies-americans-preferences-for-pain-management

ASCO's TAPUR Study Expands to Enroll Patients Receiving Immunotherapy: www.ajmc.com/newsroom/ascos-tapur-study-expands-to-enroll-patients-receiving-immunotherapy

Changes in Cardiovascular Care Provision After the Affordable Care Act: www.ajmc.com/journals/issue/2017/2017-vol23-n11/changes-in-cardiovascular-care-provision-after-the-affordable-care-act