Managed Care Cast

A quick roundup episode of major news and health policy developments from The American Journal of Managed Care.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, The American Journal of Managed Care® speaks with Julia Lucaci, PharmD, MS, the senior director of global health economics and outcomes research at Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), an international medical technology company.

Her commentary, "Should Payers Incentivize Pharmacies to Blister-Package Chronic Medications?" argues that payers should consider offering higher reimbursement rates and/or preferred network status to pharmacies that dispense chronic medications in blister packs to enhance medication adherence and patient outcomes.

During the conversation, Lucaci explores the widespread impact of medication nonadherence, the benefits and underutilization of blister packaging in the US, and strategies that could support broader adoption to improve chronic disease management and lower overall health care costs.

A quick roundup episode of major health policy developments, from shifting COVID-19 vaccine guidance and scientific publishing controversies to rising cancer care costs and the impact of oncology biosimilars.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, The American Journal of Managed Care® speaks with Lindsey Leininger, PhD, health policy professor and faculty director of the Center for Health Care at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College, and Allister Chang, MPA, co-founder of Fabric Health, a social-impact startup that aims to improve community well-being by transforming everyday moments in laundromats into opportunities to build trust, support Medicaid recertification, and connect families with health and social services.

Their study, "Unmet Health Care and Health-Related Social Needs of Laundromat Users," published in this month's issue, identifies laundromats as a promising community-based setting for Medicaid outreach, with Medicaid enrollees comprising the majority of users and facing disproportionately high levels of unmet needs.

During the conversation, Leininger and Chang highlight how engaging with enrollees at laundromats can help foster trust, address unmet social needs, and strengthen Medicaid engagement.

Victor Murray, senior director of Community Engagement and Capacity Building at the Camden Coalition, discusses the evolving role of social workers, emphasizing their expanded scope to include systems change, health equity, and policy work. He highlights the Camden Core Model, which addresses complex health and social needs through trauma-informed care and holistic support.

Explore how employers enhance workplace mental health by fostering a culture of support and engagement, focusing on holistic well-being strategies in this interview with Jim Kinville, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, The American Journal of Managed Care® speaks with Larragem Raines, MS, director of research at the Center for Innovation & Value Research, about her organization's open-source value model for major depressive disorder (MDD).

She also defines dynamic pricing and explains how it is incorporated into the MDD value model, topics she expands upon in a recent contributor article.

Looking ahead, Raines discusses the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to improve diagnosis, treatment, and access in the MDD space.

Colleen Ereditario, MPH, RD, LDN, program manager, shares how the “Food as Medicine” approach of Allegheny Health Network (AHN) addresses food insecurity and guides patients to improve their health.

On this episode of Managed Care Cast, The American Journal of Managed Care® speaks with Brady Post, PhD, assistant professor at Northeastern University and lead author of a study published in this month's issue.

His study, "Impact of Hospital-Physician Integration on Medicare Patient Mix," found no evidence that hospital-employed physicians treated a higher proportion of complex patients, at least among those enrolled in traditional Medicare.

During the conversation, Post shares the inspiration behind his research, key findings, and areas for further investigation.

Using commercial insurance claims data and the US launch of tirzepatide as their dividing point, John Ostrominski, MD, and his team studied trends in the use of both glucose-lowering and weight-lowering medications, comparing outcomes between adults with and without type 2 diabetes. Overall, their findings show a significant uptick in tirzepatide dispensations, alongside other glucose- and weight-lowering medications, including semaglutide.