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Gender Disparities in Managed Care
Women with diabetes or heart disease who are in managed care plans are less likely to receive certain routine health services, compared with their male counterparts, according to a study by the Rand Corp. The study of more than 50,000 men and women enrolled in either a commercial or Medicare managed care plan in 1999 found that of 11 measures evaluated, women in commercial managed care plans were significantly less likely than men to receive the care in six measures; in Medicare managed care plans, they were less likely to receive care in four of the measures. For example, women with diabetes enrolled in a Medicare managed care plan were 19% less likely to have their cholesterol within recommended ranges; in commercial plans, they were 16% less likely to achieve that goal. Women also were less likely to be prescribed ACE inhibitors for chronic heart failure and to receive prescriptions for β-blockers following a heart attack. These disparities occurred even though women are generally more likely to see physicians more often, and even after researchers adjusted for socioeconomic factors that could affect care. The study appears in the May/June issue of the journal Women's Health Issues.
Drug Spending Expected to Surge
Spending on diabetes and endocrine drugs could increase nearly 70% over the next few years because of an increase in diabetes patients and more aggressive treatment of the disease, according to a study by Medco Health Solutions Inc., Franklin Lakes, N.J. The nation's aging population and rising incidence of obesity also will help fuel the trend, according to the company. Medco predicts annual spending growth rates on diabetes medications will rise upward of 16%–20% annually “as use increases each year by 8% to 10% and patients more frequently use new drug combinations to reach blood sugar targets.” Already, spending on diabetes treatments increased 14.5% from 2005 to 2006, second only to cholesterol-lowering medications. New treatments for diabetes also will contribute to future increases. Spending increases might be mitigated by several factors, including incentives to use generic drugs, greater use of mail-order pharmacies, and efforts to encourage more preventive care, the company notes.
Diabetes Bills Introduced
The American Diabetes Association has announced its support for two diabetes measures recently introduced in Congress. The Gestational Diabetes Act of 2007, sponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), aims to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes by creating a government-led committee to develop multistate gestational diabetes research projects. The bill also provides money for demonstration projects that try to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, and provides for the tracking of women with the disease to prevent them from developing type 2 diabetes. The other bill, also introduced by the same members of Congress, is known as the Diabetes Treatment and Prevention Act of 2007. It would codify into law the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's division of diabetes translation and its work in diabetes surveillance and educational activities. It also would increase funding for state and local diabetes programs.
Medicare Chief Nominated
President Bush recently nominated Kerry N. Weems, a 24-year veteran of the Department of Health and Human Services, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Mr. Weems currently serves as deputy chief of staff to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. “He understands the large fiscal challenges facing Medicare and Medicaid and what it will take to strengthen and sustain those programs for the future,” Mr. Leavitt said in a statement. “Further, he has been a leader in this department's efforts to accelerate adoption of health information technology and better financial management systems.” If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Weems will fill the vacancy left by Dr. Mark B. McClellan, who resigned from CMS last year.
Adults Disregard MDs' Orders
Forty-four percent of U.S. adults say they or an immediate family member have ignored a doctor's course of treatment or sought a second opinion because they felt the doctor's orders were unnecessary or overly aggressive, according to a survey. Most adults reported that they didn't view disregarding a doctor's recommendations as problematic or consequential. Only 1 in 10 adults who chose to disregard a physician's instructions at some time believes that he, she, or a family member experienced problems because of this decision. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for the Wall Street Journal Online's health industry edition.
Gender Disparities in Managed Care
Women with diabetes or heart disease who are in managed care plans are less likely to receive certain routine health services, compared with their male counterparts, according to a study by the Rand Corp. The study of more than 50,000 men and women enrolled in either a commercial or Medicare managed care plan in 1999 found that of 11 measures evaluated, women in commercial managed care plans were significantly less likely than men to receive the care in six measures; in Medicare managed care plans, they were less likely to receive care in four of the measures. For example, women with diabetes enrolled in a Medicare managed care plan were 19% less likely to have their cholesterol within recommended ranges; in commercial plans, they were 16% less likely to achieve that goal. Women also were less likely to be prescribed ACE inhibitors for chronic heart failure and to receive prescriptions for β-blockers following a heart attack. These disparities occurred even though women are generally more likely to see physicians more often, and even after researchers adjusted for socioeconomic factors that could affect care. The study appears in the May/June issue of the journal Women's Health Issues.
Drug Spending Expected to Surge
Spending on diabetes and endocrine drugs could increase nearly 70% over the next few years because of an increase in diabetes patients and more aggressive treatment of the disease, according to a study by Medco Health Solutions Inc., Franklin Lakes, N.J. The nation's aging population and rising incidence of obesity also will help fuel the trend, according to the company. Medco predicts annual spending growth rates on diabetes medications will rise upward of 16%–20% annually “as use increases each year by 8% to 10% and patients more frequently use new drug combinations to reach blood sugar targets.” Already, spending on diabetes treatments increased 14.5% from 2005 to 2006, second only to cholesterol-lowering medications. New treatments for diabetes also will contribute to future increases. Spending increases might be mitigated by several factors, including incentives to use generic drugs, greater use of mail-order pharmacies, and efforts to encourage more preventive care, the company notes.
Diabetes Bills Introduced
The American Diabetes Association has announced its support for two diabetes measures recently introduced in Congress. The Gestational Diabetes Act of 2007, sponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), aims to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes by creating a government-led committee to develop multistate gestational diabetes research projects. The bill also provides money for demonstration projects that try to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, and provides for the tracking of women with the disease to prevent them from developing type 2 diabetes. The other bill, also introduced by the same members of Congress, is known as the Diabetes Treatment and Prevention Act of 2007. It would codify into law the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's division of diabetes translation and its work in diabetes surveillance and educational activities. It also would increase funding for state and local diabetes programs.
Medicare Chief Nominated
President Bush recently nominated Kerry N. Weems, a 24-year veteran of the Department of Health and Human Services, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Mr. Weems currently serves as deputy chief of staff to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. “He understands the large fiscal challenges facing Medicare and Medicaid and what it will take to strengthen and sustain those programs for the future,” Mr. Leavitt said in a statement. “Further, he has been a leader in this department's efforts to accelerate adoption of health information technology and better financial management systems.” If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Weems will fill the vacancy left by Dr. Mark B. McClellan, who resigned from CMS last year.
Adults Disregard MDs' Orders
Forty-four percent of U.S. adults say they or an immediate family member have ignored a doctor's course of treatment or sought a second opinion because they felt the doctor's orders were unnecessary or overly aggressive, according to a survey. Most adults reported that they didn't view disregarding a doctor's recommendations as problematic or consequential. Only 1 in 10 adults who chose to disregard a physician's instructions at some time believes that he, she, or a family member experienced problems because of this decision. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for the Wall Street Journal Online's health industry edition.
Gender Disparities in Managed Care
Women with diabetes or heart disease who are in managed care plans are less likely to receive certain routine health services, compared with their male counterparts, according to a study by the Rand Corp. The study of more than 50,000 men and women enrolled in either a commercial or Medicare managed care plan in 1999 found that of 11 measures evaluated, women in commercial managed care plans were significantly less likely than men to receive the care in six measures; in Medicare managed care plans, they were less likely to receive care in four of the measures. For example, women with diabetes enrolled in a Medicare managed care plan were 19% less likely to have their cholesterol within recommended ranges; in commercial plans, they were 16% less likely to achieve that goal. Women also were less likely to be prescribed ACE inhibitors for chronic heart failure and to receive prescriptions for β-blockers following a heart attack. These disparities occurred even though women are generally more likely to see physicians more often, and even after researchers adjusted for socioeconomic factors that could affect care. The study appears in the May/June issue of the journal Women's Health Issues.
Drug Spending Expected to Surge
Spending on diabetes and endocrine drugs could increase nearly 70% over the next few years because of an increase in diabetes patients and more aggressive treatment of the disease, according to a study by Medco Health Solutions Inc., Franklin Lakes, N.J. The nation's aging population and rising incidence of obesity also will help fuel the trend, according to the company. Medco predicts annual spending growth rates on diabetes medications will rise upward of 16%–20% annually “as use increases each year by 8% to 10% and patients more frequently use new drug combinations to reach blood sugar targets.” Already, spending on diabetes treatments increased 14.5% from 2005 to 2006, second only to cholesterol-lowering medications. New treatments for diabetes also will contribute to future increases. Spending increases might be mitigated by several factors, including incentives to use generic drugs, greater use of mail-order pharmacies, and efforts to encourage more preventive care, the company notes.
Diabetes Bills Introduced
The American Diabetes Association has announced its support for two diabetes measures recently introduced in Congress. The Gestational Diabetes Act of 2007, sponsored by Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.), and Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), aims to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes by creating a government-led committee to develop multistate gestational diabetes research projects. The bill also provides money for demonstration projects that try to reduce the incidence of gestational diabetes, and provides for the tracking of women with the disease to prevent them from developing type 2 diabetes. The other bill, also introduced by the same members of Congress, is known as the Diabetes Treatment and Prevention Act of 2007. It would codify into law the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's division of diabetes translation and its work in diabetes surveillance and educational activities. It also would increase funding for state and local diabetes programs.
Medicare Chief Nominated
President Bush recently nominated Kerry N. Weems, a 24-year veteran of the Department of Health and Human Services, to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Mr. Weems currently serves as deputy chief of staff to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt. “He understands the large fiscal challenges facing Medicare and Medicaid and what it will take to strengthen and sustain those programs for the future,” Mr. Leavitt said in a statement. “Further, he has been a leader in this department's efforts to accelerate adoption of health information technology and better financial management systems.” If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Weems will fill the vacancy left by Dr. Mark B. McClellan, who resigned from CMS last year.
Adults Disregard MDs' Orders
Forty-four percent of U.S. adults say they or an immediate family member have ignored a doctor's course of treatment or sought a second opinion because they felt the doctor's orders were unnecessary or overly aggressive, according to a survey. Most adults reported that they didn't view disregarding a doctor's recommendations as problematic or consequential. Only 1 in 10 adults who chose to disregard a physician's instructions at some time believes that he, she, or a family member experienced problems because of this decision. The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive for the Wall Street Journal Online's health industry edition.