UnitedHealthcare (UHC) has announced a 20% reduction in its prior authorization requirements for its members and member physicians, effective from September 1. This move is part of a two-phased approach, with the first phase initiated on September 1, eliminating codes for various UHC plans, including Medicare Advantage, commercial, Oxford, and Individual Exchange plan members. While UHC states that this change aims to simplify the healthcare experience for members and healthcare professionals, some physicians believe that the eliminated codes are among the least used. Dr. Adam Bruggeman, an orthopedic surgeon at Texas Spine Care Center, mentioned that many of the removed…
Author: Abhay Panchal
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its approval to Omvoh, a novel medication developed by Eli Lilly, for the treatment of ulcerative colitis. This injectable drug is the inaugural treatment for ulcerative colitis that specifically targets the p19 protein subunit, which plays a role in inflammation associated with the condition. The announcement was made in an official press release by Eli Lilly on October 26. Omvoh is set to be available in the U.S. market in the upcoming weeks. Notably, the drug had already received approval in Japan and the European Union earlier this year.
As 2023 comes to a close, physician private practices are encouraged to prepare for the upcoming year, especially in areas like budgeting, staffing, and clinical supplies. Taylor Johnson, the AMA’s manager of physician practice development, suggests that private practices should have an agenda based on their business plan to review their needs and business relationships for 2024. She also emphasizes the importance of meeting patients’ scheduling needs, especially those who have met their insurance deductibles and are seeking high-cost treatments before year-end. Staffing and supply management are critical areas of focus, especially in light of challenges faced during the COVID-19…
A recent global analysis has shed light on the significant number of premature cancer deaths worldwide. The study reveals that in 2020, out of 9.96 million cancer deaths, 5.28 million occurred prematurely (before age 70), resulting in an approximate loss of 183 million life-years globally. The analysis suggests that over two-thirds of these premature deaths, equating to 3.6 million or 68%, might have been preventable through measures like early detection, lifestyle changes, and cancer screening. However, 31% or 1.65 million of these deaths could have been treatable. Despite these findings, some experts, including Nilanjan Chatterjee, PhD, from Johns Hopkins University,…
A meta-analysis presented at the American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting in Vancouver, Canada, highlighted the potential benefits of Intestinal Microbiota Transplant (IMT), also known as fecal microbiota transplant (FMT), in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The study, led by Dr. Ifrah Fatima from the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, found that IMT significantly improved clinical response and remission in IBD patients compared to standard treatments. However, no significant improvement was observed in endoscopic remission. The analysis included 10 randomized control trials and showed that IMT was particularly effective for patients with ulcerative colitis but…
Olympus Medical has initiated a recall of its High-Flow Insufflation Unit, model UHI-4, following reports of patient complications that may have resulted from over-insufflation of the abdominal cavity. The complications include arrhythmias reported as short cardiac arrests, gas embolism, and one death during surgical procedures where the devices were used. The UHI-4 unit is designed to inflate the abdomen or colon with carbon dioxide gas during laparoscopic or endoscopic surgeries. The FDA has classified this recall as class I due to the serious nature of the reported incidents. The FDA alert stated that the use of the affected unit could…
N. Adam Brown, an emergency physician, entrepreneur, and healthcare executive, discusses the role of private equity (PE) in healthcare. While headlines often portray PE’s involvement in healthcare negatively, Brown argues that there’s more to the story. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has shown skepticism towards PE’s influence in healthcare, with FTC Chair Lina Khan expressing concerns about PE acquisitions in the sector. Recent actions, such as the FTC’s lawsuit against medical group U.S. Anesthesia Partners (USAP) and its PE backers, have raised questions about PE’s role in healthcare. However, PE can offer benefits, such as providing capital for innovation, scaling…
Illumina Inc., a global leader in DNA sequencing and array-based technologies, has announced the launch of a new generation of its distributed liquid biopsy assay for genomic profiling. The TruSight™ Oncology 500 ctDNA v2 (TSO 500 ctDNA v2) is a research assay designed for noninvasive comprehensive genomic profiling (CGP) of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) from blood. This assay is particularly useful when tissue testing is not available or as a complement to tissue-based testing. The TSO 500 ctDNA v2 offers key improvements, including a faster sample-to-answer turnaround time of less than four days, higher sensitivity with lower cell-free DNA (cfDNA)…
Genome Insight has successfully secured an additional $23 million in a second Series B funding round. This investment comes after an earlier $23 million Series B funding round. The funds will be utilized to support the company’s objectives in developing bioinformatics diagnostic tools. Thought-Provoking Questions/Insights:
A consortium led by City of Hope has been awarded a $4.5 million grant with the goal of validating a noninvasive screening test for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. The test will be evaluated in a large-scale and diverse cohort. This initiative is a significant step towards advancing liquid biopsy screening for pancreatic cancer, offering a potential breakthrough in early detection and treatment for patients. Thought-Provoking Questions/Insights: