HealthSpring, a carrier of Medicare Advantage and Part D plans, is now the largest national carrier whose entire focus is the senior population. With major operations in eleven states, the acquisition…
In the coming years, atrial fibrillation (AF) patients will increasingly have more choice for anticoagulation therapy. Although Boehringer Ingelheim’s Pradaxa (dabigatran etexilate) and emerging facto…
The market for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) has grown notably in recent years because of increasing prevalence and diagnosis rates for both conditions as well as the greater…
Health insurers in Oregon and Washington are trying to meet demand for more cost-effective products as the economy struggles and healthcare costs rise. In Washington, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Ill…
Commercial enrollment in North Carolina and South Carolina increased slightly between January 2010 and January 2010. However, a lagging economy continues to make increased market share a difficult pro…
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, each year tens of millions of Americans are affected by mental illness. Although significant strides have been made toward understanding the patho…
A recap of the America’s Health Insurance Plans annual meeting and trade show and the most talked about topics facing health plans in 2011.
The market for immune biologics has grown increasingly crowded in recent years with the launches of newer brands such as Simponi, Cimzia, and Stelara looking to take share away from longer-marketed pr…
According to the American Liver Foundation, 4 million Americans, or 1.8% of the population, are or have been infected with the hepatitis C virus. Approximately 70% of infected persons will develop a c…
HealthLeaders-InterStudy periodically publishes special analyst reports on healthcare topics of interest.
With increased diagnosis rates and higher drug prices for multiple sclerosis (MS), U.S. health plans have grown more focused on their coverage of and spending on MS therapies. Partly because of the pr…
The significant impact of cardiovascular disease on human morbidity and mortality alongside the proven efficacy of many lipid-modifying therapies drives both the aggressive treatment of dyslipidemia b…
Private and Medicare plans will continue their receptiveness to oral oncology therapies over the next five years, but anticipated increases in coinsurance rates and copays will shift more of the cost…
A still-struggling economy has done nothing to improve commercial enrollment trends in the Pennsylvania-Mid-Atlantic region. Consumers and employers are increasingly turning to consumer-directed healt…
The recent renewal cycle was especially challenging for employers in the Carolinas, owing to the poor economy and new requirements under federal healthcare reform. Carriers continued to increase copay…