It’s an honor and a thrill to be the next chair of the Government Affairs Committee. Boy, do we have a big year ahead.
Editor Keri Losavio has been a professional editor and writer in the medical and financial fields for 20 years and joined the Wiley team in February 2014. She has written for and edited newsletters, magazines, personal memoirs, book proposals, dissertations, textbooks and more.
Articles by Keri Losavio
Prior Authorization Reform Achieves Some Success
In early August, the American Medical Association (AMA) held its annual state advocacy strategy meeting in Chicago. This meeting pulls together all state medical societies and national specialty organizations. Over three days, participants engage in roundtable discussions on issues, solutions and best practices for health policy. Networking opportunities abound. The meetings showcase legislation that has…
Humira Found Partially Effective against Hidradenitis Suppurativa
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – The anti-inflammatory drug adalimumab can provide significant relief for about a quarter of people who suffer from a moderate-to-severe case of the chronic skin condition hidradenitis suppurativa, according to two 36-week trials. But the drug – which would cost over $104,000 per year for the weekly injections used in the…
Valeant Psoriasis Drug’s Suicide Risk Hard to Assess, Say FDA Staff
(Reuters)—Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc.’s experimental drug to treat psoriasis carries a potential risk of suicide that is challenging to assess due to limited data, a preliminary review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Friday. The review comes two days ahead of a meeting of outside experts who will advise the FDA on…
Medicare Advantage Grows, but Provider Choice Is Limited
CHICAGO (Reuters)—Medicare enrollees are moving in greater numbers than ever to the program’s managed care option as a way to save money. But the tradeoff is much less ability to use their preferred doctors and hospitals. Seniors can choose between traditional fee-for-service Medicare—which is accepted by most healthcare providers—or a Medicare Advantage plan. The latter…
White House Proposes Measures to Speed Genomic Test Development
WASHINGTON (Reuters)—The White House announced on Wednesday measures aimed at advancing President Barack Obama’s precision medicine initiative, including plans to speed the development of tests used to identify genetic mutations and guide medical treatment. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it planned to issue a proposal to create performance standards to guide development of…
U.S. Republicans Reject Democratic Funding Proposals for Opioids
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Republican lawmakers in U.S. Congress on Wednesday rejected two Democratic amendments to provide nearly $1 billion in funding for bipartisan legislation intended to combat America’s opioid epidemic, aides said. The rejection, which came during a meeting of U.S. House of Representatives and Senate negotiators on the measure, could undermine Democratic support for…
How Congressional Act Could Affect Your Social Security Retirement Income Beginning in 2016
On Nov. 2, 2015, Congress passed the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015. The Act contained a nasty surprise change to Social Security claiming strategies. Two commonly recommended strategies are known as file and suspend and restricted application. Both of these strategies will be going away, but not immediately. A lucky few will be grandfathered in….
When to Claim Social Security
As a Certified Financial Planner, I run a practice specializing in guiding families to and through retirement. A question we almost always hear is, “When should I take my Social Security?” The best answer to that question often depends on the client’s personal situation, but clients are often unaware of three common scenarios that may…
The Lupus Initiative Receives 5-Year CDC Grant
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has awarded the American College of Rheumatology’s (ACR) The Lupus Initiative (TLI) with a five-year grant to support the development of a national, grassroots program targeting primary care providers, persons with undiagnosed Lupus and rheumatology health care providers. The program will have three components: Immediate dissemination of…