Stephanie Skernivitz

Costly imaging and back surgeries contribute to the high cost of back pain treatment, but not all are medically necessary

Hypertension is the leading medical condition, and health plans are finding better ways to increase DM program participation rates, such as Aetna's program tailored to the African American population

The continual inability to fall asleep or stay asleep is keeping approximately one-third of the nation up at night. Individuals with insomnia incur $12 billion in direct medical costs and $2 billion in drug costs alone.

The U.S. healthcare system continues to struggle with costs. As costs have climbed, data needs among employers are changing swiftly. Some employers are asking their health plan providers for deeper, more telling employee health information, only to find that they aren't able to obtain it because of HIPAA and similar laws.

When Jon R. Cohen, MD, was recently appointed managing director of health industries advisory services for PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, he says it was "complex solution solving" that drew him to the firm. Here, he discusses trends on hospital mergers, profitability and hospitals, and his thoughts on the 2008 presidential hopefuls.

Ambulatory Surgical Centers (ASC) represent an unparalleled snapshot of the evolution of healthcare delivery, experts say. The surge in growth of ASCs nationwide affords patients the opportunity for non-emergent surgical and procedural services outside the hospital structure while also yielding cost-effective benefits for managed care organizations.

Pat Ford-Roegner, MSW, RN, FAAN, CEO of the American Academy of Nursing (AAN), seems a natural fit for her latest appointment as a member of the new Washington, D.C.-based Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD) Advisory Board. The board, led by Richard H. Carmona, MD, MPH, FACS, former U.S. Surgeon General, is comprised of 40 high-profile CEOs and presidents from the public and private sector.