CER Daily Newsfeed

Value Viewpoint: December 19, 2025

(12/19, Kimberly Westrich, LinkedIn) comments “A new article published in Health Affairs Forefront argues that renewed focus on reducing low- and no-value care in traditional Medicare, as illustrated by CMMI’s recently announced Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction (WISeR) model, offers a more targeted approach to cost containment than broad spending cuts...The authors outline two broad strategies Medicare could use to address low-value care: utilization management (UM) (including prior authorization, step therapy, and post-claims review) and financial incentive reform through alternative payment models (APMs).” Full

Fuzuloparib Monotherapy Improves PFS in Advanced Ovarian Cancer, but Adding Apatinib Offers No Additional Benefit

(12/21, Kyle Doherty, The American Journal of Managed Care) reports “...Although frontline maintenance treatment with fuzuloparib monotherapy produced a progression-free survival (PFS) benefit in patients with newly diagnosed advanced ovarian cancer, the addition of apatinib to fuzuloparib did not significantly improve PFS, according to the final analysis of the phase 3 FZOCUS-1 study.” Full

Benchmarking Drug Prices To Inflation Overlooks What Truly Matters: Value

(12/22, William V. Padula, Health Affairs Forefront) comments “...If the goal of health policy is to improve outcomes per dollar, then the relevant benchmark is value growth, not inflation control. Real progress lies in accelerating the ratio of benefit to cost, ensuring patients actually experience the gains implied by each new therapy. That requires better data, fair contracting, and a broader definition of value—one that includes not only QALYs but also hope, equity, and the long-term societal dividends of scientific advancement. The better question is not whether drug prices are outpacing inflation, but whether value is. The evidence suggests it is. The challenge now is to make sure access and coverage, and the policies that expand them, catch up.” Full

Op-ed: For a Better Health Future, We must Look to Value-Based Care

(12/19, Sree Chaguturu, Fierce Healthcare) comments “...As with any innovation, value-based care is not without challenges. First, healthcare practices that enter value-based contracts must be willing to accept financial risk and maintain appropriate staffing for value-based care amid an ongoing provider shortage. Second, care coordination between primary and specialty care is important for better health outcomes, yet operationally challenging, especially without widespread interoperability between electronic health record systems across points of care. Third, the shifting regulatory environment has presented challenges related to incentive structures and administrative and reporting requirements.” Full

Video: Using Real-World Data and Biomarkers to Optimize Immunotherapy Use in Oncology Practice

(12/22, Justin Balko, PharmD, PhD, Danielle Valletti, Pharmacy Times) “...Justin Balko, PharmD, PhD, discussed how molecular testing and real-world evidence can help refine the use of immunotherapy in breast cancer care and highlighted key roles for pharmacists in clinical oncology settings. He emphasized that incorporating emerging biomarkers into approved assays or laboratory-developed tests could provide clinicians with reliable tools to guide treatment decisions and create meaningful opportunities for pharmacists to ensure appropriate test utilization.” View Video

Driving the Future of Care: OCHIN Members Collaborate to Advance Patient-Centered Research

(12/18, OCHIN) comments “...The PCORnet Roadshow promoted understanding of PCORnet infrastructure, capabilities and research opportunities, laying the foundation for future cross-network collaboration...A highlight of the Roadshow was a panel featuring ADVANCE patient and health center partners. Three patient partners, members of the ADVANCE Patient Engagement Panel, shared how they guide research development, conduct and dissemination based on their lived experience. Representatives from three OCHIN member community health centers—Erie Family Health Services, One Community Health, and Asian Health Services—offered insights on research in community-based primary care settings.” Full

How Patient Registries Can Strengthen Evidence Generation for Alzheimer’s Disease: Insights from the HMA/EMA Workshop

(12/22, Katie McCool, The Evidence Base) reports “...Significant uncertainties remain around the long-term safety and effectiveness of emerging therapies, particularly anti-amyloid treatments...Across stakeholder groups, there was broad consensus that randomized controlled trials (RCTs) alone cannot address these uncertainties, particularly in relation to long-term follow-up and representativeness...At the same time, participants repeatedly stressed that registries must be designed with a clear purpose and strong methodological foundations if they are to meaningfully complement trial evidence.” Full