INSIGHTS AND PERSPECTIVES

WASHINGTON — Nearly 2-of-every-3 Americans said they would oppose any further cuts to federally funded care for seniors needing long-term care.

A newly released nationwide survey from the Zogby polling firm found that 65% of Americans expressed opposition to policies that resulted in cuts to Medicaid funding for nursing home care for the nation’s poor and elderly. The American Health Care Association, which sponsored the poll, also reported these findings Friday:

WHAT IT MEANS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT — Larry Merlo’s comments during the recent J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on the upswing in acute visits at MinuteClinic is important because it speaks to the fact that 2011 is the beginning of the second wave of clinic expansion.

(THE NEWS: Acute visits climb as MinuteClinic preps for rapid growth. For the full story, click here)

BOSTON — Various companies in the healthcare industry are uncertain about the benefits of the Food and Drug Administration’s risk evaluation and mitigation strategy program, and most think it needs a major overhaul, according to a study by the Tufts University Center for the Study of Drug Development.

The CSDD called the study the first systematic look at REMS since the FDA introduced the program in 2008. The FDA requires drug companies to create a REMS when the agency decides it is necessary to ensure that a drug’s benefits outweigh its risks.

ORLANDO, Fla. — Companies that lower co-payments on prescription drugs while promoting disease management can lower their own healthcare costs, according to a three-year study commissioned by the Florida Health Care Coalition and published in the journal Health Affairs.

The study, which focused on patients with diabetes, found that companies combining disease-management programs with “value-based insurance design” can earn a return of $1.33 for every dollar they spend upfront on medication.

LOS ANGELES — The tale of two courageous men that look to stop a half-mile-long freight train from destroying a city is barreling its way to Blu-ray and DVD, thanks to Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment.

"Unstoppable," an action-packed thriller starring Denzel Washington and Chris Pine, will be available Feb. 15. Both formats include several bonus features, including director commentary and script development.

"Unstoppable" on Blu-ray will carry a suggested retail price of $39.99 and will be available on DVD for an SRP of $29.98.

DEERFIELD, Ill. — It seems that many mail-order pharmacy patients are unaware that they can receive their 90-day supply of prescription medications at community pharmacies.

SHELTON, Conn. — Organic product purchases among consumers have been fairly consistent over the past three years, but more shoppers are looking to mass retailers to purchase such items.

ATLANTA — Nationwide rates of asthma have been on the rise in recent years, though they’ve risen at a slow pace, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to the report, released Wednesday, around 24.6 million people in the United States had asthma in 2009, meaning a prevalence of 8.2%. Rates have risen by around 1.2% per year since 2001, with asthma attack prevalence staying between 3.9% and 4.3% between 1997 and 2009.