Health Affairs This Week

A new ahead-of-print from Health Affairs features the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) annual projections of national health expenditures. John Poisal and colleagues estimate national health spending growth will moderate from 9.7 percent in 2020 to 4.2 percent in 2021 as COVID-19 impacts wane.Listen to Health Affairs' Ellen Bayer and Chris Fleming dissect the latest national health spending projections on today's Health Affairs This Week.Pre-order the April 2022 issue where the CMS report will be published in the Health Affairs journal.Related Links:National Health Expenditure Projections, 2021–30: Growth To Moderate As COVID-19 Impacts Wane (Health Affairs)National Health Expenditures Post COVID: Hints Of A New Normal? (Health Affairs Forefront)National Health Expenditure Projections And A Few Ways We Might Avoid Our Fate (Health Affairs Forefront)National Health Care Spending In 2020: Growth Driven By Federal Spending In Response To The COVID-19 Pandemic (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This month, three US credit reporting agencies - Equifax, Experian and TransUnion - announced changes to medical collection debt reporting, which will remove nearly 70% of medical collection debt tradelines from consumer credit reports.As financial security is a major social determinant of health, Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Chris Fleming join Health Affairs This Week to discuss medical debt changes and their potential impact of the changes on health.Related Links:No Surprises Act: Known Impacts on Surprise Medical Bills & What's Next (Health Affairs This Week)Medical Debt Burden In The United States (Consumer Financial Protection Bureau)Charity Care Needs To Be Better Than This (Health Affairs)The Burden of Medical Debt in the United States (Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Late last month, the White House called out private equity firms in a fact sheet on the safety and quality of nursing homes."Private equity firms have been buying up struggling nursing homes, and research shows that private equity-owned nursing homes tend to have significantly worse outcomes for residents," the fact sheet reads, adding that "Private equity firms’ investment in nursing homes has ballooned from $5 billion in 2000 to more than $100 billion in 2018, with about 5% of all nursing homes now owned by private equity firms." Listen to Health Affairs' Kathleen Haddad and Rob Lott discuss the role of private equity in health care service lines.Related Links:FACT SHEET: Protecting Seniors by Improving Safety and Quality of Care in the Nation’s Nursing Homes (White House)Private Equity Investments In Health Care: An Overview Of Hospital And Health System Leveraged Buyouts, 2003–17 (Health Affairs)Hospital Service Offerings Still Differ Substantially By Ownership Type (Health Affairs)Private Equity Acquisition And Responsiveness To Service-Line Profitability At Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals (Health Affairs)Podcast: Jill Horwitz Questions the Role of Nonprofit Hospitals (A Health Podyssey)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Late last month, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced its redesign of its Global and Professional Direct Contracting Model to its now-branded Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) Model. The agency stated the redesign is meant to advance health equity and was in response to stakeholder feedback and participant experience.On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Harvard Medical School's Michael Chernew joins Health Affairs Forefront Editor Chris Fleming to talk about the new CMS model for ACOs, and where Medicare Advantage could improve.Related Links:Accountable Care Organization (ACO) Realizing Equity, Access, and Community Health (REACH) Model (CMS)The Case For ACOs: Why Payment Reform Remains Necessary (Health Affairs Forefront)Podcast: Michael Chernew Makes The Case for Payment Reform (Health Affairs This Week)Medicare Advantage, Direct Contracting, And The Medicare 'Money Machine,' Part 2: Building On The ACO Model (Health Affairs Forefront)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Listen to Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Rob Lott outline President Joe Biden's health care aspirations outlined in his State of the Union Address, which includes information on COVID-19, health care costs, nursing homes, opioid epidemic, the cancer moonshot, and mental health.Related Links:President Biden's State of the Union Address (White House)Fact Sheet: President Biden to Announce Strategy To Address Our National Mental Health Crisis, As Part of Unity Agenda in his First State of the Union (White House)Fact Sheet: Addressing Addiction and the Overdose Epidemic (White House)Fact Sheet: Protecting Seniors and People with Disabilities by Improving Safety and Quality of Care in the Nation's Nursing Homes (White House)The Speech That Mentioned It All (Politico Pulse)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Listen to Health Affairs' Ellen Bayer and Rob Lott discuss possible implications for health policies related to Medicaid and telehealth when the COVID-19 public health emergency sunsets.Related Links:Is It Fair? How To Approach Professional Scope-Of-Practice Policy After The COVID-19 Pandemic (Health Affairs Forefront)Medicare Beneficiaries' Use of Telehealth in 2020: Trends By Beneficiary Characteristics and Location (ASPE)Opinion: In This Next Phase of the Pandemic, Beware of the Extremes (The Washington Post)2/15/22: Extending the Public Health Emergency Remains Complicated (Politico Pulse)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a report showing that outpatient telehealth use has decreased after an initial spike in use during the COVID-19 pandemic's early months. This week, a new Stat News report examines whether telehealth services actually lowers health care costs and spending.It's known that telehealth use was low before the COVID-19 pandemic. Historically, it has been challenging to scale and integrate telemedicine and virtual care models within the broader health care system. Dr. Thomas Lee, founder and CEO of Galileo Health, joins Health Affairs This Week host Leslie Erdelack to discuss the state of telehealth, access to care, and health equity. Before starting Galileo, Dr. Lee founded One Medical, a primary care company. Related Links:Outpatient telehealth use soared early in the COVID-19 pandemic but has since receded (Kaiser Family Foundation)What we know - and still don't know - about whether telehealth can cut costs (Stat News)Variation In Telemedicine Use and Outpatient Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States (Health Affairs)Seizing The Moment For Telehealth Policy and Equity (Health Affairs Forefront)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

“Racism is an uncomfortable subject for a lot of people in academia and academic publishing itself is part of the problem, in that a lot of journals including Health Affairs have neglected to name racism and publish research about how racism harms health.” - Leslie Erdelack. In February, Health Affairs published a theme issue dedicated to racism and health. Understanding and addressing the impact of racism, particularly structural racism, on health is essential to building equity in health. As Health Affairs Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil wrote on Health Affairs Forefront in June 2020, the legacy of racism “is baked into our institutions, our thinking, and our policies.” Racism must be explored as a key driver of health outcomes and health disparities. In today's episode, Health Affairs' Jessica Bylander and Leslie Erdelack discuss the publication process, main findings, and research insights from the Health Affairs February 2022 theme issue on racism and health.Health Affairs thanks Rachel Hardeman of the University of Minnesota and José Figueroa of Harvard University, who served as theme issue advisers. Health Affairs also thanks the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the California Wellness Foundation, the Episcopal Health Foundation, the New York State Health Foundation, and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation for their generous support of this issue.Order the February 2022 Health Affairs Racism and Health theme issue.Related Links:Health Affairs Racism and Health Theme IssueHealth Affairs' Interview with Harriet Washington, author of Medical Apartheid Systemic and Structural Racism: Definitions, Examples, Health Damages, And Approaches To Dismantling (Health Affairs)Sick And Tired Of Being Excluded: Structural Racism In Disenfranchisement As A Threat To Population Health Equity (Health Affairs)The Mutually Reinforcing Cycle Of Poor Data Quality And Racialized Stereotypes That Shapes Asian American Health (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, a major development in health care reform occurred in California.Listen to Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Rob Lott talk about the headlines in health policy news (including President Joe Biden's revived Cancer Moonshot initiative) and the latest in California's fight for single-payer health insurance where they ask, as California goes, so goes the country?Related Links:Single-Payer Healthcare Proposal Fizzles in California Assembly (Los Angeles Times)California Theme Issue - September 2018 (Health Affairs)What We Talk About When We Talk About Single Payer (Health Affairs Forefront)Could States Do Single-Payer Health Care? (Health Affairs Forefront)Single Payer Or Not: Matching Problems With Solutions (Health Affairs Forefront)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week on Health Affairs Forefront (formerly known as the Health Affairs Blog), Michael Chernew, director of the Healthcare Markets and Regulation Lab in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medical School, and Michael McWilliams, professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, wrote a piece making the case for accountable care organizations (ACOs) and how fee-for-service payment models lack efficiency.Today on Health Affairs This Week, Michael Chernew joins Health Affairs Forefront Editor Chris Fleming to discuss the Forefront piece, ACOs, direct contracting, why health care payment reform remains necessary in 2022, and more.Related Links:The Case For ACOs: Why Payment Reform Remains Necessary (Health Affairs Forefront)Medicare Advantage, Director Contracting, And The Medicare 'Money Machine," Part 1: The Risk-Score Game (Health Affairs Forefront)Coding-Driven Changes In Measured Risk In Accountable Care Organizations (Health Affairs)Podcast: Matthew Trombley on Why Many Providers Run From Downside Risk In ACOs (A Health Podyssey)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

DICLAIMER: This episode contains mentions of suicide, which some listeners may find harmful or disturbing. The COVID-19 pandemic has shined a light on the importance addressing mental health and behavioral health concerns.As we enter the third year of the COVID-19 pandemic - which may or may not become endemic - many Americans, including health care providers, are rethinking their relationship to their mental health.Listen to Health Affairs' Ellen Bayer and Kathleen Haddad talk about mental health challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic, physician burnout, clinician burnout, and more.Related Links:Coping With Trauma, Celebrating Life: Reinventing Patient And Staff Support During The COVID-19 Pandemic (Health Affairs)The Kids Are Not All Right: The Urgent Need To Expand Effective Behavioral Health Services For Children And Youth (Health Affairs Forefront)Transforming Mental Health And Addiction Services (Health Affairs)Protecting Mental Health (Project Hope)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

With the Omicron coronavirus rapidly spreading through the United States, many are reassessing their response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the CDC revised its guidelines for quarantine and isolation periods (which was met with mixed reactions). Workers, organizations, and schools are all trying to navigate this period of uncertainty as infections rise.On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Health Affairs' Jessica Bylander and Rob Lott discuss the latest on COVID-19 quarantine periods, CDC guidance on the subject, and how those recommendations and the ongoing pandemic is affecting the health care workforce.Related Links:Nurse Employment During The First Fifteen Months Of The COVID-19 Pandemic (Health Affairs)Emerging Health Workforce Strategies To Address COVID-19 (Health Affairs Forefront)CDC Updates and Shortens Recommended Isolation and Quarantine Period for General Population (CDC)California Department of Public Health Regarding Quarantine and Isolation Periods (CDPH)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

While COVID-19 shallowed many headlines in the health care space, a lot of movement was made in various health policy areas, including prescription drug pricing.On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Rachel Sachs, the Treiman Professor of Law at the Washington University in St. Louis, joins the program with Health Affairs Forefront Editor Chris Fleming to discuss Aduhelm and drug pricing. The two discuss Rachel's latest Health Affairs Forefront article (formerly known as Health Affairs Blog) and review what happened in the prescription drug space last year and preview what to watch in 2022. Related Links:Prescription Drug Policy: The Year In Review, And The Year Ahead (Health Affairs Forefront)The FDA's Approval Of Aduhelm: Potential Implications Across A Wide Range Of Health Policy Issues And Stakeholders (Health Affairs Forefront)Podcast: Drug Pricing On The Agenda For Massive Infrastructure Bill (Health Affairs This Week)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, Health Affairs released the annual national health care spending data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Using data from 2020, the first data which relates to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report found health spending reached a record high in 2020. But Health Affairs had some of its own news this week as well. We are rebranding our respected Health Affairs Blog into a new digital publication named Health Affairs Forefront. Health Affairs' Rob Lott and Chris Fleming convene on Health Affairs This Week to discuss CMS' new national health care spending data and what's behind the rebrand to Health Affairs Forefront.Related Links:National Health Care Spending In 2020: Growth Driven By Federal Spending In Response To The COVID-19 Pandemic (Health Affairs)Welcome to Health Affairs Forefront (Health Affairs Forefront)Innovation At The Centers For Medicare and Medicaid Services: A Vision For The Next 10 Years (Health Affairs Forefront)The Workforce for Non-Police Behavioral Health Crisis Response Doesn't Exist - We Need To Create It (Health Affairs Forefront)Podcast: LIVE with with Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator (A Health Podyssey)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

With 2021 about to be in the rearview mirror, Health Affairs' Jessica Bylander and Ellen Bayer gather on Health Affairs This Week to quickly chat about some of the biggest developments in health policy for the year.Looking back, they talk about the Biden administration's health agenda - which includes a focus on health equity and innovation - as well as the Build Back Better measure, how infrastructure relates to health policy, and where we move from here.Related Links:Innovation At The Centers For Medicare And Medicaid Services: A Vision For The Next 10 Year (Health Affairs Blog)A Strategic Vision For Medicaid And The Children's Health Insurance Program (Health Affairs Blog)How the House Spending Bill Would Expand Health Care Benefits (The Washington Post)Executive Order On Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government (White House)My First 100 Days and Where We Go From Here: A Strategic Vision for CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

The first Omicron COVID-19 variant case was confirmed in the state of California this week. But there is a lot we don't know about this new COVID-19 variant. On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Rob Lott discuss what's known (and not known) about the new variant, global health inequity, and how the HIV/AIDS epidemic can inform the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Related Links:President Biden Announces New Actions to Protect Americans Against the Delta and Omicron Variants as We Battle COVID-⁠19 this Winter (White House)What the AIDS crisis can teach us about the COVID pandemic response (NPR)2021 Worlds AIDS Day Report (UNAIDS)National HIV/AIDS Strategy for the United States 2022-2025 (White House)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Since its inception, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has faced legal challenges. With the law on the books for more than 10 years, the measure is still facing litigation.Cases currently pending before the Supreme Court include Section 1557, the ACA’s primary nondiscrimination provision. The court is still considering to take on additional cases against the ACA related to the health insurance tax and hospital reimbursement policies.To discuss and make sense of the myriad challenges and lawsuits, Georgetown University's Katie Keith joins Health Affairs' Senior Editor Chris Fleming on Health Affairs This Week. Together, they review the latest ACA challenges [and litigation] and where the courts may take the measure. Related Links:ACA Litigation Round-Up: What's Resolved, What's On Hold, And What's Still Moving? (Health Affairs Blog)Cummings v. Premier Rehab Keller, P.L.L.C. (SCOTUSblog)CVS Health Partners With Disability Community In Commitment To Affordable And Equitable Access To Health CareDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization (SCOTUSblog)Supreme Court Whether 340B Hospitals Retain Discounts on Medicare Part B Drugs (Commonwealth Fund)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, a lot of the coverage regarding the U.S. off-year election cycle focused on the victory of Republican Glenn Youngkin in Virginia.But there were a number of amendments throughout state elections that focused on public health initiatives.Listen to Health Affairs' Jessica Bylander and Jeff Byers review some of the public health ballot measures, which touched on topics such as food insecurity, right to food, environmental rights, and police reform.Related Links:The Importance Of Mental Health Workers For Mobile Crisis Response (A Health Podyssey)Enlisting Mental Health Workers, Not Cops, In Mobile Crisis Response (Health Affairs)Policing, Pot, Housing And The 'Right To Food': Which Ballot Measures Passed (Governing)The New Environmental Rights Amendment To The New York Constitution (National Law Review)As The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill Passes, Here's What's Next For Biden's Economic Plans (CNBC)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Health spending currently accounts for nearly 18% of the US' Gross Domestic Product.If the nation spends so much on health care - about $11,500 per person in the US - then are we getting a good value in return for that spending?Last week, Health Affairs launched a newsletter for our Considering Health Spending initiative to bring readers a forum for emerging research that sheds light on how much the nation spends on health care and how we might improve the value of that spending or even change the spending trajectory. The first issue of the monthly newsletter dives into some classic research on health care spending and value, including the seminal 2003 piece, "It's The Prices, Stupid." On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Health Affairs Senior Editor Laura Tollen joins Deputy Editor Rob Lott to share details on the initiative and discuss the ways researchers are addressing key questions about health care spending and value.Sign up for the Considering Health Spending newsletter.Join the Considering Health Spending LinkedIn group.Related Links:Considering Health Spending The Relationship Between Health Spending and Social Spending In High-Income Countries: How Does The US Compare? (Health Affairs)Variation In Health Spending Growth For The Privately Insured From 2007 To 2014 (Health Affairs)What's Been The Bang For The Buck? Cost-Effectiveness Of Health Care Spending Across Selected Conditions In The US (Health Affairs)Getting The Price Right: How Some Countries Control Spending In A Fee-For-Service System (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Ahead of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, UK, the World Health Organization (WHO) released a special report on climate change and health. The organization proposed a set of recommendations for the global health community to act on the climate crisis.Drawing from the research and insights from Health Affairs' Climate & Health theme issue (2020), Health Affairs' Senior Editor Leslie Erdelack and Deputy Editor Rob Lott discuss WHO's climate recommendations and review how climate can be folded into the scope of health policy.Related Links:Transforming The Medical Device Industry: Road Map To A Circular Economy (Health Affairs)Developing A Definition Of Climate And Health Literacy (Health Affairs)How Public Health Took Part in Its Own Downfall (The Atlantic)COP26 Special Report on Climate Change and Health (World Health Organization)\Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, it was reported that President Joe Biden is considering Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration.The appointment, which has yet to been made official, comes as a mid-November deadline to appoint an FDA Commissioner looms. Currently, the acting commissioner for the agency is Janet Woodcock.On Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Jessica Bylander and Chris Fleming dive into Califf's consideration, why it's important the agency has a leader, and give an overview of the role FDA plays in regulation outside of drugs and medical devices.Related Links:Biden Zeroes In On Califf To Head FDA As Deadline Nears (The Washington Post)The FDA Has Been Without A Permanent Leader For 8 Months As COVID Cases Climb (NPR)Seven Former FDA Commissioners: The FDA Should Be An Independent Federal Agency (Health Affairs)FDA Letter to President Biden, March 9, 2021 Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

The downstream effects of exclusionary, low-density residential zoning on health and health equity should make scholars and policy makers focus on reforming zoning to make housing more plentiful and affordable in healthy neighborhoods.Michael Lens, associate professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy and associate faculty director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the University of California Los Angeles, recently shared his perspective on the topic in a Health Policy Brief published last month.On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Lens joins Health Affairs Deputy Editor of Special Content Rob Lott to discuss his research and how low-density zoning relates to health and health equity.Related Links:Low-Density Zoning, Health, and Health Equity (Health Affairs)Eviction And Health: A Vicious Cycle Exacerbated By A Pandemic (Health Affairs)Gentrification And The Health Of Legacy Residents (Health Affairs)To Stem The Spread of COVID-19, Address The Challenges Of Crowded Housing (Health Affairs Blog)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

In October, Health Affairs published an issue dedicated to perinatal mental health.There has long been an awareness of the harm associated with perinatal depression and mood disorders. Perinatal depression and mood disorders occur in the context of social, economic, and other health conditions that affect the well-being of birthing people, families, and communities. Prevention, screening, and treatment can promote mental health in pregnant and postpartum individuals, but it is sporadic, and there are many missed opportunities as individuals seek and obtain care within the health care system and community.The purpose of this theme issue is to explore the policy opportunities and evidence behind those options for improving support for people before, during, and after giving birth. In today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Leslie Erdelack, Ellen Bayer, and Kathleen Haddad discuss the publication process and highlight the research insights from the issue.Order the October Perinatal Mental Health Issue.Health Affairs thanks Jennifer Moore, founding executive director of the Institute for Medicaid Innovation, for serving as theme adviser for the perinatal mental health papers in the October issue. We thank the California Health Care Foundation, Perigee Fund, and ZOMA Foundation for their financial support of this issue.Related Links:Health Affairs' Perinatal Mental Health IssueA Humane Approach To Caring For New Mothers In Psychiatric Crisis (Health Affairs)Preventing Pregnancy-Related Mental Health Deaths: Insights From 14 US Maternal Mortality Review Committees, 2008-17 (Health Affairs)Perinatal Mental Health Care In The United States: An Overview Of Policies And Programs (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week was a busy week on Capitol Hill but on today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander look into recent pharmaceutical and drug pricing news.In one story, Walgreens is investing more into hospital specialty pharmacies to broaden their reach. “Today, around 25 percent of hospitals in the US have an in-house specialty pharmacy—that’s up from 9 percent from just a few years,” says Erdelack. In another story, a dust up over 340B drug pricing program is playing out between drug companies and the federal government.Take a break from government shutdown and Capitol Hill news and listen to Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander give an overview on the latest on the pharmaceutical industry.Related Links:6 Drug Companies Could Face Steep Fines For Violating 340B Law (Healthcare Dive)Walgreens Invests Deeper in Hospital Specialty Pharmacies (Axios)340B Drug Pricing Program (Health Resources & Services Administration)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Child birth in the US is expensive. One of the largest payers for childbirth in the US is Medicaid, covering 43% of US births in 2018.New mothers with pregnancy-related insurance coverage via Medicaid can lose their insurance coverage 60 days after the birth of their child. But policy makers are looking to change that and expand postpartum Medicaid coverage.Join Health Affairs Senior Editor Jessica Bylander and Deputy Editor of Special Content Rob Lott on Health Affairs This Week as they talk about recent policy movements on maternal health and postpartum insurance coverage.Pre-order the October Perinatal Mental Health Theme Issue.Related Links:Opportunities For States To Minimize Postpartum Coverage Loss When The Public Health Emergency Ends (Health Affairs Blog) Post-ACA, More Than One-Third Of Women With Prenatal Medicaid Remained Uninsured Before Or After Pregnancy (Health Affairs)Expanding Postpartum Medicaid Coverage (Kaiser Family Foundation)Racial Disparities in Maternal Health (US Commission On Civil Rights)Podcast: Breaking Down the 2021 Momnibus Bill (Health Affairs This Week)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Earlier this week, the White House released its "path out of the pandemic," which notes the FDA is currently evaluating a COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 12.A major pillar in the plan is to reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory powers to increase Americans covered by vaccination requirements. For example, the plan requires that all employers with more than 100 employees ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19.As Health Affairs' Senior Editors Ellen Bayer and Leslie Erdelack note in today's Health Affairs This Week, the workplace is an important focus for public health efforts, as it can be a place where disease spreads. Because of this, paid sick leave policies are important when thinking about public health. However, the US lags behind other countries when it comes to guaranteeing paid sick leave. Listen to Ellen Bayer and Leslie Erdelack go over President Joe Biden's latest path out of the COVID-19 pandemic and how paid sick leave can influence public health.View the Full Agenda for Health Affairs' NEW EVENT SERIES.Related Links:Path Out of the Pandemic (White House)COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Has Helped Flatten The Curve In The United States (Health Affairs)Olive Garden's Expansion Of Paid Sick Leave During COVID-19 Reduced The Share Of Employees Working While Sick (Health Affairs)US Sick Leave In Global Context: US Eligibility Rules Widen Inequalities Despite Readily Available Solutions (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

In January 2021, Health Affairs posted an announcement regarding its new Health Equity Project.Since then, Health Affairs has been ramping up its efforts to advance equity in scholarly publishing and health services research.Last month, the organization announced the members of the Health Affairs' Health Equity Advisory Board. This week, the Health Affairs Blog published a cluster of blogs related to various topics on health equity. Join Health Affairs' Director of Health Equity Vabren Watts and Senior Editor Rob Lott as they discuss the journal's latest efforts to highlight and advance health equity through a new blog cluster, the new Health Equity Advisory Committee, and the Health Equity Fellowship for Trainees. Related Links:Clinically Driven Payment and Benefit Design To Improve Health Equity: The Case of Obesity Prevention and Treatment (Health Affairs Blog)Medical Algorithms Are Failing Communities of Color (Health Affairs Blog)A New Effort To Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities In Care Through Quality Measurement (Health Affairs Blog)Apply to the Health Equity Fellowship for Trainees at Health AffairsSubscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week in Health Affairs Today, Georgetown University faculty member and Health Affairs Contributing Editor Katie Keith shared her "back-to-school" reading list with subscribers.In part to talk about her reading picks for the future health policy leaders of tomorrow, Katie joins Health Affairs Senior Editor Chris Fleming on Health Affairs This Week. In addition to teasing out a virtual Health Affairs-hosted Lunch-and-Learn event later in September, Katie and Chris discuss the latest on the Texas abortion ban Supreme Court decision, Medicare's projected insolvency, and the health policy landscape at large.Watch out for details on Katie Keith's virtual Lunch-and-Learn session in September on Health Affairs Events Page or by signing up for Health Affairs Today.Related Links:Supreme Court Leaves Texas Abortion Ban In Place (SCOTUS Blog)Katie Keith's Back To School Reading List (Health Affairs)Rethinking Race In Medicine: ACOG Removes A Race-Based Cutoff For Anemia In Pregnancy (Health Affairs Blog)2021 Annual Report Of The Boards Of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)National Health Interview Survey Early Release Program (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Pfizer full approval for its COVID-19 vaccine. Schools around the country also started to reopen for the 2021-2022 school year. With schools reopening and the Delta variant of COVID-19 flaring up across the US, many are bringing up the pros and cons of mask mandates in schools in addition to COVID-19 vaccine access to young children. In today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Rob Lott and Jessica Bylander weigh the perspectives for both topics as parents prepare for the new school year.Sign up to the the Health Affairs Today newsletter for more Back-To-School Essentials content during the week of August 30, 2021. In the newsletter, we will promote past Health Affairs content for future health policy experts. Related Links:COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine (FDA)As Schools Reopen, It's Time To Increase Funding For School-Based Health Centers (Health Affairs Blog)Children and COVID-19: State-Level Data Report (American Academy of Pediatrics)The Delta Variant: I’m Vaccinated. Should I Wear A Mask? (Johns Hopkins University)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, the Biden administration updated its Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to calculate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.The analysis led to an increase in the average SNAP benefit which is set to increase in October.The cost adjustment, according to the Biden administration, is the first update since the plan was first introduced in 1975.Food insecurity is a big issue, especially as the social determinants of health increasingly are in health policy discussion. For example, one Health Affairs research article found that food-insecure children are at least twice as likely to report being in fair or poor health.SNAP reduces the prevalence of food insecurity. Listen to Health Affairs' Editors Jessica Bylander and Leslie Erdelack discuss the Biden administration's latest move on SNAP, and what it means for health care. Related Links:Biden Administration Prompts Largest Permanent Increase in Food Stamps (The New York Times)USDA Modernizes the Thrifty Food Plan, Updates SNAP Benefits (U.S. Department of Agriculture)Loss Of SNAP Is Associated With Food Insecurity And Poor Health In Working Families With Young Children (Health Affairs)The Effect Of The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program On Mortality (Health Affairs)Podcast: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill - What's in it for Health Care (Health Affairs This Week)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, the US Senate approved the sweeping Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan. The bill includes a $39 billion investment in public transit to report aging infrastructure across the US.Public transportation in the US is an important aspect of American Life, including health care. Health Affairs recently published a Health Policy Brief on the connection between public transportation and health.On this episode of Health Affairs This Week, Health Affairs' Rob Lott and Jeff Byers discuss what to expect next for the infrastructure bill and dive into the insights from the health policy brief.Related Links:Public Transportation In the US: A Driver Of Health And Equity (Health Affairs)Senate Approves The $1 Trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill In A Historic Vote (NPR)Podcast: The Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill - What's in it for Health Care (Health Affairs This Week)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, President Joe Biden and his administration released more detail on the Bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.While a lot of focus has been given to provisions, such as the $66 billion investment in passenger rail since the creation of Amtrak 50 years ago, there are many areas which will affect the health care sector.Health Affairs' Senior Editors Ellen Bayer and Chris Fleming share the latest on the bipartisan infrastructure deal and how health care will be affected, including policies on telehealth, clean drinking water, climate change, broadband internet, and other social determinants of health.Related Links:Bipartisan Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act (White House Fact Sheet)A Lead Poisoning Crisis Enters Its Second Century (Health Affairs)Climate & Health Theme Issue (Health Affairs)Health Risks Due to Climate Change: Inequity In Causes and Consequences (Health Affairs)Ensuring the Growth of Telehealth During COVID-19 Does Not Exacerbate Disparities In Care (Health Affairs Blog)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week has seen considerable movement in the effort to curb the COVID-19 pandemic from the federal level.On Tuesday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated its mask guidance, recommending that fully vaccinated individuals wear mask indoors in areas with high COVID-19 transmission rates to reduce the spread of COVID-19. At the time of this recording on Thursday July 29, 2021, President Joe Biden is expected to announce a COVID-19 vaccine requirement for federal employees.On this episode of Health Affairs This Week, editors Rob Lott and Leslie Erdelack discuss the latest on COVID-19, the Delta variant, CDC's updated mask guidance, and President Joe Biden's expected vaccine requirement for federal government employees.Related Links:Assessing The Legality Of Mandates For Vaccines Authorized Via An Emergency Use Authorization (Health Affairs Blog)Community User Of Face Masks And COVID-19: Evidence From A Natural Experiment Of State Mandates In The US (Health Affairs)President Biden To Announce New Actions To Get More Americans Vaccinated And Slow the Spread Of the Delta Variant (White House)COVID-19 Data Tracker: Integrated County View (CDC)When You've Been Fully Vaccinated (CDC)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

In July, Health Affairs published an issue dedicated to borders, immigrants, and health. A public health crisis is unfolding along and inside the US-Mexico border. Immigrants arriving at the US border are likely to have experienced political, economic, or interpersonal violence prior to their arrival, leading to unmet mental health and physical health needs. Immigrants detained at the border may face crime and violence in border towns as they await trial in the US, or prolonged stays in detention centers and family separations if they are able to cross the border. Immigrants in the US face health challenges that extend well beyond the border.Health policy issues are impacted by the continuously shifting demography of US immigrants. The July 2021 journal issue of Health Affairs and related content focuses on immigrants and borders and the impact on health policy. The issue examines recent trends in immigrant health and health care after the Great Recession and the nationwide implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).In today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander discuss the publication process and highlight research insights from the issue.Order your copy of the July 2021 issue of Health Affairs.Related Links:Borders, Immigrants & Health July 2021 Issue (Health Affairs)Health Policy Challenges Posed By Shifting Demographics And Health Trends Among Immigrants To The United States (Health Affairs)Immigrant Essential Workers Likely Avoided Medicaid And SNAP Because Of A Change To The Public Charge Rule (Health Affairs)Podcast: Many US Immigrants May Defer Health Care to Avoid ICE (A Health Podyssey)Health Care Has Few Plans To Address The Aging Immigrant Population (Axios)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, the Biden Administration unveiled a sweeping executive order, focused on promoting competition in the US economy. With Lina Khan as the new chairperson of the Federal Trade Commission, the administration is looking to increase its antitrust focus and potentially break up monopolies. The new executive order contains 72 provisions, giving direction to multiple agencies on sectors such as agriculture, transportation, labor, and health care. In health care, the executive order focuses on drug pricing, hospital mergers and acquisitions, hospital pricing transparency, biosimilars, and comparison shopping for health plans.Listen to Health Affairs' Deputy Editor Rob Lott and Senior Content Marketing Manager Jeff Byers go over the health care sections in the Biden administration's executive order on promoting competition in the US economy. They also discuss the hipster antitrust movement, the cost of hearing aids, and hospital deal trends since the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.Related Links:Fact Sheet: Executive Order On Promoting Competition In The American Economy (White House)Hospital M&A Down From Pre-Pandemic Highs, Though Deal Size Growing, Kaufman Hall Says (Healthcare Dive)Biden Administration's First Marketplace Rule Promotes Coverage and Reverse Trump-Era Changes (Health Affairs Blog)How Biosimilars Are Affecting The Drug Markets (A Health Podyssey)Lina Khan And the "Hipster Antitrust" Movement (The Atlantic)The End of Friedmanomics (The New Republic)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, the Biden administration issued an interim final rule to implement critical components of the No Surprises Act (NSA).Building on the Affordable Care Act, the NSA includes new patient protections against surprise medical bills. About one in five insured adults had an unexpected medical bill from an out-of-network provider, according to a 2020 Kaiser Family Foundation survey. A study released this week found that about one in five newborn hospitalizations or childbirth deliveries result in receiving a surprise medical bill. These surprise medical bills can cause financial stress to patients and their families.Listen to Health Affairs' Senior Editors Leslie Erdelack and Chris Fleming break down the interim final rule, how it will impact surprise medical bills or "balance billing," and what we can expect regarding what's next.Check out the July issue on Borders, Immigrants & Health. Register for the July 12 Event on Border Health.Related Links:Banning Surprise Bills: Biden Administration Issues First Rule on No Surprises Act (Health Affairs Blog)Unpacking The No Surprises Act: An Opportunity To Protect Millions (Health Affairs Blog)Emergency Physicians Recover A Higher Share Of Charges From Out-Of-Network Care Than From In-Network Care (Health Affairs)Timing Out-of-Pocket Spending In Health Care Is Challenging (A Health Podyssey)Surprise Billing Protections Are One Step Closer To Becoming Reality (The Washington Post)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

President Joe Biden has been making negotiations to get his massive infrastructure plan over the finish line. Some funding related to health care that was originally in the plan ended up on the cutting room floor.In particular, $400 billion in federal Medicaid funding for home and community-based long term care services were removed from the plan. The earmarked funds for Medicaid still could be passed through a budget reconciliation act but that remains to be seen. This has implications for the health and well-being of many Americans including low-income individuals 65 and older, people with disabilities, and home-based care workers. Listen to Health Affairs' Senior Editors Ellen Bayer and Jessica Bylander go beyond recent headlines on President Biden's infrastructure plan and discuss important provisions to improve home-based care.Order your copy of the July 2021 issue of Health Affairs.Related Links:Biden's Pledge To Boost Home Caregiver Funding Excluded From Infrastructure Deal (CNBC)Making Care Work Pay: How A Living Wage For LTSS Workers Benefits All (Health Affairs Blog)Home And Community-Based Workforce For Patients With Serious Illness Requires Support To Meet Growing Needs (Health Affairs)Modernizing Long-Term Services And Supports And Valuing The Caregiver Workforce (Health Affairs Blog)Direct Care Workers In The United States: Key Facts (PHI)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Tech giants like Apple and Alphabet, the parent company of Google, have been trying to push into health care for some time now. But pursuing health care as a business is hard. Recent news of Google reorganizing its health team and Apple struggling to create primary care services illuminate how difficult it can be for companies - even those with deep pockets and resources - to break into the health care industry.To discuss the recent Apple news as well as the maturity of the digital health industry, Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Brian Dolan, founder of digital health news and market research publication Exits & Outcomes, to Health Affairs This Week. Dolan is a veteran journalist in the health tech space and shares his insights from his reporting on Crossover Health's partnership with Apple.Related Links:Apple Struggles In Push To Make Healthcare Its Greatest Legacy (The Wall Street Journal)The Crossover Health Report (Exits & Outcomes)Apple Explored Buying A Medical-Clinic Start-Up As Part Of A Bigger Push Into Health Care (CNBC)Google Is Downsizing Its Health Team And Moving Employees To Fitbit As Part Of A Major Reorganization (Insider)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

June is shaping to be a busy month in the health policy space. Two major events happened this week alone.First, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) survived its latest legal challenge in the Supreme Court. After facing many court challenges, the 2010 policy is still the law of the land.Also, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) sent a report to Congress on Tuesday making many recommendations to revamp Medicare payments. It's recommendations are not binding but the group is influential in the health policy community. In the report, the advisory group called for streamlining alternative payment models (APMs) and changing how Medicare Advantage benchmarks are calculated.On this episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander discuss the recent Supreme Court decision and try and demystify what MedPAC is and highlight some of the agency's recommendations from the recent report. Related Links:MedPAC June 2021 ReportAffordable Care Act Survives Latest Supreme Court Challenge (The New York Times)LIVE with Liz Fowler, Director Of The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (A Health Podyssey)Private Equity Investments In Health Care: An Overview Of Hospital And Health System Leveraged Buyouts, 2003-17 (Health Affairs)Understanding Private Equity Investment In Hospitals (A Health Podyssey)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, the US Food and Drug Administration approved Aduhelm (aducanumab) to treat patients with Alzheimer's disease using an accelerated approval pathway.The drug was approved on June 7, 2021, and the decision was quick to spark controversy. At least two members of a panel of outside advisors to the FDA from Mayo Clinic and Washington University resigned in protest over the drug's approval.Clinical trials for the drug, which is manufactured by Biogen, showed a reduction in amyloid beta plaques. According to the FDA, that is "a hallmark finding in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's" and "is expected to lead to a reduction in the clinical decline of this...form of dementia."But there remain concerns about the drug's side effects in addition to its price tag.Health Affairs' Senior Editor Leslie Erdelack joins Deputy Editor for Special Content Rob Lott on this episode of Health Affairs This Week to discuss the approval and review outstanding questions, drug pricing, and whether pharmaceutical companies might look to old data for new drug approvals. Related Links:The FDA's Approval of Aduhelm: Potential Implications Across A Wide Range Of Health Policy Issues and Stakeholders (Health Affairs Blog)Limiting Coverage Based On Efficacy And Safety: A Path For Medicare Regarding The Alzheimer's Treatment Aducanumab (Health Affairs Blog)The Search For Effective Alzheimer's Therapies: A Work In Progress (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

President Joe Biden included the public health insurance option, commonly referred to as the "public option," as a major pillar of his health care platform during the 2020 presidential campaign.To date, the public option hasn't been included in the discourse for the Biden administration. Instead the administration has focused on supporting the Affordable Care Act, among other agenda items.Now states are leading the charge and considering the adoption of public option policies. Nevada's Governor stated earlier this month that they would sign a public option bill while Colorado is also considering a public option. Washington adopted similar legislation in 2019.On today's episode, Georgetown University's Katie Keith joins Health Affairs Blog Editor Chris Fleming to discuss the latest on how states are leading the way on the public option. In addition, Katie shares her insights on where the major Affordable Care Act case - California v. Texas - currently stands in the Supreme Court. Related Links:The Origins And Demise Of The Public Option (Health Affairs)Hill Democrats Ask For Input On Public Option As CO, NV Consider Adoption (Health Affairs Blog)Letter from Frank Pallone, Jr. and Patty Murray on Public Health Insurance Option (May 26, 2021)Sisolak Pledges To Sign Public Option Health Care Bill (Las Vegas Review-Journal)Public Option(al): What Happened To Biden's Big Idea? (Tradeoffs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, Representative Katie Porter took AbbVie CEO Richard Gonzalez to task on drug pricing during a House Oversight and Reform Committee hearing. Porter highlighted the CEO's high salary while pointing to increases in drug prices in the pharmaceutical industry.The narrative casts pharmaceutical companies as villains but it's more complicated than that. It's true that pharmaceutical companies provide life-saving medicines and it's also true that some drugs simply aren't affordable for individuals that would benefit from them. On this episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editor Jessica Bylander joins Deputy Editor Rob Lott to discuss the inherent tensions in drug innovation and pricing. Related Links:Beyond The High Prices Of Prescription Drugs: A Framework To Assess Costs, Resource Allocation, And Public Funding (Health Affairs)New Players Join The Drug Development Game (Health Affairs)Lawmakers Pitch A Bill To Create $30 Billion In 'Biobonds' To Jumpstart Drug Development (Stat News)Drug Pricing Conversations Must Take The Cost Of Innovation Into Consideration (Stat News)Nonprofits, Federal Government Surpass Pharma To Lead Alzheimer's Drug Development (Medical Xpress)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, the CDC updated its guidance on mask-wearing in public for individuals that are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The agency stated, "if you are fully vaccinated, you can resume activities that you did prior to the pandemic." That means fully vaccinated individuals can wear masks indoors or outdoors if they choose to.Unsurprisingly, this guidance was met with controversy. Some critics felt the guidelines were too abrupt while others questioned if the guidelines hold up principles of health equity. On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Health Affairs' Blog Editor Chris Fleming and Director of Equity Vabren Watts review the CDC guidelines and discuss the criticism and remaining questions surrounding the agency's decision.Related Links:When You've Been Fully Vaccinated (CDC)Fauci Says Public Is 'Misinterpreting' Latest CDC Mask Guidance (CNBC)The CDC's Mask Guidance Is A Mess. Biden Needs To Clean It Up (Washington Post)Community Use Of face Masks And COVID-19: Evidence From A Natural Experiment Of State Mandates In The US (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped the telehealth landscape. Many physicians and patients had their first experience with a telehealth visit as lockdown measures limited in-person physician offices. Many questions remain whether the telehealth explosion is a flash-in-the-pan success or if it will have long-lasting changes in patient visit behaviors. Health Affairs' Chris Fleming and Rob Lott join Health Affairs This Week to discuss a recently published series of blog articles on the topic and unpack the biggest questions regarding the future of telehealth, including: Should Medicare continue payment parity?Where does payment reform stand on telehealth?What are current barriers affecting implementation of telehealth? Related Links:The Coming Conflict Over Tele-Visits: The Need For Innovation In Payment And Information Sharing (Health Affairs Blog)Understanding The Case For Telehealth Payment Parity (Health Affairs Blog)Congress: Act Now To Ensure Telehealth Access For Medicare Benefits (Health Affairs Blog)Mutual Recognition Of Physician Licensure By States Would Provide For Better Patient Care (Health Affairs Blog)How Telehealth Can Enable New Care Management Strategies In Alternative Payment Models (Health Affairs Blog)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last month, the Biden administration unveiled the $1.8 trillion American Families Plan, which includes $45 billion to enrich federal nutrition programs for families and children. The plan builds on the expansion of the Pandemic-EBT program from March 2021.Research has shown that summer EBT programs decrease food insecurity among children but some children have yet to benefit from the COVID-19 pandemic food aid program due to administrative challenges.Listen to Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander discuss food insecurity and President Biden's latest efforts on federal food aid.Related Links:How COVID-19 Threatens The Safety Net For US Children (Health Affairs)Biden Proposal Will Make Free School Lunch Available To 29 Million Children Every Summer (CNBC)Low-Income Families Left Waiting For Billions In Food Aid As Children Go Hungry (Politico)The Effect Of Pandemic EBY On Measures Of Food Hardship (Brookings)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Aggressive policing, or aggressive order maintenance policing, is prevalent throughout the US, negatively affecting the health of those exposed to it.Dr. Hedwig Lee, a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, along with colleagues Michael Esposito and Savannah Larimore discuss these effects in a new Health Affairs Policy Brief. The brief is part of Health Affairs ongoing series of policy briefs on the social determinants of health. On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Rob Lott talks with Dr. Lee about the brief, how little data there is on aggressive policing, and how the practice can not just negatively impact individuals, but also their families and communities at large. Related Links:Aggressive Policing, Health, And Health Equity (Health Affairs)Health Affairs' Culture of Health Policy BriefsSubscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, members of the Subcommittee on Health sent the US Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra a letter, urging the agency to enforce compliance for the Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule, which went into effect on January 2021.The rules requires hospitals to make available to the public a machine-readable list for all standard charges for items and services and to display an easy-to-read list for the most shoppable health care services for patients. But, hospital compliance to the rule currently looks lacking.The letter cites a Health Affairs study that found 65 of the 100 largest hospitals were "unambiguously non-compliant" between January 2021 to early February 2021. In addition, in April 2021 the Wall Street Journal reported that some hospitals hide pricing data from online search results. Listen to Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Rob Lott discuss the latest on the Hospital Price Transparency Final Rule and what impacts it may have on hospitals and patients. Related Links:Low Compliance From Big Hospitals On CMS's Hospital Price Transparency Rule (Health Affairs Blog)New Year, New CMS Price Transparency Rule For Hospitals (Health Affairs Blog)Hospitals Hide Pricing Data From Search Results (Wall Street Journal)Early Results From Federal Price Transparency Rule Show Difficulty In Estimating The Cost Of Care (Kaiser Family Foundation)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, Microsoft announced a $19-billion deal to acquire Nuance Communications, a health tech firm. It's one of the many recent merger and acquisition deals in the health care space.On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Jeff Byers puts on his ex-reporter hat and joins Jessica Bylander to discuss the Nuance-Microsoft deal and review a recent Kaufman Hall report that found hospital merger deals were down in 2020, but still highly valued.Listen to Jeff and Jessica talk about hospital merger and acquisition trends and what it all means for the future of hospitals.Related Links:2020 M&A In Review: COVID-19 As Catalyst For Transformation (Kaufman Hall)Hospital Prices Grew Substantially Faster Than Physician Prices For Hospital-Based Care in 2007-14 (Health Affairs)What We Know About Provider Consolidation (Kaiser Family Foundation)2020 Market Insights Report: Chasing A New Equilibrium (Rock Health)Consolidation of Providers Into Health Systems Increased Substantially, 2016-18 (Health Affairs)Reversing Hospital Consolidation: The Promise Of Physician-Owned Hospitals (Health Affairs Blog)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

In this National Public Health Week episode, Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Vabren Watts discuss the latest federal effort to address the opioid crisis. This week, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra extended the declaration of the opioid crisis as a public health emergency. These declarations expire every 90 days, and the agency first declared this one in 2017. Leslie and Vabren join Health Affairs This Week to examine how the drug epidemic has evolved and how the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on mental health and social isolation have impacted it. Related Links:COVID-19 Converges With The Opioid Epidemic: Challenges For Pregnant and Postpartum Women With Opioid Use Disorder (Health Affairs Blog)Responding To COVID-19: Supporting People In Recovery From Opioid Use Disorder (Health Affairs Blog)Medicaid Expansion Increased Medications For Opioid Use Disorder Among Adults Referred By Criminal Justice Agencies (Health Affairs)The Spike In Drug Overdose Deaths During The COVID-19 Pandemic and Policy Options To Move Forward (The Commonwealth Fund)The Health 202: Overdose Deaths May Have Topped 90,000 in 2020 (The Washington Post)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

It's Infrastructure Week and H.R. 3, a far-reaching piece of legislation which contains a series of drug-pricing reforms, is back. At the end of 2019, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3 but partisan disagreements prevented the bill from becoming law. Now, elements of H.R. 3 are back on the table as the Biden administration prepares its $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs package.Washington University's Rachel Sachs joins Health Affairs' Chris Fleming to break down H.R. 3's three main parts and highlight what they mean for the federal budget, pharmaceutical companies, and consumers. Related Links:Prescription Drug Legislation In Congress: An Update (Health Affairs Blog)Rachel Sachs' Health Affairs ArticlesPrescription Drug Policy: The Year In Review, And The Year Ahead (Health Affairs Blog)Administration Finalizes Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Rules At The Last Minute (Health Affairs Blog)Democrats Gear Up For Major Push To Lower Drug Prices (The Hill)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast