Introducing “Wall Street Perspective” on The Source Blog
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor July 25, 2019
The Source Blog is launching a new op-ed column, Wall Street Perspective, headlined by The Source Health Policy Research Fellow, Gary Ko. As a former Healthcare Equity Research Analyst for one of the largest Mutual Fund Companies in the world, Gary provides a unique economic perspective on issues facing the U.S. health care system. We hope this column will facilitate a general discussion of health system reform and invite our readers to share their opinions and questions, particularly on topics of healthcare economics and corporate finance. Check out the inaugural post …
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Just Published: The Source Research Report “The Secret of Health Care Prices: Why Transparency Is in the Public Interest”
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor July 16, 2019
Many health care providers and payers seek to maintain the confidentiality of amounts paid for services as trade secrets, claiming their secrecy provides a competitive advantage. With support from the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF), The Source’s Katie Gudiksen, Sammy Chang, and Jaime King examine the legal and economic implications of collecting and releasing this data in the newly published report, The Secret of Health Care Prices: Why Transparency Is in the Public Interest. Part I of this report reviews trade secret statutes and case law regarding the protection of negotiated …
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Litigation and Enforcement Highlights – July 2019: Mid-Year Merger Watch
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor July 15, 2019
It’s been a flurry of activity in the past month in the realm of healthcare mergers and acquisitions. In this issue of Litigation and Enforcement Highlights, we take a look at both recent mergers that were approved and blocked, as well as a string of proposed deals coming down the pipeline. 8th Circuit Hands FTC Win in Blocking Sanford Health-Mid Dakota Clinic Merger The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the North Dakota Attorney General scored a win in antitrust enforcement when the 8th Circuit upheld a preliminary injunction that …
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The Source Roundup: July 2019 Edition
Source Fellow July 1, 2019
By: Hayden Soria, Student Fellow Happy July! Hope everyone is staying cool in the summer heat. In this month’s Source Roundup, we take a dive into academic articles and studies that look at 1) healthcare system reform on a national and state level 2) health care markets concentration and competition, and 3) developing trends in prescription drug pricing. Healthcare System Reform Ever since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation nine years ago, it has become one of the most polarizing topics in American political culture, spawning debates both in support …
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California Budget Watch 2019 (Part 2 of 4): Compromise! Five Quick Insights into AB 74 – The Legislature’s Budget Act of 2019
Sammy Chang, Health Policy Researcher June 24, 2019
On June 13, using the Governor’s May Revise as a starting point, the Assembly and Senate adopted AB 74, the Budget Act of 2019, and sent it to the Governor. This bill provides in detail the Legislature’s compromise of the proposals from the Assembly, Senate, and the Governor. While this bill only provides the appropriation and not the full language of implementation, the proposed budget provides a great preview for what health reforms are in store for California. To better digest specifics of this budget compromise, we’ll break this down …
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The Lower Health Care Costs Act: A Bipartisan Federal Effort to Improve Competition in Healthcare Markets
Katie Gudiksen, Senior Health Policy Researcher June 21, 2019
The Lower Health Care Costs Act, released in May 2019 by Senators Lamar Alexander and Patty Murray, addresses many inefficiencies in healthcare markets and has the potential to both increase competition and lower costs for healthcare services. The 195-page draft federal bill, also known as the Alexander-Murray Bill (S 1895), contains more than three dozen provisions designed to address health care costs. The bill is divided into five titles: 1) Ending Surprise Medical Bills, 2) Reducing the Prices of Prescription Drugs, 3) Improving Transparency in Health Care, 4) Improving Public …
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SLIHCQ Database User Guide Now Available
Source Fellow June 17, 2019
By: Laura Hagen, Graduate Research Fellow In support of the State Laws Impacting Healthcare Cost and Quality (“SLIHCQ”) Database, The Source has released a comprehensive SLIHCQ Database User Guide (download here), which provides detailed instructions and useful tips to help users navigate the tool. The Source, in partnership with Catalyst for Payment Reform (“CPR”), launched the database on May 17, 2019. This interactive tool catalogs ongoing state legislative efforts to implement healthcare reform. See press release here. Happy researching!
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[Press Release] Catalyst for Payment Reform and UC Hastings Release Database of State Laws Impacting Health Care Policy Reform Efforts
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor June 17, 2019
SAN FRANCISCO – June 17, 2019 – Given the current political environment at the federal level, efforts to reform health care may largely be left to states in the coming years. To create a resource for policymakers, researchers, health care purchasers and other stakeholders in state efforts to improve health care, Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR) and The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law (UC Hastings Law) partnered to create the Database of State Laws Impacting Healthcare Cost and Quality. …
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Evidentiary Hearing Puts Spotlight Back on Antitrust Concerns of CVS-Aetna Merger
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor June 14, 2019
When the $69 billion CVS-Aetna mega-merger obtained regulatory approval from the Department of Justice (DOJ) and key states back in November 2018, few expected the deal to face further regulatory challenges, as the companies consummated the merger on what they believed to be the winning ticket. That is, until Judge Richard Leon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia halted the merger by refusing to give his rubber stamp of approval as part of the routine judicial review process, stunning many in the healthcare industry. Setting …
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The Source Advisory Board Member Tim Greaney to Testify at Senate Subcommittee Hearing
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor June 11, 2019
The Source Advisory Board Member and UC Hastings Professor Tim Greaney is scheduled to testify before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy, and Consumer Rights. The hearing is titled “Your Doctor/Pharmacist/Insurer Will See You Now: Competitive Implications of Vertical Consolidation in the Healthcare Industry”. Tune in for the live video streaming of the event on Wednesday, June 12 at 2:30PM EST. Read Professor Greaney’s latest paper Navigating the Backwater: Vertical Mergers in Health Care published in CPI Antitrust Chronicle.
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