ACA Marketplace
The Source Roundup: July 2018 Edition
Source Fellow July 2, 2018
By: Megan O’Leary, Student Fellow Happy July! In this edition of the Source Roundup, we cover six academic articles and reports from May and June. The topics this month include: (1) the drug rebate system, (2) provider-payer integration as model for healthcare reform, (3) anticompetitive behaviors that delay generic drug competition, (4) short-term insurance plan expansion increases 2019 ACA marketplace premiums, and (5) competition concerns of healthcare consolidation. The Drug Rebate System is Not the Villain in Rising Health Care Costs There are plenty of reasons health care price …
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The Source Roundup: June 2018 Edition
Source Fellow June 1, 2018
By: Megan O’Leary, Student Fellow Happy June! In this edition of the Source Roundup, we cover five academic articles and reports from April and May. The topics this month include: 1) barriers for generics to lower specialty drug prices, 2) a call to reform pharmaceutical systems in the United States and Canada, 3) efforts by states to stabilize the individual market, 4) Vermont’s push for community-driven health care reform, and 5) antitrust lawsuits in the pharmaceutical industry. Barriers for Generics to Lower Specialty Drug Prices The Health Affairs article Generic …
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How the Expansion of Association Health Plans Undermines the Safeguards of the ACA
Source Fellow January 29, 2018
By: Briana Moller, Student Fellow On October 12, 2017, President Donald Trump issued an executive order entitled “Promoting Healthcare Choice and Competition Across the United States.” This order states that the Administration will focus on changing, among others areas, the regulations surrounding association health plans (AHPs). This blog post explores the expansion of association health plans and its consequences. Department of Labor’s Proposed New Rule The executive order specifically called upon the Department of Labor to allow more employers to participate in AHPs. As a result, on January 4, 2018, …
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Academic Articles & Reports Roundup: April 2017
Anna Zaret, Managing Editor May 4, 2017
Happy May! This month’s Roundup includes articles about 1) prescription drug competition and generic delay|2) the “Big Insurance” merger cases|and 3) the effect of the ACA’s risk adjustment and reinsurance programs. In addition to the articles highlighted below, be sure to check out our recent blog post about Public Agenda’s report by David Schleifer, Rebecca Silliman, and Chloe Rinehart on how people use and find health care price information. Prescription Drug Competition &|Generic Delay In A Citizen’s Pathway Gone Astray — Delaying Competition from Generic Drugs (New England Journal of Medicine), …
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Academic Articles and Reports Roundup: March 2017
Anna Zaret, Managing Editor April 2, 2017
Happy April! We hope you are enjoying the start of longer and warmer days. This month’s roundup includes articles from March about 1) the impact of reference pricing|2) policies to promote healthcare market competition|3) chargemaster list prices|and 4) ACA enrollment figures. 1) The Impact of Reference Pricing Reference Pricing Changes the ‘Choice Architecture’ Of Health Care For Consumers published by James C. Robinson, Timothy T. Brown, and Christopher Whaley (Health Affairs), discusses how reference pricing has impacted provider prices, patient choices, quality of care, and employer expenditures. The authors …
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Academic Articles and Reports Roundup: February 2017
Anna Zaret, Managing Editor March 3, 2017
February brought us a number of interesting articles and reports on healthcare price and competition issues. This month’s Roundup covers publications about 1) projected growth in national healthcare expenditures|2) ACA state marketplace competition|3) the relationship between payment reform and provider consolidation|and 4) the impact of the ACA on individual’s ability to buy insurance. We hope you enjoy! Projected Growth in National Health Expenditures Health Affairs published a report on National Health Expenditure Projections: 2016 – 25 by Sean P. Keehan and colleagues. According to the report, healthcare spending will continue …
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Case Brief: Highlights from the District Court Decision Blocking the Aetna-Humana Merger
Anna Zaret, Managing Editor January 31, 2017
The United States District Court for the District of Columbia recently issued its decision in the Department of Justice’s challenge to the proposed merger between Aetna and Humana, two of the largest health insurance companies in the nation. The complaint filed in July 2016 alleged that the merger violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act. DOJ argued that the merger would substantially lessen competition in two markets: (1) the Medicare Advantage market in 364 counties, and (2) the ACA Exchange market in 17 counties. The decision, issued on January 23, …
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Looking Ahead: The Future of the Affordable Care Act Under a Trump Presidency
Anna Zaret, Managing Editor November 17, 2016
Now that Donald Trump has won the White House, and Republicans have gained control in both the House and Senate, we will see modifications to the Affordable Care Act (“ACA”) in the future, although it is not entirely clear what those modifications will entail. Some consensus exists, however, on at least three issues related to the future of the ACA. First, change on-the-ground is not going to be felt immediately, even if bills modifying the ACA are signed in to law quickly. This means, importantly, that nothing is going to …
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Healthcare Costs & Competition in the 2016 Election
Anna Zaret, Managing Editor October 14, 2016
In the second presidential debate, an undecided voter asked Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump how they would each address high healthcare costs and improve insurance coverage. It was an opportunity for the campaigns to highlight their visions on health policy, which has been outside the spotlight for most of the campaign. Clinton’s answer focused on fixing the rising costs of ACA exchange plans, while Trump argued that the ACA should be repealed, and replaced with rules that allow insurance to be purchased across state lines. There’s a lot to discuss …
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Academic Articles & Reports Round Up: May 2016
Anne Marie Helm, Managing Editor June 1, 2016
Happy June! In May, healthcare scholars discussed the usual topics of healthcare price, transparency, and hospitals. And, since the third open enrollment period ended February through April 2016, journals and foundations published multiple reports and articles on state marketplaces. Enjoy! HEALTHCARE PRICE The Journal of Applied Clinical Medical Physics published an article that seeks to answer the question: Why is health care so expensive in the United States? In this op-ed, the author, a “medical physicist” presents his opinions on why healthcare is so expensive in the United States. He …
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