Blog
Spotlight on State: South Dakota
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor March 25, 2021
This is part of a series of summaries that highlight notable legislation and initiatives in health policy and reform of all 50 states. Check back on The Source as we roll out additional states each week. See South Dakota page. South Dakota has been active in regulating prescription drug pricing and transparency. The state enacted a law to prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from prohibiting or penalizing a pharmacist for providing cost-sharing information on the amount a covered individual may pay for a particular prescription drug. The legislature also passed legislation …
Continue Reading Download PDF
2021 California Healthcare Bills Part 1: Healthcare Market and System Reform Proposals Lead the Way
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow March 15, 2021
February 19th was the deadline for California legislators to introduce their proposed bills this session. In a two-part series, we highlight some of the notable healthcare bills on the table in 2021. In this post, we focus on a few ambitious reform efforts to the healthcare market and delivery system. Next month, we’ll turn our attention to proposed bills that aim to regulate the prescription drug market and bills that promote price and quality transparency. Healthcare system reform measures are those that change the structure of health care in a …
Continue Reading Download PDF
Healthcare Merger Challenges: Q1 2021 Update
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor March 12, 2021
In this month’s Litigation and Enforcement Highlights, we provide the latest updates on several proposed provider mergers, many of which were fueled by the continued pandemic. With the increased consolidation came increased antitrust scrutiny. So far this year, we’ve seen a mixed bag of wins and losses for federal and state enforcement agencies that seek to block the mergers. FTC Concedes in Failed Challenge of Jefferson-Albert Einstein Merger In its first major loss in a healthcare merger challenge in recent years, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) officially dropped its …
Continue Reading Download PDF
The Petris Center Highlights Research Collaborations with The Source
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor March 11, 2021
The Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare, in its annual newsletter published this month, highlights many of the research collaborations with The Source in 2020 and 2021. Among the work are two studies on market consolidation and competition, one of which examines the impact of state merger review and the use of anticompetitive contract clauses on healthcare prices, quality and premiums (both research findings are published on The Source). Another ongoing project seeks to determine the size and scope of cross-market hospital and physician organization …
Continue Reading Download PDF
Spotlight on State: Washington
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor March 10, 2021
This is part of a series of summaries that highlight notable legislation and initiatives in health policy and reform of all 50 states. Check back on The Source as we roll out additional states each week. See Washington page. Washington is a leader in state initiatives for healthcare price and competition and enacted several market reform initiatives in recent sessions. In 2019, it became the first state to enact legislation to implement a public option health insurance plan to bring its residents a step closer to universal health care. Washington …
Continue Reading Download PDF
Spotlight on State: Georgia
Alex Montague, Health Policy Researcher March 8, 2021
This is part of a series of summaries that highlight notable legislation and initiatives in health policy and reform of all 50 states. Check back on The Source as we roll out additional states each week. See Georgia page. Georgia has made significant strides in legislative efforts to promote healthcare price transparency in recent sessions. The state enacted legislation in 2020 that lays the groundwork for an all-payer claims database (APCD). The law establishes an APCD advisory committee, funding for the APCD, design criteria, operation, and noncompliance penalties. The legislature …
Continue Reading Download PDF
COVID-19 Telehealth Waivers Won’t Last Forever, But Permanent Regulatory Changes Are Afoot
Guest Author March 8, 2021
Healthcare providers are increasingly realizing the potential that telemedicine has to offer. Not only has it been the most talked-about healthcare solution lately, but waivers from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) have enabled providers to begin implementing telemedicine tools themselves, resulting in skyrocketing adoption over the past year. Now, these waivers might be temporary for the time being, but with telehealth adoption at an all-time high, federal and state governments are under increasing pressure to make these emergency measures permanent. Congress is under particular pressure to pass …
Continue Reading Download PDF
The Source Roundup: March 2021 Edition
Alex Montague, Health Policy Researcher March 1, 2021
Happy March! This month’s roundup focuses on health policy pieces and reports that examine 1) the future of value-based care, 2) the efficacy of various policy options to address healthcare prices, including increasing price transparency and market competition, 3) comparisons of brand-name drug prices, and 4) the impact of the Affordable Care Act on uninsured young adults. Valued-Based Reform In a white paper published this past month, The Future of Value-Based Payment: A Road Map to 2030, researchers from the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University …
Continue Reading Download PDF
Federal Antitrust Scrutiny of Healthcare Industry Intensifies During Pandemic
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor February 15, 2021
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought national attention to the inner workings of the healthcare industry, exposing many of its shortcomings and issues. Many are now taking a renewed look at the U.S. healthcare system as a whole and the underlying problems that arise from the actions of its various players. Early this year, healthcare transactions that have largely escaped federal antitrust review are now being hauled into the spotlight in new attempts to promote greater competition in the healthcare market. Physician Consolidation Garners Attention as the FTC Seeks to …
Continue Reading Download PDF
California’s 2021-2022 Budget Process Begins with Record High Proposal
Mallory Warner, Health Policy Research Fellow February 12, 2021
Following a tumultuous year that brought about a pandemic-induced recession and consequent budget cuts, California’s 2021-2022 budget year was initiated on January 8th when Governor Gavin Newsom released a $227 billion spending plan, which is notably the most expensive budget proposal in state history. Right before the May Revise for the 2019-2020 fiscal year was released last year, the Department of Finance projected a deficit of more than $54 billion in the California state budget as a result of decreased tax revenue and increased demand for social services.[1] Obviously, this …
Continue Reading Download PDF