Hot off the press: JAMA Health Forum article Promoting Health Care Transparency via State Legislative Efforts highlights state health transparency legislation from The State Laws Impacting Healthcare Cost (SLIHCQ) Database, a public database established by The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition and Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR). The article looks at specific examples of state transparency legislation catalogued in the database including: All-payer claims database (APCD) – New Hampshire, Colorado Right-to-shop – Maine, Utah Surprise or balance billing – New York Find out details of these state legislation and …

We did it again! The Source on Healthcare Price & Competition is proud to announce that, in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare, we have launched another brand new interactive key issue page, “Provider Contracts”, which looks at the most effective strategies for states to understand and address the ability of providers with dominant market power to utilize contracting strategies to negotiate high rates. With support from Arnold Ventures, this new installment is part of a collaborative research series that leverages the latest and most comprehensive data on state laws, healthcare markets, and healthcare prices in provider …

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – February 25, 2020 – High commercial health care prices are a main driver of US health care spending, due in large part to consolidation among providers. While employers, other health care purchasers and payers can drive competition in the marketplace through benefit and provider network design, public policies can also strengthen and support those efforts. Catalyst for Payment Reform and The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition at UC Hastings College of the Law have catalogued state measures to enhance market competitiveness and control costs through legislation. The report, State Policies …

Early in January, the Department of Justice (DOJ), along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), released a new draft guideline for vertical merger review and sought public comments. On February 24, The Source Executor Editor Jaime King, along with health economists and policy experts including Source Advisory members Tim Greaney and Richard Scheffler, jointly released “Comments on the Draft Vertical Merger Guidelines with Special Consideration to Health Care”. The comments raise concerns and urge that special attention be paid to the effects of vertical mergers in the health care sector, …

The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition is excited to announce that, in partnership with UC Berkeley’s Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare, we are unveiling a brand new interactive “Market Consolidation” key issue page that presents evidence-based information and analyses on the most effective strategies for states to address rapidly consolidating healthcare markets. Recent evidence demonstrates that provider and insurer markets in the United States have been highly concentrated for years and have led to increased healthcare prices and insurance premiums without a commensurate …

See UFCW & Employers Benefit Trust v. Sutter Health case page.   As the healthcare industry grapples with the recent settlement of the antitrust case against Sutter Health, The Source Executive Editor Jaime King discusses the possible motivations and implications of this development in Tradeoffs, a healthcare podcast. In Episode 2 of the podcast, The Train Has Left the Station, Professor King points out that because Sutter is a model for many other health systems around the country, the lawsuit against Sutter’s contracting practices, including all or nothing provisions, had …

See UFCW & Employers Benefit Trust v. Sutter Health case page.   The landmark antitrust case against Sutter Health, the largest provider of general acute hospital services in Northern California, is set to begin jury trial in the Superior Court of San Francisco on October 10 and is expected to last 12 weeks. The trial will begin at 10:15am with opening arguments from both parties. The Source has been closely tracking this case leading up to the trial. Executive Editor Jaime King was quoted in multiple news outlets, including the New York …

As states increase legislative efforts to rein in prescription drug prices, an increased number of laws have been passed to regulate pharmacy benefit managers, price gouging, and price transparency in the pharmaceutical industry. However, industry groups have also stepped up legal challenges against these laws, using specifically the Dormant Commerce Clause, ERISA, and federal patent and trade secret laws. With support from the National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP), The Source’s Katie Gudiksen, Sammy Chang, and Jaime King examine these state laws and ensuing legal challenges in the newly …

Hot off the press: Health Affairs Blog post The State Of State Legislation Addressing Health Care Costs And Quality highlights The State Laws Impacting Healthcare Cost (SLIHCQ) Database established by The Source on Healthcare Price and Competition and Catalyst for Payment Reform (CPR). The Source Executive Editor Jaime King and CPR Director Suzanne Delbanco discuss key approaches states are taking to develop high-quality, affordable health care, including transparency laws, payment reform and benefit design laws, laws that encourage provider competition, and laws that govern oversight and regulation of costs. Check …

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 …