This month’s Roundup includes articles on healthcare merger review, specifically new policy recommendations that explain 1) why regressing price on the HHI does not inform merger analysis, and 2) how courts can implement health equity concerns in merger review. Next, we examine articles that evaluate potential strategies to reduce healthcare costs, including 3) state initiatives that build on past improvement efforts, and 4) financial incentives to reward patients for choosing lower-priced providers. Finally, we look at 5) trends in outpatient telehealth use since the start of the pandemic, and 6) …

This month’s roundup focuses on articles and reports highlighting new research and insights relating to the high and rising costs of health care, which remain a major regulatory challenge for state and federal policymakers across the nation. First, we examine 1) research discussing potential strategies for price regulation and how it could support market competition, as well as 2) proposals for price growth caps via insurance rate review. Also highlighted in this month’s roundup are studies on healthcare costs, specifically 3) state-level trends in the overall cost of employer health …

Happy New Year! In this inaugural issue of 2022, we roundup articles and reports that you may have missed from the year end that examine various healthcare price and competition issues, including 1) an observational study on states’ merger review powers and their effect and 2) a review of policy options for addressing the extent and impact of consolidation in California. In addition, we cover articles that examine 3) the correlation between prices disclosed under the new hospital price regulation with total costs of care among commercially insured individuals, 4) …

The California legislature has passed nearly 800 bills in the 2021 session. As part of the two-year term, the legislature still has the opportunity to enact more meaningful healthcare legislation in the second year of the 2021-2022 legislative term. In the last issue of the California Legislative Beat, we recapped the 2021 legislative session and detailed the enacted and vetoed bills that enhance healthcare delivery, ensure healthcare access and coverage, promote price transparency, and reinforce competition and enforcement. In this post, we summarize some of the key pending legislation in …

This month’s Roundup focuses on articles highlighting market consolidation and healthcare affordability, which can both have important implications for patient outcomes. First, we examine articles and reports that study 1) the need for a robust administrative review process for all healthcare transactions, 2) post-merger outcomes for hospital system and patients, and 3) consolidation in the dialysis industry. Next, we highlight articles and reports focusing on growing healthcare costs and affordability that specifically examine 4) the impact of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, 5) changes in employer healthcare benefits …

In the 2021 legislative session, California’s democratic-held legislature has passed roughly 800 bills, 770 of which have been enacted after approval by Governor Newsom.[1] A number of bills impacting the healthcare industry passed overwhelmingly in both houses, yet a couple of critical bills were vetoed. Notably, the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted legislative focus away from healthcare costs in 2020, has amplified the various pitfalls of the healthcare system. This session, the legislature returned to propose several bills to mitigate these shortcomings and address healthcare costs and access. This post summarizes …

The new film InHospitable is a timely documentary that follows patients and activists as they battle UPMC, a multi-billion dollar nonprofit hospital system that was making vital care unaffordable for hundreds of thousands of vulnerable patients in western Pennsylvania. The film highlights the urgency of holding large health systems accountable for their significant role in our broken healthcare system. Slated to have its world premiere on November 13th at DOC NYC, anyone in the U.S. can watch it online from November 14 – 28. Tickets are available here for in-person …

As hospital consolidation continue to rise amidst the pandemic, there has been contentious debate over the impacts of provider consolidation. This month’s roundup begins with articles that discuss some of these issues, including studies that found both benefits and potential harms of certain hospital mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships. Also highlighted in this month’s roundup are studies on the implications of proposed payment reforms across specialties, increasing health care costs for individuals with employer-sponsored insurance, and the continuing lack of plan comparison among Medicare beneficiaries during open enrollment season.   Market …

By: Robert A. Berenson, M.D.   The lead story in the October 5, 2021 issue of the Washington Post regarding hospital finances during the coronavirus pandemic highlighted an American Hospital Association spokesperson’s recent assertion that “the delta variant has wreaked havoc on hospitals and health systems.” The article explained that staff shortages were raising staff salaries substantially, leading to “excess labor costs,” which, in combination with a new round of deferred elective procedures during the most recent surge of the delta variant, has reduced hospital profit margins and cash flow. …

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 Kentucky page. The Kentucky legislature has consistently pursued legislation aimed at improving access to healthcare price information to help rein in costs. In recent terms, Kentucky has enacted a number of legislation pertaining to prescription drug cost transparency, with particular focus on pharmacy benefit managers, including a law that prohibits PBMs from requiring …