This last round up of the summer features articles on a range of topics including (1) competition in healthcare markets|(2) strategies for reducing healthcare costs|(3) pharmaceutical pricing|(4) ACOs|(5) other ACA aspects and effects|(6) post-Gobeille strategies|and (7) antitrust enforcement. We hope everyone is settling into school and work after some time off. Happy (almost) fall! Competition in health care markets: In Choice and Competition in Public Service Provision, by Timothy J. Besley and James M. Malcomson, published by the Center for Economic Policy Research, looks broadly at markets involving services like […]

This month, we saw articles and reports that approached the health care cost conundrum from all angles: price transparency|how the ACA fits in|lowering costs, generally|healthcare markets and market places|and the consumer side of things. Add these to your summer reading list! Price Transparency We at The Source were delighted to have provided research on state legislation for HCI3 and Catalyst for Payment Reform’s Report Card on State Price Transparency Laws — July 2016. This was the fourth edition of the Report Card, first issued in 2013. The Report Card carefully […]

Happy Spring! A common theme among the healthcare articles and reports, published in March, was payment reimbursement systems (fee-for-service versus value-based systems) and Accountable Care Organizations (“ACOs”). In addition, typical healthcare topics were also reported on. These include healthcare cost|insurance cost|healthcare competition|and suggested improvements for the United States healthcare system. As a bonus, a few articles and reports focused on healthcare cost and competition issues in other countries. FEE-FOR-SERVICE REIMBURSEMENT MODEL Health Affairs posted an article entitled Fee-For-Service, While Much Maligned, Remains the Dominant Payment Method for Physician Visits. The article’s […]

We hope everyone had a Happy Halloween! October provided a high volume of articles focused on an array of topics related to healthcare price and competition, so bear with us! One JAMA article, in particular, provided an umbrella view of the October healthcare literature. The article, entitled Insurers Again at Odds With Hospitals and Physicians, provides a historical analysis of the tension between health insurers and physicians/hospitals/pharmaceutical companies from the perspective of Harvard Economics Professor David M. Cutler, PhD. Dr. Cutler argues that what’s at the heart of the United States’ […]

Source Executive Editor Jaime King co-authored a new report with researchers at the Nicholas C. Petris Center on Health Care Markets and Consumer Welfare, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, titled State Actions to Promote and Restrain Commercial Accountable Care Organizations. The reports abstract reads: Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs), originally developed as part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), have grown in both the public and private sectors. Commercial ACOs have the potential to improve healthcare quality and patient outcomes while achieving cost savings. However, they may also present […]

With fall comes sweeping change—and the health care price and competition fields were no exception this year. September’s literature focused most heavily on: 1) health care and insurance competition|2) pharmaceutical drug pricing|and 3) Medicare/Medicare Advantage. Health care and insurance competition took center stage in September. Subcommittees of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committees held multiple hearings on various competition topics. Numerous stakeholder representatives testified at each hearing—including, as you’ve probably already heard, The Source’s very own Executive Editor, Jaime King! Each of the witnesses’ Prepared Statements from […]

The end of summer is always so bittersweet. As the long days filled with sun, swimming, and a bit more time for family and fun wind down, they are replaced with an undeniable excitement in the air. A promise of new opportunities and endless possibilities seems to accompany the start of the new school year. As you gear up for the fall, the August Roundup has all you need to catch up on your reading on healthcare price and competition. The August literature focused on three key topics: 1) Medicare […]

In July, insurance mergers were all the rage. Anthem-Cigna, Aetna-Humana, the Big 5 becoming the Big 3, you’ve heard all about it. The DOJ and House Judiciary Committee have plans to look into the impact of these potential mergers on health insurance markets, and The Source will be there to keep you posted. In the meantime, check out the following articles and reports that came out in July. If you can’t get enough of the health insurance merger discussion, we’ve got a few things to whet your appetite. Thomas “Tim” […]

It’s officially summer! Exams are over|Moms, Dads, and Grads have celebrated their big days|and the Supreme Court is issuing opinions! After you have read King v. Burwell, take a look at what June had to offer in the realm of healthcare price and competition. The Variety Issue of Health Affairs is a great place to catch up on your summer reading. For a brief overview of what’s in the issue related to markets and prices, check out Alan Weil’s introduction Markets, Prices and Incentives. Be sure to check out Eric […]

While April brought us little in the way of showers, it did offer a nice range of articles and reports that focus on competition in health care markets and payment reform initiatives, including accountable care organizations (ACOs). This issue of the Roundup will tackle payment reform initiatives first, then move on to competition, and wrap up with a handful of articles examining state initiatives and opportunities. Payment Reform Initiatives The April academic literature examined the ability of payment reform initiatives, including payment for performance, reference pricing, and provider risk sharing […]