The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated the rapid expansion of telehealth services.  This has led the federal government and many states to expand insurance coverage for telehealth services through emergency waivers of certain requirements.  Implemented ideally, widespread telehealth use could lower the overall cost of health care in commercial markets by lowering per-patient and per-visit costs for specialty and primary care providers, while increasing patient satisfaction and quality of care.  However, if done poorly, telehealth expansion could increase healthcare costs by providing easy access to care that is unlikely to improve health …

By: Hayden Soria, Student Fellow Happy August! Even as the summer winds down, there is no waning of health policy literature. In this month’s Source Roundup, we take a look at academic articles and studies that analyze 1) potential prescription drug savings from generics and biosimilars, 2) the need for price transparency, and 4) a multitude of efforts in health system reform.   Potential Prescription Drug Savings from Generics and Biosimilars As prescription drug pricing continue to capture the nation’s attention, Stacie B. Dusetzina et al. take a dive into cost …

Avoid driving, get help instantly. That’s the premise of telehealth. Telehealth, under California law, is defined as “the mode of delivering health care services and public health via information and communication technologies to facilitate the diagnosis, consultation, treatment, education, care management, and self-management of a patient’s health care.”[1] One study has shown that the use of telehealth, in California, has been found to save a patient 278 miles in driving, 4 hours in time, and $156 in direct travel costs per consultation.[2] As such, telehealth has been used as an …

On October 15, 2018, Health Affairs hosted a forum in Sacramento called “Improving Care for Californians.” Two unifying themes emerged from the three panels. First, there is a growing tension between integration and consolidation in health care. Some panelists presented data that demonstrated that integrated health delivery networks often provide better and more integrated care, but that when healthcare delivery markets become highly concentrated, prices tend to increase. Second, the panelists discussed substantial improvements in healthcare in California, but all agreed that substantial work remains to be done to improve …