HEALTHCARE SYSTEM REFORM
Recapping the 2017-2018 California Legislative Session (Part 1): Incremental Steps Made in Targeting High Drug Costs and Achieving Single Payer
Sammy Chang, Health Policy Researcher January 8, 2019
After considering 5,617 bills and resolutions, the two year California legislative cycle has come to a conclusion. As health care costs become more scrutinized, more bills than ever have emerged to target these costs. While not all of those bills passed, a significant amount of bills that did pass as well as the notable bills that failed coalesce around four themes: targeting high costs of prescription drugs, working towards a single payer system, regulating competition, and limiting high health costs. This post will focus on the first two themes: high …
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The Source Roundup: January 2019 Edition
Source Fellow January 2, 2019
By: Megan O’Leary, Student Fellow Happy New Year! We hope this year is filled with good health (policy) and much happiness! In this roundup, we look at (1) proposals to address healthcare costs and competition, (2) changes to section 1332 waivers, (3) rising healthcare costs, premiums, and deductibles, and three articles specifically about telehealth from a special Health Affairs issue. Proposals to Address Rising Healthcare Costs and Lack of Competition On December 3, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in collaboration with the Departments of the …
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The Source Roundup: December 2018 Edition
Source Fellow December 3, 2018
By: Leah S. Gray, Student Fellow Happy December! ‘Tis the season for curling up next to the fire and catching up with what’s happening in the world of health policy. In this December Roundup, we highlight (1) effect of disclosing prescription drug price in advertisements, (2) a systematic review of cost-saving literature, (3) employer alliances for health plans, (4) how to decrease the cost of care for Alzheimer’s patients, and finally, already gearing up for the next election, (5) what types of health policies the Democratic and Republican 2020 presidential nominees …
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The Source Roundup: November 2018 Edition
Source Fellow November 1, 2018
By: Swaja Khanna, Student Fellow Happy November! We hope you are enjoying football season and preparing for turkey! In this edition of the Source Roundup, we cover five academic articles and reports from October. The topics this month include (1) the popularity of telemedicine for employers and employees, (2) an integrated health care system that combines ACO and bundled payment, (3) health spending growth in the coming years, (4) Maryland’s new initiative reduced hospital utilization and costs, and (5) how to remedy recent generic drug price hikes. Telemedicine Is …
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Two Takeaways from Health Affairs’ “Improving Care for Californians” Forum
Sammy Chang, Health Policy Researcher October 26, 2018
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 …
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The Source Roundup: October 2018 Edition
Source Fellow October 1, 2018
By: Jake Winton, Student Fellow Welcome to October! We hope you are getting your costumes picked out and finding those deals to stock up on trick-or-treat candy. In this edition of The Source Roundup, we review five academic articles and reports from September that stood out to us. This month we look at (1) price inflation in the California fully-insured large group market, (2) forward motion in drug price transparency laws, (3) the future of pharmaceutical reference pricing in the U.S., (4) lessons learned from California’s competitive healthcare model, and (5) …
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Litigation and Enforcement Highlights – September 2018
Amy Y. Gu, Managing Editor September 17, 2018
In this month’s Litigation and Enforcement Highlights, we recap two small but meaningful wins in courts for state legislation aimed at controlling rising drug prices. We also take a peek at the newest developments of two potential mega mergers and the legal challenge against the Affordable Care Act, both of which could change the landscape of the healthcare industry. Judge Boots Challenge Against California’s Transparency Law on Technicality In the latest development of the legal challenge against California’s recently passed SB 17, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern …
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The Source Roundup: September 2018 Edition
Tiffany Wang, Student Fellow September 4, 2018
Happy September! We hope you’ve enjoyed the Labor Day weekend and ready for the fall! In this edition of The Source Roundup, we cover five academic articles and reports from July and August. This month we look at (1) monopoly in the ACA marketplace; (2) the recent Ohio v. American Express U.S. Supreme Court decision; and a trio of articles that examine accountable care organizations in terms of (3) ACO growth in 2018; (4) ACO effectiveness in reducing health care costs; and (5) the proposed changes to ACOs in the …
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The Source Roundup: August 2018 Edition
Tiffany Wang, Student Fellow August 1, 2018
Happy August! In this edition of the Source Roundup, we cover four academic articles and reports from June and July. The topics this month include: (1) price transparency as a means to affordable health care; (2) effect of state-based individual mandates; (3) Trump’s 5-Part Medicare Part D plan; and (4) Medicare’s experiment with bundled payments. Price Transparency Goals to Achieve Affordable Health Care Skeptics have questioned whether consumer price transparency initiatives are an effective means of driving down healthcare costs. In the NEJM Catalyst article, “Defining the Goals of …
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Spotlight on 2018 State Drug Legislation: Part 1 – Drug Importation: The Next Frontier for State-action to Control Prescription Drug Costs
Katie Gudiksen, Senior Health Policy Researcher July 27, 2018
*Update: This post was written before the end of the 2018 legislative session. For the most recent count of states that passed these legislation, see the Spotlight on 2018 State Drug Legislation Summary: The Year in Review or download our Summary Chart. In the most recent legislative sessions, states have demonstrated they are increasingly willing to use their power to target prescription drug prices. In 2018, only two states with active legislative sessions, North Carolina and Alabama, did not consider legislation with the aim of reducing prescription drug costs. Of …
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