Dear John,

ICYMI, we released a Health Policy Brief last week from Amy Sheon and Elaine Khoong exploring the linkages between digital inclusion and health equity.

Part D Features Affect Uptake Of Biosimilars

Luca Bertuzzi of Charles River Associates and Luca Maini of Harvard University examine benefit design and biosimilar coverage in Medicare Part D and compare coverage in these plans to employer-sponsored plans.

Among other findings, Bertuzzi and Maini find that “Medicare Part D tends to favor pricier reference biologic drugs over their generally cheaper biosimilar counterparts.”

They conclude that policies including federally mandated discounts for branded drugs and federal subsidies for plans during the catastrophic coverage phase likely contribute to this trend.

This article is part of the Eye on the IRA series published with support to Health Affairs from the National Pharmaceutical Council.

More on Medicaid Savings Programs

• Predicting Race And Ethnicity To Ensure Equitable Algorithms For Health Care Decision Making by Irineo Cabreros et al.
• Patient Population Loss At A Large Pioneer Accountable Care Organization And Implications For Refining The Program by John Hsu et al.
• A Health Podyssey: How Shortening Skilled Nursing Facility Stays Might Identify Waste In Health Care Delivery

What Walmart Health's Demise Says About Retail Health and Telehealth Markets

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers and Jessica Bylander go over the demise of Walmart Health and the health of retail clinics and telemedicine.

Community Health Workers Can Help Improve Youth Mental Health

Wildaline Figaro et al.

It is Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Month, and we are proud to elevate AANHPIs who work to advance health equity and policy.

In a March 2024 article, Jeah Jung and coauthors discuss the importance of monitoring the quality of care for Medicare Advantage enrollees who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups.