Dear John,

Join Health Affairs tomorrow, August 19, for a virtual event on the implications of recent nursing home developments for residents, their families, and the future of long-term care.

Evaluating The First Round Of Medicare Drug Price Negotiations

This week, The Biden administration announced that the program would have saved $6 billion if the new negotiated prices were in place in 2023.

With negotiated drug prices being a big part of the Inflation Reduction Act, there's no better time to highlight the ahead-of-print article from Laura Tollen from this week exploring how the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program should be evaluated in the short and long term.

Tollen's report is part of a new Health Affairs initiative – “Eye on the IRA” – to help our readers keep up with news and research regarding implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022.

The introduction of highly effective anti-obesity medication, such as Wegovy, has prompted debate over Medicare's prohibition on such products.

In an ahead-of-print article released this week, Benedic Ippolito and Joseph F. Levy explore how expanding Medicare coverage of these medications could increase annual spending by $3.1 billion to $6.1 billion.

After analyzing data associated with drug costs, real-world adherence rates, and potential changes to other health care spending, the researchers predict this increase in spending would occur regardless of a policy change.

To learn more about this study, be sure to join us for an upcoming Journal Club Event on Tuesday, August 27, featuring author Benedic Ippolito.

A Health Podyssey: Sanjay Basu on How Cost-Effectiveness Analyses Can Perpetuate Health Disparities

Health Affairs' Editor-in-Chief Alan Weil interviews Sanjay Basu of Waymark on his recent study that considers a potential risk of perpetuating health disparities with the continued utilization of cost-effectiveness analyses to inform health care and public health policy decisions.

Health Affairs This Week: The Increasing Cyber Risk of Health Care Data

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Senior Editor Leslie Erdelack back to the program to discuss recent cybersecurity events that have affected both health care businesses and patients alike, prevention measures, and what providers do when their technology tools aren't working.

Health Affairs Branded Post:

New evidence on Remote Foot Temperature Monitoring (RTM): What does a recent VHA study really tell us about the impact?

Jon Bloom, MD, CEO and Co-Founder

Sponsored by Podimetrics

Are Changes To The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Driving Value In US Health Care?

Andrew M. Ryan et al.

part of our Accountable Care For Population Health series

CMS Should Do More To Fulfill The IRA's Promise To Lower Drug Costs For Patients

A. Mark Fendrick

Twenty-Five Years Of Home-And-Community-Based Services Under Olmstead: Lessons For Medicare-Medicaid Integration

Laura M. Keohane

part of our Medicare And Medicaid Integration series

New Lawsuit Threatens Affordable Care Act’s Employer Shared Responsibility Provisions

Zachary Baron

part of our Following The ACA series

Decoding Low-Income Subsidy Prescription Drug Plans: Policy And Market Realities

Tomas Bednar

Addressing The Politics Of The Rural LGBTQ+ Opioid Epidemic

Jerel M. Ezell

Comprehensive SEC Disclosure Rules Can Reduce Health Care Emissions

Victor C. Agbafe et al.

Sodium Reduction Is A Proven Strategy That Saves Lives—More Work Is Needed To Hold Industry Accountable

Alyssa J. Moran et al.

Join Health Affairs Tuesday, August 27, for a virtual Journal Club event examining the costs of allowing Medicare coverage of anti-obesity medicines.