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HEALTH POLICY BRIEF

Social Isolation And Health

Government-ordered social distancing has been an important factor in reducing community spread of COVID-19. It has also brought increased attention to social isolation’s significant and well-established negative effects on morbidity and mortality. This Health Policy Brief defines social isolation and loneliness, reviews their prevalence and likely causes, discusses evidence connecting them to health, and outlines policy interventions and challenges to be addressed. Read More >>

TODAY ON THE BLOG

COVID-19

Preparing For The Next COVID-19 Crisis: A Strategy To Save Safety-Net Hospitals
By Peter P. Reese, Eugene Lin, and Meera N. Harhay

The COVID-19 pandemic has taxed our health care system to a point that many safety-net hospitals face budget shortfalls that could force them to close. Without a comprehensive strategy to protect safety-net hospitals, the people they employ and the patients they serve will bear the brunt of COVID-19’s next wave. Read More >>

The Double Pandemic Of Social Isolation And COVID-19: Cross-Sector Policy Must Address Both
By Julianne Holt-Lunstad

Similar to an economic recession that can have lasting effects even after the economy begins to grow, social restrictions put in place during the pandemic may have profound long-term consequences for social isolation and its health sequelae, even after they are lifted.
Read More >>

MEDICAID

Trump Administration Proposes Medicaid Reforms To Encourage Innovative Contracting Models
By Rachel Sachs

CMS’s Medicaid best-price reporting proposal should—if finalized—mitigate legal uncertainty for pharmaceutical companies seeking to enter into innovative contracting arrangements with commercial insurers. However, more will be needed to address broader drug pricing concerns and encourage true value-based payment reforms. Read More >>

IN THE JOURNAL

PRIVATE HEALTH INSURANCE

Out-Of-Network Spending Mostly Declined In Privately Insured Populations With A Few Notable Exceptions From 2008 To 2016
By Zirui Song, William Johnson, Kevin Kennedy, Jean Fuglesten Biniek, and Jacob Wallace

While out-of-network or potential “surprise” billing has garnered increasing attention, particularly in emergency department and inpatient settings, few national studies have examined out-of-network care overall or in other settings. Zirui Song and coauthors examined out-of-network spending and use among two large nationwide populations with employer-sponsored insurance. Read More >>

CONSIDERING HEALTH SPENDING

Paying For Value From Costly Medical Technologies: A Framework For Applying Value-Based Payment Reforms
By Marianne Hamilton Lopez, Gregory W. Daniel, Nicholas C. Fiore, Aparna Higgins, and Mark B. McClellan

Marianne Hamilton Lopez and coauthors propose a value-based payment framework for medical products, including drugs, devices, and diagnostic tools. Read More >>

A CLOSER LOOK—Racial Disparities

While Medicare’s Hospital Readmissions Reduction Program has been associated with improvements in readmission rates, little is known about its effect on racial disparities. In their April 2018 Health Affairs article, “Medicare Program Associated With Narrowing Hospital Readmission Disparities Between Black And White Patients,” José Figueroa and coauthors compared trends in thirty-day readmission rates for several conditions, finding that minority-serving hospitals saw greater reductions in readmissions than other hospitals did.

About Health Affairs

Health Affairs is the leading peer-reviewed journal at the intersection of health, health care, and policy. Published monthly by Project HOPE, the journal is available in print and online. Late-breaking content is also found through healthaffairs.org, Health Affairs Today, and Health Affairs Sunday Update.

Project HOPE is a global health and humanitarian relief organization that places power in the hands of local health care workers to save lives across the globe. Project HOPE has published Health Affairs since 1981.

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