The Latest Research, Commentary, And News From Health Affairs
Monday, April 5, 2021
Dear John,
The April 2021 edition of Health Affairs covers a variety of topics about access to and quality of care, the Affordable Care Act, health spending, and more. Read it here.
Inside the Issue: Access, ACA, Spending & More
Our latest journal issue includes research on some of Health Affairs’ most popular topics: access to Medicare and Medicaid, the Affordable Care Act’s impact on coverage and outcomes, the effects of various policies on health spending, and much more.
In one study, Eric Roberts and coauthors found that Medicare isn’t benefiting all enrollees equally. Beneficiaries with incomes exceeding the eligibility thresholds for Medicaid and Medicare Part D subsidies are estimated to face more than $2,200 in additional out-of-pocket costs over two years and are more likely to incur catastrophic medical bills.
In another study, Adam Biener and colleagues reveal the cost of out-of-network emergency department visits: Patients who likely received a surprise out-of-network bill for emergency care paid physicians ten times more out of pocket than patients receiving in-network emergency care.
Emily Johnston and coauthors examined the effect of Medicaid expansion on low-income
pregnant women. Their findings show that, in states that didn’t expand coverage,half of women with prenatal Medicaid coverage experienced a period without insurance in the weeks before or after birth. In states that did expand Medicaid, only one in five lost insurance during the perinatal period.
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Health Affairs is the leading peer-reviewedjournalat 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.
