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Two papers in the September issue discuss quality in health care.

The Medicare Advantage (MA) quality bonus payment program provides a “double bonus” to high-quality plans in certain metropolitan areas.

Adam Markovitz and colleagues found that double bonuses are not significantly associated with changes in quality performance or changes in MA enrollment, the program’s purported goals. Further, “Black beneficiaries were substantially less likely to reside in counties offered double bonuses than White beneficiaries.”

The quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) is a standard measure incorporating life expectancy and quality of life and is often used in cost-effectiveness analysis.

Leah Rand and Aaron Kesselheim conducted a systematic literature review of criticisms leveled at the QALY and concluded that the nine major criticisms fall into three categories: methodological concerns, criticisms of neutrality, and potential discrimination.

Rand discussed these findings on an episode of A Health Podyssey earlier this month.

Today on Health Affairs Blog, Jennifer Haley and Emily Johnston discuss how Medicaid’s role for postpartum coverage changed under the continuous enrollment requirement.

Elevating Voices: Hispanic Heritage Month: Jill A. McDonald, Anup Amatya, Charlotte C. Gard, and Jesus Sigala found that, in states that border Mexico, cesarean rates were highest for Hispanic women living in border counties. They concluded, “Interventions should address cultural factors—that is, the importance of the degree of Hispanicity in the mothers’ communities.”

Check out our COVID-19 Resource Center for Health Affairs content about all things related to the pandemic.

Health Affairs is planning a theme issue on racism and health, with an emphasis on structural racism, to be published in February 2022. We plan to publish approximately 20 peer-reviewed articles—including original research, analyses, commentaries, and Narrative Matters—from a diverse group of researchers, scholars, community health leaders, analysts, and health care stakeholders, among others.

We envision that the theme issue would include other novel elements such as art, poetry, and multimedia components. As part of our commitment, we will launch a video component alongside the research to set the foundation of the issue, introduce an interactive element to the research, and reach new audiences who do not currently read Health Affairs.

We encourage interested applicants to respond to our Request For Proposals, due October 1, 2021.

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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