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The Commonwealth Fund Connection

A roundup of recent Fund publications, charts, multimedia, and other timely content.




October 15, 2021

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COVID-19


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Increasing Vaccinations Could Prevent Thousands of Hospitalizations and Deaths
With only about 56 percent of the U.S. population fully vaccinated against the coronavirus, millions of Americans are still at risk for severe illness, hospitalization, or death if they become infected. On To the Point, researchers evaluate the impact of an accelerated vaccination program, comparing simulated outcomes in five southern states that are experiencing a decline from peak infections and five northern states where there is an upward trend. Their analysis shows that about 19,500 hospitalizations and 6,900 deaths could be averted if these 10 states immediately increase their daily vaccinations by half.

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New Podcast with Priti Krishtel on Global Vaccine Inequity
While rich countries are doling out COVID-19 booster shots, vaccines are still not moving around the globe in a rapid and equitable manner. This is because “we live in a hierarchy of health,” says health justice lawyer Priti Krishtel. On the latest episode of The Dose podcast, Krishtel says rethinking the drug patent regime and working together to ensure every country gets its fair allocation of vaccines is the way to end this and future pandemics.

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Understanding and Addressing Medical Mistrust Among Black Americans
Earlier this week, the New York Times reported on how vaccination campaigns have
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helped to close gaps between the number of Black and white Americans who have received COVID-19 vaccines. While surging cases and vaccine mandates have also contributed to rising vaccination rates, mistrust of government and medical institutions remains a barrier. Earlier this year, the Commonwealth Fund’s Transforming Care described a
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variety of strategies health systems were using to understand and lessen medical mistrust among Black Americans.


Other Publications


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Costs Are Barrier to Care for Many Older U.S. Adults, Survey Shows
Compared with their peers in other high-income countries, older Americans pay more out of pocket for their health care and are more likely to skip needed care because of costs, a Commonwealth Fund analysis finds. The Fund’s latest international survey found that one-fifth of Americans age 65 and older spent more than $2,000 out of pocket on health care in the past year. In countries where more comprehensive, affordable insurance coverage is available, fewer older people skip or postpone getting care.

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13 Charts Reveal How Care for Older Adults Compares Internationally
How quickly and easily are older adults able to get the care they need, when they need it? And for the many older people living with chronic health conditions, how well is their care coordinated? A set of charts based on responses to the Commonwealth Fund’s latest international health survey show how adults age 65 and older in the U.S. compare with their counterparts in 10 other countries on a host of care measures, from wait times for seeing a doctor to hospitalizations and prescription drug use.

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Survey Findings Highlight the Need for Countries to Invest More in Mental Health Care
Mental health is an important indicator of a society’s well-being. How good are health care systems around the world at addressing mental health care issues? For World Mental Health Day, Commonwealth Fund researchers shared survey findings about the mental health burden in the U.S. and other high-income countries. As illustrated in seven charts, the response showed that across the countries, large shares of people with mental health needs experience multiple chronic health conditions, visit the emergency room for care that should be provided by a primary care clinician, and have cost-related problems accessing care.

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The U.S. Can Lower Drug Prices Without Sacrificing Innovation
With Congress considering legislation to allow Medicare to use its bargaining power to negotiate lower drug prices, large pharmaceutical companies are once again arguing that proposed price controls will stifle drug innovation. In an op-ed in Harvard Business Review, the Commonwealth Fund’s David Blumenthal, M.D., and Lovisa Gustafsson join Arnold Ventures’ Mark E. Miller in explaining why that claim is untrue. The key to supporting drug innovation, they say, is to increase NIH funding, reduce the cost and increase the speed of clinical trials, and reform patent law.

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Policymakers Begin to Zero In on Patent System in Debate over Rising Drug Costs
Policymakers are increasingly focusing on a key driver of high drug prices: patent system abuse. Drug policy expert Kristi Martin provides insights into how pharmaceutical companies misuse the federal patent system to block or delay competition and keep prices high. She says the U.S. patent office has options for controlling this abuse, like strengthening the process for challenging weak patents and coordinating with other agencies to ensure patent information is accurate.

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Enrollees in Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare Have Comparable Experiences
Enrollment in private Medicare Advantage plans is projected to overtake traditional Medicare enrollment over the next decade. According to a new Commonwealth Fund analysis, the experiences of beneficiaries in Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare are comparable: both groups experience similarly long wait times for care and have about the same rates of difficulty accessing care. The researchers believe the study raises questions about whether Medicare Advantage plans are receiving appropriate payments for what they deliver.

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How Broker Commissions Differ Between Medicare Advantage and Traditional Medicare
Licensed Medicare agents, or brokers, sell health plans on behalf of insurers. For every policy that is sold or renewed, agents earn a commission. Health policy expert Riaz Ali examines how agents’ compensation can affect the decisions beneficiaries make when choosing among Medicare Advantage, Part D, and Medigap plans. His analysis found lower average commission rates for traditional Medicare than for Medicare Advantage plans, a discrepancy that causes agents to choose between their earning potential and helping beneficiaries select the right coverage for their needs.

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GRACE: Helping Older Adults with Complex Needs Live Independently
The complex needs of older adults typically involve both medical and social issues — and coordinating their care can be challenging for providers. The latest in our series of case studies on models of care for high-need, high-cost patients offers an in-depth overview of the Geriatric Resources for Assessment and Care of Elders (GRACE) model and the experiences of four diverse sites that replicated it. According to the authors, the program stands out for its integrated approach to engaging patients as partners in identifying and achieving their health goals while living independently. GRACE, they say, “serves as a touchstone for enhancing geriatric care management.”

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United Hospital Fund/Greater New York Hospital Association Annual Symposium
With support from the Commonwealth Fund, the United Hospital Fund and Greater New York Hospital Association’s 32nd Annual Symposium on Health Care Services in New York will be held as a live webcast on Thursday, October 28, from 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Keynote speaker Aletha Maybank, M.D., of the American Medical Association will discuss the AMA’s three-year strategic plan to embed racial justice and advance health equity. Two panels will follow, one probing specific populations affected by COVID-19 and the other examining health care and community vaccine perspectives. More information on panel and presenter topics can be found
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here . Register for the free virtual event
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here .







Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.

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