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The

Commonwealth

Fund Connection

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


January 14, 2020

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What's New


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Looking Back at the Year in Health Care, and What’s Ahead

Health care was front and center for the American public in 2019 — and with good reason. It’s one of voters’ top issues as we head into the 2020 election. On To the Point, David Blumenthal, M.D., and Shanoor Seervai reflect on the year’s major events.


Also listen to a conversation with Blumenthal and Seervai on The Dose podcast about these events and
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what they mean for 2020 .

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READ MORE
TOP TWEET


About 15% of Medicare Advantage plan members reported being food insecure. Food insecurity creates undue stress for these individuals, and negatively impacts health care costs.


@Commonwealthfnd
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Access and Coverage


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Jost: The ACA’s Uncertain Future

The future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) remains in limbo, says Timothy Jost in a To the Point post that discusses the fallout from last month’s federal appeals court decision. That decision found that the health law’s requirement for individuals to purchase insurance is unconstitutional but sent the case back to the lower court to determine how much of the rest of the ACA, if any, should be invalidated.


Also on To the Point, the Commonwealth Fund’s Sara Collins breaks down what it would mean to the health and financial security of millions of Americans
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if the ACA were to disappear .

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READ MORE

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Webcast Video: The Future of National Health Insurance — Debates During a U.S. Presidential Election Year

On Monday, January 13, The Forum at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Commonwealth Fund hosted a webcast where experts discussed the practical, economic, and political challenges of health insurance proposals in 2020, as well as the potential impacts on health care for millions of Americans. The Forum drew on results from the recent
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Health Care in America survey sponsored by the Fund, the New York Times, and Harvard. An
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on-demand video is available on The Forum’s website.




Medicare and Medicaid


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What’s Really Behind the Slowdown in Medicare Spending Growth?

A common misconception is that the recent slowdown in per-person Medicare spending growth would not have occurred without millions of baby boomers joining the program. But this doesn’t explain why overall spending per beneficiary grew so little between 2007 and 2015. Vanderbilt University researcher Laura Keohane and colleagues tell the real story.

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New Study Lends Support to Medicare’s Shift Toward Value-Based Payment

A study in the American Journal of Managed Care reports on the effectiveness of Medicare accountable care organizations compared to that of traditional Medicare and private Medicare Advantage plans. The research team, led by Harvard’s Joseph P. Newhouse, focused on one large delivery system: Banner Health in Phoenix, Arizona.

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International Health Policy and Practice Innovations


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International Health News Brief

In the new issue of International Health News Brief we report on Switzerland’s efforts to save big on prescription drug spending through sweeping price reductions; the U.K. National Health Service’s new partnership with Amazon’s Alexa for dispensing health advice; Sweden’s use of drones to transport medications, blood, and other critical supplies to hard-to-reach areas; and more.

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The Dose Podcast


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The Dose: Making Sure Women Get C-Sections When — and Only When — They Need Them

In some countries, many women deliver babies by cesarean section (C-section) even when the procedure isn’t medically necessary. In others, women can’t get C-sections when they truly need them. On The Dose podcast, Pierre Barker, M.D., head of global partnerships at the Institute for Healthcare Improvement, describes how he and his colleagues are helping health system leaders from around the world ensure that women get C-sections when, and only when, they need them.

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Prescription Drugs


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Comparing Drug Pricing Proposals

With polls showing that high prescription drug prices are a top concern for American voters, both Democrats and Republicans are intent on getting something done ahead of the 2020 elections. In a To the Point update, Billy Wynne and Alyssa Llamas of the Wynne Health Group compare provisions of current bills and initiatives from Congress and the Trump administration.

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Delivery System Reform


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Transforming Care: Medicare Advantage Plans Begin Covering Social Services

The CHRONIC Care Act, which kicked in fully on January 1, paves the way for Medicare Advantage plans to cover untraditional services and other benefits. It recognizes that many factors beyond medical care influence health. The new issue of Transforming Care looks at
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how health plans and community-based organizations are responding , and has an interview with Eva Powell, senior manager of quality programs at the Alliance of Community Health Plans, about some of the
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law’s potential benefits and challenges .



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PACE Costs Less Than Nursing Home or Other Services

The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) offers an alternative to caring for frail elders solely in their homes or in nursing homes. Elders visit PACE day centers where they can eat meals, exercise, take part in physical therapy, see their doctors, or receive other kinds of support.
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Data gathered by the National PACE Association show this approach costs states on average 13 percent less than paying for nursing homes or other community-based services. Look back on our profile from 2016 of
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PACE programs in Virginia and California .



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Focusing Delivery Reforms on High-Need Populations

Some researchers say that efforts to wring greater value from health care have been disappointing because they’ve been too diffuse. To achieve greater impact, they recommend focusing on three groups: those with advanced illness near the end of life, frail older adults, and nonelderly disabled patients with serious mental illness. The Better Care Playbook, supported by the Commonwealth Fund and five other foundations, offers a host of ideas for helping these and other high-cost, high-need patients.

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Affordable, quality health care. For everyone.

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