AcademyHealth Blog

Welcome to the AcademyHealth blog, together with our members, we promote interaction across the health research and policy arenas by bringing together a broad spectrum of players to share their perspectives. Here we offer important perspectives from people passionate about expanding access to care, reducing costs and improving quality, as well as updates on AcademyHealth activities relevant to the community.

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Medicaid’s Unique Role in Combating the Coronavirus

In a JAMA commentary published today, three Medicaid Medical Directors from AcademyHealth’s Medicaid Medical Directors Network examine the flexibility Medicaid has to expand public health capabilities in the face of a pandemic.

Posted Mar 19, 2020 By Susan Kennedy, M.P.P., M.S.W., Sunita Krishnan, M.P.H.

Topics Insurance, Medicare & Medicaid Public & Population Health Access to Care

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Adapting, Learning and Caring During a Public Health Crisis

AcademyHealth President and CEO Lisa Simpson reflects on the field’s response to the coronavirus outbreak and urges continued learning and caring as we face this public health crisis together.

Posted Mar 17, 2020 By Lisa Simpson, M.B., B.Ch., M.P.H., FAAP

Topics Public & Population Health Delivering Better Care

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Update on the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting

While closely monitoring the impact of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), the 2020 Annual Research Meeting (ARM) is proceeding as planned at this time. The status of other AcademyHealth meetings and events is being updated on a case-by-case basis.

Posted Mar 12, 2020

Topics ARM

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Employers in Colorado Band Together to Directly Negotiate Rates and Lower Costs for Health Care Consumers

The Center for Improving Value in Health Care, a member of AcademyHealth’s partner, the Network for Regional Healthcare Improvement, highlights how Colorado is trying change the way employers purchase, and consumers shop for health care.

Posted Mar 4, 2020 By Cari Frank, M.B.A.

Topics Insurance, Medicare & Medicaid Costs & Payments

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Three Points to Consider as Adoption of Alternative Payment Models Grows

Cheryl Austein Casnoff and Mary Wheatley of MITRE, an AcademyHealth organization affiliate, explore challenges in value-based payment model adoption in response to AcademyHealth’s recent 2020 National Health Policy Conference.

Posted Feb 28, 2020 By Cheryl Austein Casnoff, Mary Wheatley, M.S.

Topics Paying for Care Costs & Payments

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AcademyHealth Staff Highlight Medicaid’s Response to the Maternal Mortality Crisis

In a Health Affairs blog post, Susan Kennedy and Sunita Krishnan of AcademyHealth outline Medicaid’s pivotal role in providing maternal health services and highlight state efforts that go beyond access to care to address maternal health.

Posted Feb 27, 2020 By Lauren Adams, M.A.

Topics Health Equity Insurance, Medicare & Medicaid Quality Improvement

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How States Can Leverage School Nurses to Improve Children’s Immunization Rates

Research shows that school nurses play an important role in combating declining immunization rates amongst children.

Posted Feb 19, 2020 By Sunita Krishnan, M.P.H., Allison Squires, FAAN, Ph.D., RN

Topics Delivering Better Care Public & Population Health

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How Much Is Too Much: Out-Of-Pocket Spending Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Guest authors from AcademyHealth organizational affiliate, Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, discuss findings from a recent survey.

Posted Feb 13, 2020 By Wyatt Koma, Juliette Cubanski, Tricia Neuman, Anthony Damico

Topics Insurance, Medicare & Medicaid Access to Care Costs & Payments

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Inaugural Health Data Impact Award Honors Work on Patients’ Rights to Access Personal Health Data

Award winner Deven McGraw guided the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts to engage technology developers and patients with transparent and effective regulatory frameworks for the use of health data.

Posted Feb 11, 2020 By Lauren Adams, M.A.

Topics Patient & Consumer Engagement Using Health Data Data Sharing Health Datapalooza

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Recognizing and Uplifting the Legitimacy of Patient Experts for Better Health Data Tools and Policies

In this final post in a series, ePatient and Security Researcher Andrea Downing highlights where we need to build professional skills and lower barriers for patient experts to be part of a team in health care.

Posted Feb 9, 2020 By Andrea Downing

Topics Patient & Consumer Engagement Using Health Data Health Datapalooza National Health Policy Conference