Understanding the factors that increase or reduce costs and the ways that payments affect the choices people make can help improve health and health care decision making.
The 340B drug pricing program moves $81 billion a year in discounts to safety-net providers -- but fierce disagreement continues over whether that money reaches the patients Congress intended it to help. AcademyHealth breaks down what the research shows, where the evidence runs out, and what to watch as Congress debates reform.
Millions of insured Americans are struggling to afford the care they're already paying for. A major new proposal would ban prior authorization, cap hospital prices, and limit insurer profits. AcademyHealth breaks down what the evidence actually supports.
Medical debt erodes trust in health care and health systems. Hospitals have practical, evidence-based options to reduce harm while preserving financial stability.
With the ACA premium tax credits expiring, some policymakers are proposing broadening access to health savings accounts (HSAs) as a fix-all to consumers’ health care affordability concerns, despite evidence to the contrary.
States have taken different approaches to implementing doula benefits in their Medicaid programs - this policy brief looks at the differences in six state Medicaid programs.
The Supreme Court will decide if the ACA's preventive care mandate, based on United States Preventative Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommendations, is unconstitutional, potentially affecting millions' access to cost-free preventive services and restricting evidence-based policymaking. AcademyHealth’s advocacy team explains the case and why we have been supporting USPSTF on behalf of the field.
Recent findings on the rise of medical credit cards signify the financialization of health and the importance of regulation across governmental agencies and departments working in a coordinated manner to protect patients.
This Data Note examines the extent of community health center involvement in systematic efforts to screen patients for the presence of social determinants of health and concludes that targeted grant support and Medicaid performance investments for the costs associated with social risk screening and reporting are needed for universal engagement by community health centers.
