Health Care Cost

This commentary, part of the Price Crisis campaign, calls for state and federal policy interventions that are needed to rebalance the market to enhance competition and provide value in health care.

Insurance hurdles worsen delays, force abandoned treatments, and result in hospitalizations and deaths, radiation oncologists report nationwide.

Older adults in the United States are disproportionately affected by health care costs compared with their counterparts in other wealthy nations.

Gene therapies can be life-changing for people, but the high cost plus the burden of treatment remain barriers to access and utilization, explained Kevin Niehoff, PharmD, BCMAS, of IPD Analytics.

Cancer drug prices rose post-launch in the US, while they declined in Germany and Switzerland.

The Center on Health Equity & Access highlights news and expert insights on research, social determinants of health, and health policy.

While the Medicare Competitive Bidding Program reduced spending, it did not significantly impact supplemental oxygen use or clinical outcomes among patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

Americans are underinsured, even with employer-based health plans; a thorough critique of the lack of representation among Black patients in clinical trials showcases a persistent theme; systemic barriers in cardiology, breast cancer, and patent systems are examined.

Women living with HIV can reduce their risk of cervical cancer using a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine that is both cost-effective and effective in preventing the virus.

Despite significant progress in expanding health insurance coverage since the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was enacted, millions of Americans still face critical gaps in access to and affordability of health care.

This is how health care organizations are addressing compliance pressures, cybersecurity threats, and the rise of artificial intelligence (AI) amid resource constraints and evolving regulations.

Financial incentives provided to hospitals in Japan led to a significant increase in biosimilar oncology drug prescriptions.

The Center on Health Equity & Access showcases the latest news and expert perspectives on research, social determinants of health, and health policy.

There are significant financial and psychological burdens of abortion care in the US, especially for those traveling out of state due to local restrictions in the increasingly restrictive post-Dobbs landscape.

This research is not the first to uncover duplicative and wasteful spending on health care for veterans who receive care primarily through the Veterans Health Administration as they are also enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans.

The venetoclax-based regimen was associated with an approximate $8000 decrease in costs compared with the continuous Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor treatment 6 months after the fixed-duration period.

The health policy implications and ballot measures in the wake of the presidential election, new trends in physician compensation, lessons from the Medicaid unwinding, disparities in cancer mortality, and privately negotiated hospital fees.

Medicaid and CHIP enrollment surged from 71 million in February 2020 to 94 million by April 2023. However, with the pandemic emergency ending in May 2023, states resumed eligibility reviews, initiating a process termed “unwinding.”

Physician reimbursement stands to be affected by the consolidation of medical systems and changes in Medicare enrollment affecting their pay, which may lead to shifts in medical training and hiring.

Results demonstrated the mean total medical costs per patient per year decreased significantly after patients began semaglutide treatment.

Reduced well-being and loss of productivity were contributors to the high economic burden in patients with late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD) living in the US, Germany, and Bulgaria.

As Cigna and Humana pick back up on the potential for a megamerger, executives will be keeping a close eye on the outcomes of the presidential election.

Private negotiated facility fees at hospitals are on average double the ambulatory surgery center facility fees for common outpatient procedures.

Financial toxicity is a burden many patients and their families unfortunately are forced to shoulder, leading some to delay or skip care and incur bills related to their care that they lack the financial capacity to pay off.

As presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump diverge on health care reform paths, contrasting futures hinge on the outcome of the presidential election.

New legislation would clarify rules around value-based contracts in Medicaid, and a new model is expanding access to gene therapies, explained Adam Colborn, JD, of AMCP.

This week’s Center on Health Equity & Access highlights emphasize the role of social determinants of health in policy-making and underscore the importance of addressing rising costs and challenges employers face.

As health care costs escalate, a new survey reveals that 74% of employers are grappling with the impact on employee wages and benefits, with many anticipating further cost-shifting to their workforce.

In the wake of the Inflation Reduction Act and other regulatory changes, Medicare Advantage plans have braced for significant cuts that are forcing them to take a hard look at their product offering.

Report reveals growing divide between subsidized and unsubsidized enrollees.