The Trustees Report and the Need for Action
On a day in which the House Republicans are announcing their alternative health reform plan, House Democrats are staging a sit-in over gun laws, and the presumptive presidential nominees are firing...
View ArticleAn Innovation-Centric Approach to Pricing and Accessibility
“Policy should not lose sight of the fact that new treatments represent miracles to many patients, and should encourage more, not less innovation.” With those words in her op-ed in the Wall Street...
View ArticleA Decade of Proving Critics Wrong
As it was enacted into law in 2003, the Medicare prescription drug benefit, which would come to be known as Medicare Part D, had no shortage of critics. A New York Times story cited fears that the...
View ArticleCampaigns, Honesty and the Future of Medicare
It’s like a bad rerun, but one with real consequences. Every two years, some political candidates and the interest groups that support them decide the best way to boost their share of the 65-and-older...
View ArticleLet the Public Option Rest in Peace
Most will remember that one of the most spirited debates during congressional consideration of the Affordable Care Act, back in the early days of the Obama administration, concerned the proposed...
View ArticleThe Challenge of Assessing Value in a Value-Based Healthcare System
The Healthcare Leadership Council released its National Dialogue for Healthcare Innovation (NDHI) policy recommendations earlier this year. One of the core policy reforms we advocate involves concrete...
View ArticlePatients Need Both Innovation and Accountability
Let’s begin this post by stipulating the concept behind the creation of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) is both sound and important. CMMI was created as part of the Affordable...
View ArticleAddressing the Unintended Consequences of the Stark Law and Anti-Kickback...
In the new era of healthcare in which value-based care is steadily pushing aside the fee-for-service model, outdated rules and regulations continue to hinder the progress of healthcare reform. The...
View ArticleExpert Perspectives on an Uncertain Health Policy Future
As speculation heats up over how the new Trump administration and Congress will address healthcare in 2017, your time would be well spent viewing this Yahoo Finance video interview with George Barrett,...
View ArticleWalden Discussed Repeal and Replace Strategies at HLC Meeting
On January 24 at a dinner hosted by the Healthcare Leadership Council for its members, U.S. Representative Greg Walden (R-OR), the new chairman of the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee,...
View ArticleThe Mythology of Safe, Cheap Drugs from Canada
In January, the U.S. Senate rejected legislation, as it has multiple times in the past, which would have allowed the importation of prescription drugs from Canada. Apparently believing that a bad idea...
View ArticleThe Power in Planning Ahead
Now that most of us have filed our taxes for 2016, this is an opportune time to review our health planning with the same level of attention. There is a nationwide effort to make the day after Tax Day...
View ArticleDiving into Genomics at Datapalooza
I had the privilege of moderating a panel at Datapalooza – the annual gathering of hundreds of leaders in health data innovation — that focused on innovations in genomic science, which are rapidly...
View ArticleEnsuring Quality Of Life To The End
As the value-based approach to healthcare delivery is gaining momentum, the focus on end-of-life care has moved towards center stage. The benefits of palliative care and advance directives have proven...
View ArticleCalls to Repeal the Independent Payment Advisory Board Persist
Amidst the uncertain healthcare environment Americans face, there is a threat that has remained constant: the implementation of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB). IPAB, once triggered,...
View ArticleAn Expert Look at 2018 Healthcare Trends and Their Potential Impact
President and CEO of Premier healthcare alliance, Susan DeVore, discusses her predictions of what 2018 will bring in a Health Affairs article. Ms. DeVore, a member and former chair of the Healthcare...
View ArticleA Public Health Crisis Requires a Roadmap of Solutions
It’s indisputable that the opioid addiction crisis with which America is currently grappling is one of historic magnitude. We’re losing more than 115 people per day from opioid overdoses. Families...
View ArticleAction Needed for Market Stability, Access to Health Coverage
There is a consensus in this country that people who are struggling with illnesses and have a greater need for healthcare services should not be prevented from acquiring health insurance. Recent...
View ArticleQuantifying the Medicare Advantage advantage
In the 15 years since its inception, the increase in popularity of Medicare Advantage (MA) – health coverage provided by private plans in contrast to traditional fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare – has...
View ArticleHeroism Shouldn’t Be Discouraged By Legal Concerns
There is legislation – the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Reauthorization Act – moving through the U.S. Senate right now that is essential in reauthorizing critical programs improving our public...
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