Health Affairs This Week

This week, Microsoft announced a $19-billion deal to acquire Nuance Communications, a health tech firm. It's one of the many recent merger and acquisition deals in the health care space.On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Jeff Byers puts on his ex-reporter hat and joins Jessica Bylander to discuss the Nuance-Microsoft deal and review a recent Kaufman Hall report that found hospital merger deals were down in 2020, but still highly valued.Listen to Jeff and Jessica talk about hospital merger and acquisition trends and what it all means for the future of hospitals.Related Links:2020 M&A In Review: COVID-19 As Catalyst For Transformation (Kaufman Hall)Hospital Prices Grew Substantially Faster Than Physician Prices For Hospital-Based Care in 2007-14 (Health Affairs)What We Know About Provider Consolidation (Kaiser Family Foundation)2020 Market Insights Report: Chasing A New Equilibrium (Rock Health)Consolidation of Providers Into Health Systems Increased Substantially, 2016-18 (Health Affairs)Reversing Hospital Consolidation: The Promise Of Physician-Owned Hospitals (Health Affairs Blog)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

In this National Public Health Week episode, Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Vabren Watts discuss the latest federal effort to address the opioid crisis. This week, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra extended the declaration of the opioid crisis as a public health emergency. These declarations expire every 90 days, and the agency first declared this one in 2017. Leslie and Vabren join Health Affairs This Week to examine how the drug epidemic has evolved and how the COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on mental health and social isolation have impacted it. Related Links:COVID-19 Converges With The Opioid Epidemic: Challenges For Pregnant and Postpartum Women With Opioid Use Disorder (Health Affairs Blog)Responding To COVID-19: Supporting People In Recovery From Opioid Use Disorder (Health Affairs Blog)Medicaid Expansion Increased Medications For Opioid Use Disorder Among Adults Referred By Criminal Justice Agencies (Health Affairs)The Spike In Drug Overdose Deaths During The COVID-19 Pandemic and Policy Options To Move Forward (The Commonwealth Fund)The Health 202: Overdose Deaths May Have Topped 90,000 in 2020 (The Washington Post)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

It's Infrastructure Week and H.R. 3, a far-reaching piece of legislation which contains a series of drug-pricing reforms, is back. At the end of 2019, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3 but partisan disagreements prevented the bill from becoming law. Now, elements of H.R. 3 are back on the table as the Biden administration prepares its $2 trillion infrastructure and jobs package.Washington University's Rachel Sachs joins Health Affairs' Chris Fleming to break down H.R. 3's three main parts and highlight what they mean for the federal budget, pharmaceutical companies, and consumers. Related Links:Prescription Drug Legislation In Congress: An Update (Health Affairs Blog)Rachel Sachs' Health Affairs ArticlesPrescription Drug Policy: The Year In Review, And The Year Ahead (Health Affairs Blog)Administration Finalizes Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Rules At The Last Minute (Health Affairs Blog)Democrats Gear Up For Major Push To Lower Drug Prices (The Hill)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

March is Women's History Month. On today's Health Affairs This Week, Vabren Watts and Jessica Bylander give thanks and recognition to the women who have contributed important research and insights to the Health Affairs community.For example, Sara Rosenbaum from the George Washington University School of Public Health and colleagues published a piece on the Health Affairs Blog this week explaining how the American Rescue Plan impacts state Medicaid programs. Of note, the law creates a new state option to increase Medicaid postpartum coverage from 60 days to 12 months.In addition, Jessica and Vabren discuss the latest on COVID-19 vaccines and how clinical trials are beginning to evaluate the vaccines in pregnant women. Listen now to catch up on this week in health policy.Related Links:Medicaid And The American Rescue Plan: How It All Fits Together (Health Affairs Blog)Pregnant Women Pass On COVID Vaccine Protection To Newborns (U.S. News & World Report)Pfizer And Biontech Commence Global Clinical Trial To Evaluate COVID-19 Vaccine In Pregnant Women (Pfizer)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

As the COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues, some are hesitant to receive the shot if and when their number is called. It's upon the government and health care industry to connect targeted messaging and information to groups of individuals expressing hesitancy through trusted resources. On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Leslie Erdelack and Rob Lott note that, when it comes to health and wellbeing, people may not respond to politicians but they do listen to their doctors.Vaccine hesitancy has COVID-19 herd immunity implications so this messaging is critical as we fight the COVID-19 global pandemic. Listen to Leslie Erdelack and Rob Lott discuss vaccine hesitancy, explain what it is, and how health care professionals can leverage social proof to help inform decisions regarding vaccine hesitancy.Related Links:Four Steps To Help Achieve COVID-19 Vaccine Adoption: How Health Professionals Can Embrace Their Role As Messengers (Health Affairs Blog)Reflections On Governance, Communication, And Equity: Challenges And Opportunities In COVID-19 Vaccination (Health Affairs)The White House Is Set To Unveil A Wide-Reaching, Billion-Dollar Campaign Aimed At Convincing Every American To Get Vaccinated (Stat News)'We Want To Be Educated, Not Indoctrinated,' Say Trump Voters Wary of COVID Shots (Washington Post)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

The American Rescue Plan was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Thursday March 11, 2021. A lot of news has covered the inclusion of the $1,400 stimulus check, but there is a lot in the bill concerning health and health care policy. For example, the American Rescue Plan offers financial incentives to states that have yet to expand Medicaid. In addition, the bill expands the eligibility for health insurance subsidies and temporarily relieves premium tax credit claw backs for 2020. These changes are expected to extend coverage to about 2.5 million uninsured consumers from 2021 through 2023. On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Georgetown University faculty member and Health Affairs Contributing Editor Katie Keith joins Health Affairs Blog Editor Chris Fleming to discuss what's in the American Rescue Plan for health care. Related Links:Biden's $1.9 Trillion Rescue Plan Set To Turbocharge U.S. Economy (NPR)Final Coverage Provisions In The American Rescue Plan And What Comes Next (Health Affairs Blog)The Affordable Care Act's Insurance Marketplace Subsidies Were Associated With Reduced Financial Burden For US Adults (Health Affairs)Biden And New Congress Tackle COVID-19, ACA (Health Affairs)CBO Analyzes American Rescue Plan Coverage Expansions (Health Affairs Blog)New Incentive For States To Adopt The ACA Medicaid Expansion: Implications For State Spending (Kaiser Family Foundation)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues in the U.S. Of note, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized a new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson for emergency use. But vaccine equity is still a concern as President Joe Biden promised a COVID-19 vaccine for "every adult in America" by the end of May 2021. Health Affairs' Jessica Bylander and Rob Lott meet up on Health Affairs This Week to discuss the latest on the vaccine rollout as well as new research on nursing home staff turnover, which was published in the March 2021 edition of Health Affairs. The results were recently profiled by New York Times' Reed Abelson. Related Links:High Nursing Staff Turnover In Nursing Homes Offers Important Quality Information (Health Affairs)The Big Idea Behind A New Model Of Small Nursing Homes (Health Affairs)High Staff Turnover At US Nursing Homes Poses Risks For Residents' Care (New York Times)FDA Authorizes Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use (Johnson & Johnson)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | OvercastMusic provided by Fake Fever.

According to survey company Civiqs, 51% of Americans plan on taking a COVID-19 vaccine if and when it becomes available. As the U.S. exceeds 500,000 deaths related to COVID-19, the Biden administration is working to deploy more than 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses as well as combat vaccine hesitancy.On Health Affairs This Week, Leslie Erdelack and Chris Fleming discuss the latest on COVID-19, vaccine availability, and the status on various health policy court cases and administrative regulations.Related Links:COVID-19: U.S. Surpasses 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths, A Monumental Loss (New York Times)Hearing On "Pathway To Protection: Expanding Availability Of COVID-19 Vaccines" (House Committee on Energy & Commerce)Building On The Gains Of The ACA: Federal Proposals To Improve Coverage And Affordability (Health Affairs)As The Biden Administration Begins Unwinding Them, Medicaid Work Experiments Remain Unreasonable, Unnecessary, And Harmful (Health Affairs Blog)Ensuring Equitable Access To COVID-19 Vaccines In The US: Current System Challenges And Opportunities (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | OvercastMusic provided by Fake Fever.

The minimum wage hasn't been raised since its last adjustment in 2009. Now, as the federal government is drafting a COVID-19 stimulus package, it looks that gradually raising the minimum wage is on the table to be included. This week, President Joe Biden stated he supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.But what are the health implications for raising the minimum wage? More money could mean an increased ability to purchase health coverage...or unhealthy food. But these aren't binary decisions and the research is still evolving for how increased minimum wages affect our health.Listen to Health Affairs' Rob Lott and Jeff Byers discuss what's happening with the $15 minimum wage proposal, what it could mean for population health, and what's next.Related Links:Effects Of Minimum Wages On Population Health (Health Affairs)Health, Income, & Poverty: Where We Are & What Could Help (Health Affairs)CBO Analyzes American Rescue Plan Coverage Expansions (Health Affairs Blog)Biden Picks Another Obama Veteran To Oversee Medicare, Medicaid (Washington Post)CVS Health Will Return Aetna To Obamacare Market (Forbes)Anthem-backed Digital Startup Sharecare Goes Public In $3.9B Blank Check Deal (Healthcare Dive)The Perils Of Prolonged Unemployment (Axios)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | OvercastMusic provided by Fake Fever.

Early this week, Representatives Lauren Underwood, Alma Adams, Cory Booker, and members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus announced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. The piece of legislation builds on existing maternal health legislation and seeks to mitigate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.Health Affairs editors Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander break down what's new and important in the Momnibus 2.0 bill, noting the inclusion of initiatives to mitigate climate change-related risks for moms and babies and grow the perinatal workforce.  Health Affairs is planning a cluster of papers on perinatal mental health, to be published in October of 2021. Don't miss the issue and subscribe to the journal.Related Links:Saving Moms, Saving Lives (Health Affairs Blog)Maternal Morbidity And Mortality (National Institutes of Health)Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 Press ReleaseHigh Rates of Perinatal Insurance Churn Persist After The ACA (Health Affairs Blog)Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countries (The Commonwealth Fund)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast