Articles

People with substantial mental health needs appear to receive much less mental healthcare after they age into Medicare, while use of non-mental healthcare was unaffected for those who can’t afford to pay out of pocket.

Since 2012, the Schaeffer Center has received $6.1 million in funding from the NIH to fund pilot projects by junior scholars focused on addressing disparities. This year we are seeking junior scientists concentrating on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in minority populations.

Removing prescribing requirements and cost barriers could significantly improve access to contraception. However, successful implementation will require careful consideration of operational processes.

Expanding coverage for anti-obesity medications without reforming compounding regulation will exacerbate problems with counterfeit drugs. The incoming administration should modernize manufacturing techniques, shore up the supply chain and ban compounding of new obesity medications.

Transparent, simple plan benefits like the proposed model, as well as transparent cost structures throughout the system, have valuable impacts for the beneficiary and the potential to help align incentives throughout the distribution system.

The risk of closure was higher in predominantly Black and Latino neighborhoods, and independent pharmacies were more than twice as likely to face closure.

The Medicare Advantage payment system needs a broad reform that aligns insurers’ incentives with the needs of beneficiaries and taxpayers.

Over half of Medicare beneficiaries in stand-alone Part D plans kept their coverage without comparing plans during the last enrollment period, and many reported not knowing how to switch plans.

Rosalie Liccardo Pacula, a leading expert on cannabis policy, discusses the public health and social equity impacts of rapidly changing marijuana laws on the PricePod.

Expected monthly out-of-pocket costs for a typical enrollee were about 18-24% lower in Medicare Advantage in recent years, which likely helped fuel the program’s enrollment surge.