Health System Reform Posts
Are High Drug Prices Here to Stay?
Last week the FDA approved PCSK9 inhibitors, which promise to help millions of Americans with high cholesterol. But these new drugs come with a projected price tag of about $14,600 a year. The PCSK9 inhibitors are the latest in a series of high-priced prescription drugs reaching the market.
A Win for the Affordable Care Act
There was a great deal of exuberance in the hallways at Burness yesterday when the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) subsidies for people living in states with federally run health insurance marketplaces—and I know we weren’t alone.
Rising Health Spending for Diabetes Patients
More than 29 million Americans, or 9.3 percent of the U.S. population, had diabetes in 2014. While diabetes has been widely recognized as a growing public health challenge in the U.S., a new report from the Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) shows that it also has a substantial financial impact.
Short Distances to Large Gaps in Health
The Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Center on Society and Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) released four new maps illustrating how large gaps in health can exist in very short distances.
A Blueprint for Using Data to Improve Health
An explosion of self-monitoring devices and apps that passively track every move and breath we take has brought about an unparalleled opportunity to harness data to improve health. But according to a new report, the public’s concerns about privacy and other barriers to data sharing could halt progress.
Consumers Save by Shopping for Health Care
The Health Care Cost Institute is launching, Guroo.com, a website that provides national, state, and local information free to consumers to help them shop and make more informed choices about how they spend their health care dollars.
Improving Oral Health for Kids and Communities
Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) Bonnie Johnson, from Emmonak, Alaska, travels around her community providing dental care to children and families in rural Alaska. Tribal leaders, dentists and community members explain how dental therapists like Bonnie have helped radically improve oral health in their villages while inspiring their community, once known for rampant tooth decay and poor oral health, to strive for a different, healthier future.
RWJF-funded Research Shows Power of Early Engagement in Treating Mental Illness
A Washington Post front-page story this week reports on the groundbreaking success of the Early Detection and Intervention for the Prevention of Psychosis Program (EDIPPP) in helping at-risk young people avoid developing schizophrenia, a costly and potentially life-altering condition that affects 2.4 million Americans.
Visiting Hours Are Over: Why Patients’ Families Should Be with Them 24/7
Imagine being separated from your family or loved one during your stay in the hospital or ICU. Maybe you’re even in pain and critically ill, or you’re told you can’t be with your spouse because “visiting hours are over.” Studies show that having a loved one by your side can reduce patient stress and complications as well as improve patient satisfaction in the hospital.
Simple Approaches to Reduce Children’s Pain
Fewer than five percent of children receive any kind of pain relief during routine immunizations, even though research shows that there are simple, no-cost solutions that work.
