Health Affairs This Week

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What's Happening with the FDA Commissioner Appointment? Oct 22, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

Delivered weekly from David Lim, Semafor Healthcare connects the dots between decisions in government, business, and technology to reveal how they impact the future of healthcare. Each edition will provide the analysis you need to understand and stay ahead of a rapidly changing landscape. Subscribe for free.

Last week, it was reported that President Joe Biden is considering Robert Califf to lead the Food and Drug Administration.

The appointment, which has yet to been made official, comes as a mid-November deadline to appoint an FDA Commissioner looms. Currently, the acting commissioner for the agency is Janet Woodcock.

On Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Jessica Bylander and Chris Fleming dive into Califf's consideration, why it's important the agency has a leader, and give an overview of the role FDA plays in regulation outside of drugs and medical devices.

Related Links:

Biden Zeroes In On Califf To Head FDA As Deadline Nears (The Washington Post)
The FDA Has Been Without A Permanent Leader For 8 Months As COVID Cases Climb (NPR)
Seven Former FDA Commissioners: The FDA Should Be An Independent Federal Agency (Health Affairs)
FDA Letter to President Biden, March 9, 2021

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Zoning Policy is Health Policy Oct 15, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

The downstream effects of exclusionary, low-density residential zoning on health and health equity should make scholars and policy makers focus on reforming zoning to make housing more plentiful and affordable in healthy neighborhoods.

Michael Lens, associate professor of Urban Planning and Public Policy and associate faculty director of the Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies at the University of California Los Angeles, recently shared his perspective on the topic in a Health Policy Brief published last month.

On today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Lens joins Health Affairs Deputy Editor of Special Content Rob Lott to discuss his research and how low-density zoning relates to health and health equity.

Related Links:

Low-Density Zoning, Health, and Health Equity (Health Affairs)
Eviction And Health: A Vicious Cycle Exacerbated By A Pandemic (Health Affairs)
Gentrification And The Health Of Legacy Residents (Health Affairs)
To Stem The Spread of COVID-19, Address The Challenges Of Crowded Housing (Health Affairs Blog)

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Behind the Pages: Perinatal Mental Health Issue Oct 08, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

In October, Health Affairs published an issue dedicated to perinatal mental health.

There has long been an awareness of the harm associated with perinatal depression and mood disorders. Perinatal depression and mood disorders occur in the context of social, economic, and other health conditions that affect the well-being of birthing people, families, and communities. Prevention, screening, and treatment can promote mental health in pregnant and postpartum individuals, but it is sporadic, and there are many missed opportunities as individuals seek and obtain care within the health care system and community.

The purpose of this theme issue is to explore the policy opportunities and evidence behind those options for improving support for people before, during, and after giving birth.
In today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Leslie Erdelack, Ellen Bayer, and Kathleen Haddad discuss the publication process and highlight the research insights from the issue.

Order the October Perinatal Mental Health Issue.

Health Affairs thanks Jennifer Moore, founding executive director of the Institute for Medicaid Innovation, for serving as theme adviser for the perinatal mental health papers in the October issue. We thank the California Health Care Foundation, Perigee Fund, and ZOMA Foundation for their financial support of this issue.

Related Links:

Health Affairs' Perinatal Mental Health Issue
A Humane Approach To Caring For New Mothers In Psychiatric Crisis (Health Affairs)
Preventing Pregnancy-Related Mental Health Deaths: Insights From 14 US Maternal Mortality Review Committees, 2008-17 (Health Affairs)
Perinatal Mental Health Care In The United States: An Overview Of Policies And Programs (Health Affairs)

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Hospital Specialty Pharmacies and 340B Oct 01, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

This week was a busy week on Capitol Hill but on today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander look into recent pharmaceutical and drug pricing news.

In one story, Walgreens is investing more into hospital specialty pharmacies to broaden their reach. “Today, around 25 percent of hospitals in the US have an in-house specialty pharmacy—that’s up from 9 percent from just a few years,” says Erdelack.

In another story, a dust up over 340B drug pricing program is playing out between drug companies and the federal government.

Take a break from government shutdown and Capitol Hill news and listen to Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander give an overview on the latest on the pharmaceutical industry.

Related Links:

6 Drug Companies Could Face Steep Fines For Violating 340B Law (Healthcare Dive)
Walgreens Invests Deeper in Hospital Specialty Pharmacies (Axios)
340B Drug Pricing Program (Health Resources & Services Administration)

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The Fight to Expand Postpartum Medicaid — And Why It Matters Sep 24, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

Child birth in the US is expensive. One of the largest payers for childbirth in the US is Medicaid, covering 43% of US births in 2018.

New mothers with pregnancy-related insurance coverage via Medicaid can lose their insurance coverage 60 days after the birth of their child. But policy makers are looking to change that and expand postpartum Medicaid coverage.

Join Health Affairs Senior Editor Jessica Bylander and Deputy Editor of Special Content Rob Lott on Health Affairs This Week as they talk about recent policy movements on maternal health and postpartum insurance coverage.

Pre-order the October Perinatal Mental Health Theme Issue.

Related Links:

Opportunities For States To Minimize Postpartum Coverage Loss When The Public Health Emergency Ends (Health Affairs Blog)
Post-ACA, More Than One-Third Of Women With Prenatal Medicaid Remained Uninsured Before Or After Pregnancy (Health Affairs)
Expanding Postpartum Medicaid Coverage (Kaiser Family Foundation)
Racial Disparities in Maternal Health (US Commission On Civil Rights)
Podcast: Breaking Down the 2021 Momnibus Bill (Health Affairs This Week)

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COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates, Paid Sick Leave, and the Economy Sep 17, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

Earlier this week, the White House released its "path out of the pandemic," which notes the FDA is currently evaluating a COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 12.

A major pillar in the plan is to reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by using regulatory powers to increase Americans covered by vaccination requirements. For example, the plan requires that all employers with more than 100 employees ensure their workers are vaccinated or tested weekly for COVID-19.

As Health Affairs' Senior Editors Ellen Bayer and Leslie Erdelack note in today's Health Affairs This Week, the workplace is an important focus for public health efforts, as it can be a place where disease spreads. Because of this, paid sick leave policies are important when thinking about public health. However, the US lags behind other countries when it comes to guaranteeing paid sick leave.

Listen to Ellen Bayer and Leslie Erdelack go over President Joe Biden's latest path out of the COVID-19 pandemic and how paid sick leave can influence public health.

View the Full Agenda for Health Affairs' NEW EVENT SERIES.

Related Links:

Path Out of the Pandemic (White House)
COVID-19 Emergency Sick Leave Has Helped Flatten The Curve In The United States (Health Affairs)
Olive Garden's Expansion Of Paid Sick Leave During COVID-19 Reduced The Share Of Employees Working While Sick (Health Affairs)
US Sick Leave In Global Context: US Eligibility Rules Widen Inequalities Despite Readily Available Solutions (Health Affairs)

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Health Affairs' Health Equity Round-Up Sep 10, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

In January 2021, Health Affairs posted an announcement regarding its new Health Equity Project.

Since then, Health Affairs has been ramping up its efforts to advance equity in scholarly publishing and health services research.

Last month, the organization announced the members of the Health Affairs' Health Equity Advisory Board. This week, the Health Affairs Blog published a cluster of blogs related to various topics on health equity.

Join Health Affairs' Director of Health Equity Vabren Watts and Senior Editor Rob Lott as they discuss the journal's latest efforts to highlight and advance health equity through a new blog cluster, the new Health Equity Advisory Committee, and the Health Equity Fellowship for Trainees.

Related Links:

Clinically Driven Payment and Benefit Design To Improve Health Equity: The Case of Obesity Prevention and Treatment (Health Affairs Blog)
Medical Algorithms Are Failing Communities of Color (Health Affairs Blog)
A New Effort To Address Racial and Ethnic Disparities In Care Through Quality Measurement (Health Affairs Blog)
Apply to the Health Equity Fellowship for Trainees at Health Affairs

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On the Texas Abortion Ban Decision, Medicare's Insolvency & More with Katie Keith Sep 03, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

This week in Health Affairs Today, Georgetown University faculty member and Health Affairs Contributing Editor Katie Keith shared her "back-to-school" reading list with subscribers.

In part to talk about her reading picks for the future health policy leaders of tomorrow, Katie joins Health Affairs Senior Editor Chris Fleming on Health Affairs This Week.

In addition to teasing out a virtual Health Affairs-hosted Lunch-and-Learn event later in September, Katie and Chris discuss the latest on the Texas abortion ban Supreme Court decision, Medicare's projected insolvency, and the health policy landscape at large.

Watch out for details on Katie Keith's virtual Lunch-and-Learn session in September on Health Affairs Events Page or by signing up for Health Affairs Today.

Related Links:

Supreme Court Leaves Texas Abortion Ban In Place (SCOTUS Blog)
Katie Keith's Back To School Reading List (Health Affairs)
Rethinking Race In Medicine: ACOG Removes A Race-Based Cutoff For Anemia In Pregnancy (Health Affairs Blog)
2021 Annual Report Of The Boards Of Trustees of the Federal Hospital Insurance and Federal Supplementary Medical Insurance Trust Funds (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
National Health Interview Survey Early Release Program (Centers for Disease Control & Prevention)

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Back To School Edition: COVID-19 Vaccines & Mask Mandates Aug 27, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

This week, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted Pfizer full approval for its COVID-19 vaccine.

Schools around the country also started to reopen for the 2021-2022 school year. With schools reopening and the Delta variant of COVID-19 flaring up across the US, many are bringing up the pros and cons of mask mandates in schools in addition to COVID-19 vaccine access to young children.
In today's episode of Health Affairs This Week, Senior Editors Rob Lott and Jessica Bylander weigh the perspectives for both topics as parents prepare for the new school year.

Sign up to the the Health Affairs Today newsletter for more Back-To-School Essentials content during the week of August 30, 2021. In the newsletter, we will promote past Health Affairs content for future health policy experts.

Related Links:

COVID-19 Vaccines for Children and Teens (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
FDA Approves First COVID-19 Vaccine (FDA)
As Schools Reopen, It's Time To Increase Funding For School-Based Health Centers (Health Affairs Blog)
Children and COVID-19: State-Level Data Report (American Academy of Pediatrics)
The Delta Variant: I’m Vaccinated. Should I Wear A Mask? (Johns Hopkins University)

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Inside the Historic Boost for SNAP Food Assistance Aug 20, 2021

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This episode is brought to you by Semafor Healthcare.

This week, the Biden administration updated its Thrifty Food Plan, which is used to calculate Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The analysis led to an increase in the average SNAP benefit which is set to increase in October.

The cost adjustment, according to the Biden administration, is the first update since the plan was first introduced in 1975.

Food insecurity is a big issue, especially as the social determinants of health increasingly are in health policy discussion. For example, one Health Affairs research article found that food-insecure children are at least twice as likely to report being in fair or poor health.

SNAP reduces the prevalence of food insecurity. Listen to Health Affairs' Editors Jessica Bylander and Leslie Erdelack discuss the Biden administration's latest move on SNAP, and what it means for health care.

Related Links: