Executive Summary: Declining in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace cannot be reduced to a single cause – it reflects a convergence of designed legislative sunsets, a crackdown on improper enrollment, and a fiscal choice to limit spending. The expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits reverts the Affordable Care Act subsidy to its initial statutory … Continue reading
Tag Archives: health
The Medicaid Work Requirement Debate Isn’t Just About Work
Executive Summary The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has introduced work requirements for Medicaid expansion enrollees, expected to reduce federal spending while decreasing enrollment. Evidence from prior implementation of work requirements in Arkansas found no clear increase in employment, though they were short lived and administratively flawed. The empirical evidence for work requirements reflects … Continue reading
Why Are Most Nicotine Pouches on Sale Illegal?
Executive Summary The Food and Drug Administration has authorized 26 nicotine pouch products. Hundreds more sell without clearance, so the legal market is a small fraction of the shelf. For most of those unauthorized products, illegal means the FDA never finished reviewing them. It does not mean the agency examined them and judged them dangerous. A dangerous product … Continue reading
Notable Paperwork Expansion Within the CY 2026 Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) published its Current Year (CY) 2026 Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) and related policy updates on November 5. While the final rule spans a wide range of Medicare payment and operational policies, the information collection request associated with the Medicare Prescription Drug Inflation Rebate Program introduces a particularly … Continue reading
Impact of AI on Healthcare
Executive Summary Artificial Intelligence is increasingly integrated into medical practice, combining traditional AI, such as machine learning, and generative AI to improve efficiency and decrease research costs. Abridge AI, Freed AI, GE’s Critical Care Suite, and AlphaFold are FDA approved HIPAA compliant tools which automate clinical documentation, aid diagnostic imaging, and accelerate biomedical research. Despite … Continue reading
AI Regulation Updates in the Healthcare Sector
As Artificial Intelligence (AI) expands into new parts of our economy, new regulations in areas such as the healthcare sector are being proposed in 2024. In the healthcare sector, there are many concerns about the privacy and accuracy of AI algorithms, both from governments and independent organizations. As policy makers look to the future of … Continue reading
Europe / Healthcare / Home Health Services / Medicare / UN
Gear Up: A Comparison of Durable Medical Equipment in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom
Executive Summary: The United Kingdom appears to have greater utilization of Durable Medical Equipment (DME) products as compared to the US Medicare Population (over half of the UK vs 21 percent of the US Medicare population). However, this variation in utilization may be driven by definitions rather than patient need. The definition of DME varies … Continue reading
Inhaler Pricing: A Lack of Market Competition
Executive Summary: On January 8th, 2024 the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) sent letters to the CEOs of the four largest manufacturers of inhalers sold in the United States (AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), and Teva) launching an investigation into the high price of inhalers used for Asthma and Chronic Obstructive … Continue reading
Housing as Healthcare: Medicaid’s New Program Sparks Debate
Executive Summary: The Biden administration has encouraged states to use Medicaid funds to alleviate the homelessness crisis with around 20 states directing billions of dollars from their Medicaid program to provide short-term housing for those experiencing homelessness, with some states devoting anywhere from six to fifteen percent of its Medicaid spending to such programs. In … Continue reading
Poor Childhood Nutrition is a Growing Issue in America
Introduction Nutrition is essential at all life stages for overall health, however childhood is a time of increased need for proper nutrition. Key nutrients are needed to promote healthy physical and cognitive growth and development. Unfortunately, the vast majority of American children are not consuming healthy diets. While federal programs and policies aim to provide … Continue reading
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