All Articles In 'Health Costs and Spending'
Medical Devices and the FDA: FDA Taking Longer to Approve New Medical Devices for U.S. Market
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reviews the safety and effectiveness of new medical devices sold in the United States, and The Medical Device User Fee and Modernization Act of 2002 (MDUFMA) authorizes FDA to collect [...]
Comparative Effectiveness Research: How Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Spent $474 Million in ARRA Funds
As part of the $1.1 billion provided to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) earmarked for comparative effectiveness research (CER) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA or Recovery Act) of 2009, $474 [...]
Health Insurer Fee Impact on Medicaid: Financial Impact of ACA Health Insurer Fee on State Medicaid Programs and Medicaid Health Plans
A new federally mandated tax on health insurers will increase costs for state Medicaid programs and Medicaid health plans. In an excellent new report, PPACA Health Insurer Fee Estimated Impact on State Medicaid Programs and Medicaid Health [...]
Medicare Fee-for-Service Benefits: Impact of Medicare Cost Sharing Changes on Beneficiaries and Budget
Several Medicare reform proposals have concentrated on realigning financial incentives within Medicare’s provider payment and delivery system to improve program cost-effectiveness and quality, a key health policy challenge. There have been calls to modernize Medicare’s fee-for-service [...]
Individual Mandate: Projecting the Strength of the Individual Mandate on Health Insurance Participation
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires that most Americans have health insurance that meets minimum federal requirements. Under the controversial mandate, starting in 2014, most individuals under 65 must purchase minimum essential health insurance coverage or [...]
Healthcare Quality and Cost: Engaging Employers as Change Agents in Lowering Costs and Improving Quality
As the second-largest health care service purchaser, employers have an opportunity to use their substantial market leverage as a means to augment quality. If mobilized and motivated, employers could act as a key change agent by [...]
Health Coverage Expansion: Implications of ACA for American Indians and Alaskan Natives
As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), Medicaid coverage could be expanded to cover nearly 400,000 currently uninsured American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN). This population, particularly sensitive to health disparities, suffers from elevated disease [...]
Prescription Drug Pricing: Estimating Generic Drug Cost Savings
Prescription drug spending rose by $135 billion between 2001 and 2010 to comprise approximately 12 percent of the nation’s overall healthcare outlay. While drug expenditure was one of the fastest growing components of U.S. healthcare spending [...]
Prevention: Variation in Cost of Diabetes, Cancer, and Cholesterol Screenings
More than 75 percent of total health care costs cover preventable chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) mandates that self-insured employers and health plans provide common, evidence-based wellness screenings [...]
Medicaid: Recommendations for Strengthening Medicaid Program Integrity
Federal and state Medicaid spending currently exceeds $460 billion and, with this, accountability is necessary on all levels. To ensure Medicaid program integrity: Consistent incentives must be offered for better health outcomes. Services must be used [...]
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