Health Affairs This Week

The COVID-19 vaccine rollout continues in the U.S. Of note, the US Food and Drug Administration authorized a new vaccine from Johnson & Johnson for emergency use. But vaccine equity is still a concern as President Joe Biden promised a COVID-19 vaccine for "every adult in America" by the end of May 2021. Health Affairs' Jessica Bylander and Rob Lott meet up on Health Affairs This Week to discuss the latest on the vaccine rollout as well as new research on nursing home staff turnover, which was published in the March 2021 edition of Health Affairs. The results were recently profiled by New York Times' Reed Abelson. Related Links:High Nursing Staff Turnover In Nursing Homes Offers Important Quality Information (Health Affairs)The Big Idea Behind A New Model Of Small Nursing Homes (Health Affairs)High Staff Turnover At US Nursing Homes Poses Risks For Residents' Care (New York Times)FDA Authorizes Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine For Emergency Use (Johnson & Johnson)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | OvercastMusic provided by Fake Fever.

According to survey company Civiqs, 51% of Americans plan on taking a COVID-19 vaccine if and when it becomes available. As the U.S. exceeds 500,000 deaths related to COVID-19, the Biden administration is working to deploy more than 200 million COVID-19 vaccine doses as well as combat vaccine hesitancy.On Health Affairs This Week, Leslie Erdelack and Chris Fleming discuss the latest on COVID-19, vaccine availability, and the status on various health policy court cases and administrative regulations.Related Links:COVID-19: U.S. Surpasses 500,000 COVID-19 Deaths, A Monumental Loss (New York Times)Hearing On "Pathway To Protection: Expanding Availability Of COVID-19 Vaccines" (House Committee on Energy & Commerce)Building On The Gains Of The ACA: Federal Proposals To Improve Coverage And Affordability (Health Affairs)As The Biden Administration Begins Unwinding Them, Medicaid Work Experiments Remain Unreasonable, Unnecessary, And Harmful (Health Affairs Blog)Ensuring Equitable Access To COVID-19 Vaccines In The US: Current System Challenges And Opportunities (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | OvercastMusic provided by Fake Fever.

The minimum wage hasn't been raised since its last adjustment in 2009. Now, as the federal government is drafting a COVID-19 stimulus package, it looks that gradually raising the minimum wage is on the table to be included. This week, President Joe Biden stated he supported raising the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour.But what are the health implications for raising the minimum wage? More money could mean an increased ability to purchase health coverage...or unhealthy food. But these aren't binary decisions and the research is still evolving for how increased minimum wages affect our health.Listen to Health Affairs' Rob Lott and Jeff Byers discuss what's happening with the $15 minimum wage proposal, what it could mean for population health, and what's next.Related Links:Effects Of Minimum Wages On Population Health (Health Affairs)Health, Income, & Poverty: Where We Are & What Could Help (Health Affairs)CBO Analyzes American Rescue Plan Coverage Expansions (Health Affairs Blog)Biden Picks Another Obama Veteran To Oversee Medicare, Medicaid (Washington Post)CVS Health Will Return Aetna To Obamacare Market (Forbes)Anthem-backed Digital Startup Sharecare Goes Public In $3.9B Blank Check Deal (Healthcare Dive)The Perils Of Prolonged Unemployment (Axios)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | OvercastMusic provided by Fake Fever.

Early this week, Representatives Lauren Underwood, Alma Adams, Cory Booker, and members of the Black Maternal Health Caucus announced the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021. The piece of legislation builds on existing maternal health legislation and seeks to mitigate racial and ethnic disparities in maternal health outcomes.Health Affairs editors Leslie Erdelack and Jessica Bylander break down what's new and important in the Momnibus 2.0 bill, noting the inclusion of initiatives to mitigate climate change-related risks for moms and babies and grow the perinatal workforce.  Health Affairs is planning a cluster of papers on perinatal mental health, to be published in October of 2021. Don't miss the issue and subscribe to the journal.Related Links:Saving Moms, Saving Lives (Health Affairs Blog)Maternal Morbidity And Mortality (National Institutes of Health)Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021 Press ReleaseHigh Rates of Perinatal Insurance Churn Persist After The ACA (Health Affairs Blog)Maternal Mortality and Maternity Care in the United States Compared to 10 Other Developed Countries (The Commonwealth Fund)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Last week, President Joe Biden signed an executive order to help strengthen Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act. Health Affairs editors Chris Fleming and Rob Lott join special guest and Health Affairs' rapid response health reform expert Katie Keith to discuss what's in it and what could be implied from the new executive order. Chris, Rob, and Katie also discuss what's at stake for the ACA regarding continued litigation. Related links:President Biden to Sign Executive Orders Strengthening Americans' Access to Quality, Affordable Health Care (White House)Biden Executive Order To Reopen HealthCare.gov, Make Other Changes (Health Affairs)ACA Litigation Round-Up: A Status Check (Health Affairs)Equity Metrics: Toward A More Effective And Inclusive Pandemic Response (Health Affairs)An Alternative Vaccine Strategy To Reduce COVID-19 Morbidity And Mortality (Health Affairs)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week President Joe Biden released his vision for advancing racial equity. On the same day, Health Affairs released details of its new Health Equity project. To spotlight the organization's approach to the topic and project, Health Affairs published two blogs to outline the program's details. Editor-In-Chief Alan Weil outlined his view on racism and health equity, stating where there is racism, only anti-racist systems can generate equitable results. Director of Equity Vabren Watts wrote on the subject of dismantling racism, noting that Health Affairs plans to be intentional in promoting and advancing equity.  Ultimately, Health Affairs is aiming for equitable participation, with authors, reviewers and editors representative of the diversity of the health policy community. The organization will seek out new voices from institutions, disciplines, and communities that have not historically been well represented in its pages.  On this episode of This Week, Jessica Bylander and Vabren Watts discuss the new health equity project.Related Links:A Health Affairs collection of Health Equity theme issues, journals, blogs and podcasts (Health Affairs)An Editor's View Of Race, Racism, And Equity (Health Affairs)Dismantling Racism In Scholarly Publishing, Intentionally And Unapologetically (Health Affairs)Scientific Journals Commit To Diversity But Lack the Data (New York Times)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

This week, Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States. With a new administration comes a new staff alongside new agendas.Biden has already made history by appointing Rachel Levine, an openly transgender woman, as assistant secretary of health at HHS. Health Affairs' Leslie Erdelack and Vabren Watts welcome the new administration with a discussion on what the Biden administration means for health equity and diversity at large. In addition, Vabren teases the announcement of Health Affairs new Health Equity Project.Related Links:Increases In Women's Political Representation Associated With Reductions In Child Mortality In Brazil (Health Affairs)Measuring Equity From The Start: Disparities In The Health Development Of US Kindergartners (Health Affairs)Just How Diverse Is President Biden's Prospective Cabinet? (Brookings)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

The news in 2021 has yet to slow down in the realm of health policy. For one, reports have found that unused COVID-19 vaccines are being thrown away, calling into question what to be done about vaccine distribution. In addition, the Trump administration recently approved a Tennessee Medicaid block grant waiver.Listen to editors Christopher Fleming and Jessica Bylander discuss the COVID-19 vaccine rollout and what the Biden administration may do with Medicaid block grants and work requirements when entering office.Related Links:In Its First 100 Days, The Biden Administration Must Restore The Soul Of Medicaid (Health Affairs Blog)The Affordable Care Reduced Income Inequality In The US (Health Affairs)See How The Vaccine Rollout Is Going In Your State (New York Times)Subscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast

Editors Leslie Erdelack and Rob Lott kick off 2021 with a new episode of This Week. A lot of news was crammed into the first week of 2021. Early on, Haven, the health care organization founded by Amazon, J.P. Morgan, and Berkshire Hathaway, decided to fold after being in business for three years. The Georgia runoff election confirmed a democratic Congress for the incoming Biden Administration. And, in late December 2020, a sweeping legislative package added more protections from surprise medical bills.Listen to Leslie and Rob talk about what all these events mean for health policy in 2021.Related Links:What a Democratic Congress Means For the ACA (Health Affairs Blog)Coverage Provisions in the 2021 Appropriations and COVID-19 Stimulus Package (Health Affairs Blog)Arbitration Over Out-Of-Network Medical Bills: Evidence from New Jersey Payment Disputes (Health Affairs)

The COVID-19 pandemic defined the majority of the year 2020. But it wasn't the only story to follow this year, especially in the field of health policy.In a special extended episode of Health Affairs This Week (the second of two end-of-year episodes), Leslie Erdelack, Vabren Watts and Jessica Bylander discuss some of the stories you may have missed in health policy if you focused most of your attention on the pandemic. The group highlights drug pricing and regulations, the public charge rule, and the increase in health literacy due to the pandemic.Related Links:Administration Finalizes Most-Favored Nation Drug Pricing Rule At The Last MinuteAdministration Finalizes Drug Importation Plans, But Legal and Practical Questions RemainSpread Fear: The Announcement Of The Public Charge Rule Reduced Enrollment In Child Safety-Net ProgramsSubscribe: RSS | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Castro | Stitcher | Deezer | Overcast