JAMA Health Forum Conversations

Extreme heat in the US led to deaths and hospital admissions among community-dwelling older adults with low incomes. Hyunjee Kim, PhD, of the Oregon Health & Science University, and Jose F. Figueroa, MD, MPH, of Harvard University, discuss these findings with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD. Related Content: Heat Waves and Adverse Health Events Among Dually Eligible Individuals 65 Years and Older The Alarming Risks for Dually Eligible Beneficiaries During Heat Waves

The use of care by patients of physicians considered more altruistic differs from the use of care of physicians considered less. Lawrence P. Casalino, MD, PhD, MPH, of Weill Cornell Medicine, discusses his work around this with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD. Related Content: Physician Altruism and Spending, Hospital Admissions, and Emergency Department Visits

JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, spoke with Sherry Glied, PhD, and Dong Ding, MA, MPA, of New York University, about the effects of participation in health care savings accounts. Participation in flexible spending accounts is linked to higher health care and tax expenditures, while health care savings accounts do not reduce expenditures. Related Content: Health Care–Related Savings Accounts, Health Care Expenditures, and Tax Expenditures

AcademyHealth CEO Aaron Carroll, MD, MS, shares highlights from the AcademyHealth 2024 Annual Research Meeting in an interview hosted by JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD. John and Melinda then discuss key findings from 4 highly rated abstracts presented at the meeting that were published concurrently as Original Investigations in JAMA Health Forum. Related Content: Coverage and Access Changes During Medicaid Unwinding Changes in Health Care and Prescription Medication Affordability in the US During the COVID-19 Pandemic Household Health Care Payments Under Rate Setting, Spending Growth Target, and Single-Payer Policies Pay-for-Performance Incentives for Home Dialysis Use and Kidney Transplant JAMA Health Forum Highlights From the AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting

More than 50 million adults in the US are eligible to vote but not registered. Alister F. Martin, MD, MPP, of Harvard University, and Katherine McCabe, PhD, of Rutgers University speak with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, about a program to register new voters in health care settings that has enrolled younger and racially and ethnically diverse adults. Related Content: Increasing Voter Participation Through Health Care–Based Voter Registration

JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, speaks with Kelsey M. Owsley, PhD, of the University of Arkansas, and Sayeh Nikay, PhD, MPH, of the University of Minnesota, about how the 340B drug discount program influences the services offered by public and nonprofit hospitals. They also discuss new state policies and proposed federal policies to promote greater transparency and accountability in the 340B program. Related Content: US Hospital Service Availability and New 340B Program Participation Public Hospitals May Use the 340B Program Differently Than Nonprofit Hospitals

Benjamin D. Sommers, MD, PhD, of Harvard University, speaks with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, about differences in Medicaid enrollment as measured in surveys and administrative data. These differences have implications for estimating coverage now that the federal policy of continuous Medicaid eligibility during the COVID-19 pandemic has ended. Related Content: Survey-Reported Coverage in 2019-2022 and Implications for Unwinding Medicaid Continuous Eligibility

JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, speak with Rachel A. Prusynski, DPT, PhD, of the University of Washington about differences in the use and outcomes of home health services provided to beneficiaries in traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage. Related Content: Differences in Home Health Services and Outcomes Between Traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major disruptions in ambulatory care. In this interview with JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, Rishi K. Wadhera, MD, MPP, MPhil, of Harvard Medical School discusses how access to care and preventive services changed for different racial and ethnic groups in the US from 2019 to 2022. Related Content: Changes in Health Care Access and Preventive Health Screenings by Race and Ethnicity

JAMA Health Forum Editor John Ayanian, MD, MPP, and Deputy Editor Melinda Buntin, PhD, speak with Lindsay D. Allen, PhD, about how setting-specific opioid prescription duration limits helped reduce opioid overuse in West Virginia. Related Content: Opioid Prescribing Patterns After Imposition of Setting-Specific Limits on Prescription Duration