On January 1, a new CMS rule on hospital price transparency went into effect. What does the new regulation do? How could it affect the cost of care? And are hospitals complying? Shannon and Vikas answer these questions on this week’s Lown Hospitals Q&A. More
Many countries use independent review boards to balance innovation and profit. More
A little over ten years after the Physician Payments Sunshine Act was passed, how have industry payments to physicians changed? A recent article in Medscape explores the impact of the legislation, obstacles to change, and potential solutions beyond just disclosure. More
A new law will protect patients from unexpected charges — but more must be done to make it work. More
Insulin prices are way up. Why is this happening? What options are available for people who need insulin but can't afford it? Dr. Vikas Saini is the president of the Lown Institute and co-chair of the Right Care Alliance. He offers his perspective about this situation. More
The New York State-run facility in St. Albans, Queens, administered a cocktail of hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin, despite safety warnings and doubts about efficacy. More
Health agencies and hospitals are using different formulas to allocate the coronavirus shots, exacerbating disparities in vaccine access. More
A 72-year old Longmont man was ready to get his vaccine until a phone call put those plans on hold. By asking questions, he got back in line. More
Oregon is one of several states that have ratcheted up regulations on hospitals' community benefit spending as officials aim to hold them more accountable and increase transparency. More
Hospitals use century-old lien laws to bypass insurers and charge patients, especially poorer ones, the full amount. More
A new report from Rep. Katie Porter has an illuminating case study on the value of antitrust in health care. More
The Biden administration will have 2 distinct consolidation-oriented challenges: preventing new consolidation likely to have deleterious effects without stalling mergers and acquisitions that could be beneficial and heightening competition in markets that are already consolidated. More
Is a competitive hospital system the best way to deliver the care we all need? On January 27, the Lown Institute brought together health policy experts to discuss how Covid-19 has changed the way hospitals work (or don't work) together. Watch the full recording of the event! More
Using those funds for non-BARDA purposes was "so common, there was even a name for it within the agency: "Bank of BARDA," OSC said. More
With U.S. cases skyrocketing, demand for Gilead’s dark horse antiviral is only growing. Biden appointees propose potential legal tactics to tamp down the price for patients. More
So why do we talk about Pfizer or Moderna, when these should be the people’s vaccines? More
The spread of other dangerous germs is surging — a result, in part, of the chaotic response to the pandemic. More
Covid-19 ‘pool’ to share information has received no contributions since May 2020 More
Hospitals now have to disclose on their website the prices they negotiate with insurers. But many hospitals are lagging when it comes to revealing their "real" prices... More
Last year we did an episode on the third annual Shkreli Awards from the Lown Institute – ten examples of profiteering and dysfunction in healthcare. The ins and outs of the healthcare system are the bread and butter of this channel, so we were more than happy to dedicate another episode to the fourth annual Shkreli Awards, and this year’s did not (or did?) disappoint. More