Dear John,

As we bring 2023 to a close, we are revisiting a few of our favorite episodes of A Health Podyssey.

This week, we highlighted an episode from July 2022 featuring Marcia Weaver from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington to discuss whether we receive value for our high levels of health spending.

Health Disparities During COVID-19 In Germany

In the December issue of Health Affairs, Esra Eren Bayindir and colleagues from the University of Hamburg examine the impact of the pandemic on socioeconomic disparities in mortality and health care use in Germany.

They determine that “changes in socioeconomic disparities in all-cause mortality and inpatient utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic were limited except for ambulatory care-sensitive admissions.”

The authors suggest that Germany’s strong social safety net and universal health care system might have helped mitigate the effects of the pandemic on socioeconomic health disparities.

To learn more about the article, be sure to check out a video abstract featuring author Jonas Schreyögg.

How The CMS Innovation Center Can Drive State Investments In Health-Related Social Needs

Maggie Samra and Matthew Kehn

In Three States, Growth In Prescription Drug Spending Is Unaffordable Even When Accounting For Rebates

Jessica Mar and January Angeles

ICYMI, we announced the continuation of our Forefront Series “Provider Prices in the Commercial Sector."

Due to the ongoing support from Arnold Ventures, we are able to reissue our call for submissions for this series. We will accept submissions on a rolling basis throughout 2024.

With this in mind, let's take a look back at the series, which has featured analysis and discussion of physician, hospital, and other health care provider prices in the private-sector markets and their contribution to overall spending therein.

• ERISA Fiduciary Duties: An Old Dog With New Tricks? (October 2023)
• The Paradox Of Health Care Competition: How The Middle Class Became The Big Loser (August 2023)
• The Department Of Justice Withdraws 'Outdated' Antitrust Health Care Guidance (April 2023)
• Seven Burning Questions Related To Commercial Prices For Health Care Services (January 2023)