Dear John,

ICYMI, we published an ahead-of-print article from Devlin Hanson and Sarah Gillespie of the Urban Institute that examines the impacts of the Housing First initiative on health care use, Medicaid enrollment, and mortality among people experiencing chronic homelessness who had frequent arrests and jail stays.

Cost And HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis

In the January issue of Health Affairs, Lorraine Dean of Johns Hopkins University and coauthors examine simulated rates of abandonment of HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) in response to hypothetical changes to out-of-pocket costs.

After analyzing data from more than 58,999 newly prescribed PrEP patients, the researchers find that higher out-of-pocket costs were associated with an increased rate of patient abandonment of PrEP prescriptions.

PrEP abandonment rates rose from 5.5 percent at $0 to 42.6 percent at more than $500.

The researchers also find that HIV incidence was higher among patients who abandoned their PrEP prescription.

The authors emphasize the importance of ensuring financial access to PrEP, including low- or no-cost access, to avoid widespread abandonment. 

Ingrid Gould Ellen on Housing Mobility and Health

In a special series on housing and health, Health Affairs' Rob Lott interviews Ingrid Gould Ellen from the NYU Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy.

This is a special series leading up to the release of a theme issue on housing and health in February.

Ensure Equity And Feasibility In Updating Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations

Spreeha Choudhury and Richard H. Hughes IV

Demand-Side Reforms To Prevent Drug Shortages: Medicare’s Role In A Successful National Strategy

Stephen Colvill et al.

Health Affairs Reads: Undoing The Harm Of Government’s Slavish Devotion To Process

Thomas E. Dobbs

Applications for the 2024–2025 Health Equity Fellowship for Trainees cohort are open until February 15, 2024.

The purpose of the Fellowship is to increase the quantity and quality of manuscripts published by early-career researchers interested in addressing health inequities among underserved racial and ethnic populations, while cultivating future health equity research leaders.

In the program, fellows will receive multilayered mentorship from experienced Health Affairs authors and editorial staff for eighteen months (July 2024–December 2025).

Join us for a virtual information session next Wednesday, January 31, at 11:00 am Eastern. You'll learn more about the fellowship and application process from the program director and former fellows.