Dear John,

ICYMI, Courtney Baird of Brown University appeared on A Health Podyssey to discuss her recent paper on how county-level mandates were generally effective at slowing COVID-19 transmission.

Tomorrow, we premiere a new episode featuring author Amanda Chen of Harvard University discussing her recent paper that identifies major gaps and discrepancies in new CMS nursing home ownership data.

Primary Care Costs In Medicare Advantage

In their paper in the March issue of Health Affairs, Eran Politzer of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Harvard University and coauthors examine primary care physician costliness in Medicare Advantage (MA) networks.

Using national claims data from 2016-18, the researchers find that “the average primary care physician who participated in MA networks was $375 less costly than the average of all primary care physicians in the hospital referral region (HRR).” When weighted by enrollment, the average physician participating in MA networks was $433 less costly.

Politzer and coauthors also find similar levels of quality between primary care physicians in the average MA network-HRR and all primary care physicians in the HRR.

They conclude that selective contracting with providers might contribute to lower costs in MA.

Empowering Employer Purchasers: Recommendations To Support Market Transparency And Health System Performance

Caroline Pearson et al.

The April 2024 issue of Health Affairs focuses on the topic: “Perinatal Mental Health & Well-Being.”

Building on the success of our October 2021 issue on perinatal mental health, the new issue expands the focus on equity, justice, and well-being.

You are invited to join us on Wednesday, April 3, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (Eastern), for a virtual forum at which authors will present their work, engage in discussions, and answer questions on important issues.

Find out more and register below!

Celebrating Women's History Month

This Women's History Month, we're elevating women who work to advance health equity and policy.

In a November 2023 Forefront article, Nalani Thomas and coauthors recommend a transdisciplinary approach to support diverse perinatal mental health (PMH) providers and birthing people across the nation.