Dear John,

Earlier this month, Health Affairs released our February issue that includes seven articles from the National Academy of Medicine’s Vital Directions for Health and Health Care: Priorities for 2025 project.

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In a Health Policy brief released earlier this month, Nathaniel Tran and Gilbert Gonzales explore how public debates and enactments of both pro- and anti-lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) policies affect LGBTQI+ populations in the places where they live, learn, work, play, and age.

Through their research, the authors note: 

• State-level anti-LGBTQI+ policies reached an all-time peak in 2024. 

• These anti-LGBTQI+ policies increase stigma, create mental health challenges, and reduce access to health care and other resources for LGBTQI+ populations.  

• In contrast, pro-LGBTQI+ policies improve health outcomes for LGBTQI+ populations. 

The End Of The MA Value-Based Insurance Design Model: What Next?

Riya Doshi and A. Mark Fendrick

part of our Supplemental Benefits In Medicare Advantage series

An Agenda For Sickle Cell Disease Research That Encompasses Lived Experience

Betty S. Pace and Titilope Fasipe

part of our The Future of Sickle Cell Disease Research & Care series

What Lies Ahead For Medicaid In Budget Reconciliation?

Sara Rosenbaum and Alison Barkoff

part of our Health Policy At A Crossroads series

Health Care Institutions And Immigration Enforcement: An Ethical Imperative

Julie M. Linton et al.

A Reinsurance Program To Mitigate Selection In Medicare Advantage

Daniel K. Shenfeld et al.

Addressing The Burden Of Spine-Related Disorders Through Integrated Value-Based Care

Ryan Burdick et al.

part of our Accountable Care For Population Health series

Maryland Should Use Its EMS System To Relieve Overcrowded Emergency Departments

Harry Lambert and Cole Cooper

Dismantling US Global Health Aid

Lawrence O. Gostin et al.

part of our Health Policy At A Crossroads series

Fulfilling The Promise Of AI To Reduce Clinician Burnout

Suhas Gondi and Tina Shah

What Do The Trump Executive Orders Mean For The Health Of Trans Americans?

Caroline Medina et al.

part of our Health Policy At A Crossroads series

What Recent Changes In MA Mean For Affinity Plans And Supplemental Benefits

Andrew Anderson et al.

A Health Podyssey: Jennifer Wolff on The Growing Number of Family Caregivers for Older Adults

Health Affairs' Senior Deputy Editor Rob Lott interviews Jennifer Wolff of John Hopkins University about her recent paper that explores the increasing number of family caregivers that are assisting older US adults, including adults with dementia.

Health Affairs This Week: What's Happening with Value-Based Insurance Design? w/ Mark Fendrick

Health Affairs' Jeff Byers welcomes Mark Fendrick of The University of Michigan's Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (VBID) to discuss the recent announcement from CMS that the Medicare Advantage VBID model would be ending after 2025, and what the future holds for VBID moving forward with the new Trump administration.

New Drugs at the Medicare Negotiating Table with Stacie Dusetzina

Join Health Affairs on February 25 for an exclusive Insider virtual event exploring HHS’s announcement of the 15 additional drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiations.

In the final days of the Biden administration, CMS revealed the second round of drugs selected for Medicare drug price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act.

Among the 15 drugs selected are treatments for conditions, such as cancer, type 2 diabetes, and asthma. This round also includes blockbuster weight-loss-associated drugs Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.

Stacie Dusetzina of Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Health Affairs Insider newsletter writer joins Health Affairs’ Laura Tollen to get Insiders up to speed on this round of drugs, the negotiation process to come, and what to expect in the second Trump administration.