Health Policy

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August 6, 2020

Study finds Medicare Part D favors generic drugs over brand-name counterparts

Contrary to previous media reports, a new study led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers finds that Medicare Part D prescription drug insurance plans largely favor generic drugs over brand-name counterparts.

By Jake Lowary
July 16, 2020

Nearly one-third of Tennessee parents are worried their child has an undiagnosed mental health condition, new poll finds

One-third of Tennessee parents with children ages 6-17 are worried their child has an undiagnosed mental health condition, a new poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found.

By Jake Lowary
June 30, 2020

New study examines coronavirus transmission within households

Vanderbilt University Medical Center investigators are leading a new study that examines the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, within households in Nashville.

By Jake Lowary
June 24, 2020

VUMC faculty receive grant to expand LGBTQ voices in biomedical research

Researchers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Center for Biomedical Ethics & Society were recently awarded a grant from the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) of the National Institutes for Health (NIH) to explore LGBTQ+ perspectives on a range of issues related to biomedical research.

By Jake Lowary
June 16, 2020

COVID-19 hospitalizations increase primarily in two Tennessee regions, could hit 1,000 in late July

The number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients reached its highest level to date on June 15, when more than 400 patients were hospitalized across Tennessee, according to a report from researchers at Vanderbilt.

By Jake Lowary
May 18, 2020

Women in criminal justice system less likely to receive evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder

Pregnant women involved in the criminal justice system are disproportionately not receiving medications for opioid use disorder, as compared to their peers, according to a Vanderbilt-led study published today in PLOS Medicine.

By Jake Lowary
May 7, 2020

Rheumatoid arthritis patients on Medicare seeing increased out-of-pocket costs for specialty medications

After a sharp drop in out-of-pocket costs between 2010 and 2011, Medicare patients who use specialty biologic medications for rheumatoid arthritis have seen higher out-of-pocket spending for those same drugs because of gradual price increases, a new study finds.
By Jake Lowary
April 22, 2020

Safeguarding opioids a concern as children may have more access with families at home due to COVID-19

A new poll from the Vanderbilt Center for Child Health Policy found that few Tennessee parents take steps to safeguard opioids at home, an important concern when children are spending more time indoors due to COVID-19 social distancing recommendations.
By Jake Lowary
April 9, 2020

Vanderbilt Health Policy COVID-19 model finds evidence of flattening curve, recommends distancing policies continue

Vanderbilt University Medical Center researchers have found evidence of the rate of COVID-19 infection slowing in Tennessee, which reduces the chance that the state will run out of hospital capacity for patients.
By Jake Lowary
March 4, 2020

Analysis finds Affordable Care Act has dented health care cost curve

A decade after the passage of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010, there is evidence that the landmark health care legislation has contributed to slower growth of U.S. health care spending.
By Jake Lowary
January 29, 2020

Buntin named deputy editor of JAMA Health Forum

Melinda Buntin, PhD, chair of Health Policy at VUMC, has been named deputy editor of JAMA Health Forum, a new online information channel published by JAMA Network.
By Jill Clendening
January 6, 2020

Study links Medicaid expansion and recipients’ health status

In Southern states that expanded their Medicaid programs under the Affordable Care Act, adults experienced lower rates of decline in both physical and mental health, according to research published this month in the journal Health Affairs.
By Jake Lowary
October 23, 2019

New podcast seeks to explain health care system’s many mysteries

Everyone wants to fix the massive and complex U.S. health care system. But the truth is there is no silver bullet that will seamlessly reform the industry that consumes one-fifth the world’s largest economy.
By Jake Lowary