Health Affairs Archives
Hospital readmissions tied to supply of nearby care options: study
Jul. 14, 2022—Vanderbilt research finds that hospitals' 30-day readmission rates were lower if they had a larger supply of primary care physicians, nursing homes or palliative care services nearby.
Medicare beneficiaries without low-income subsidies were less likely to fill important prescriptions, new study finds
Apr. 4, 2022—Vanderbilt research shows that Medicare Part D beneficiaries who did not receive federal subsidies to lower their out-of-pocket costs were nearly twice as likely as others to not fill prescriptions for serious health conditions like cancer or hepatitis C treatment.
Study examines long-term benefit of Two-Midnight Rule
Nov. 4, 2021—Vanderbilt research is raising new questions about the long-term benefit and value of the so-called Medicare “Two-Midnight Rule” implemented in 2013 to reduce costly and potentially unnecessary inpatient hospital admissions
Study shows link between neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and foster care entry
Oct. 13, 2021—Vanderbilt research has revealed the close relationship between neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome and the number of infants entering foster care.
Analysis finds Affordable Care Act has dented health care cost curve
Mar. 4, 2020—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.
Study links Medicaid expansion and recipients’ health status
Jan. 6, 2020—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.
New data reveals highly variable staffing at nursing homes
Jul. 11, 2019—Researchers who analyzed payroll-based staffing data for U.S. nursing homes discovered large daily staffing fluctuations, low weekend staffing and daily staffing levels that often fall well below the expectations of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), all of which can increase the risk of adverse events for residents.
Study shows some generics can cost Medicare recipients more than brand-name drugs
Jul. 1, 2019—Medicare Part D enrollees may pay more out of pocket for high-priced specialty generic drugs than their brand-name counterparts, according to new research by health policy experts at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Vanderbilt study explores how dual-eligible beneficiaries spend
Aug. 16, 2018—While there has been much effort to control spending for individuals eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare in the United States, for the first time a team of Vanderbilt health policy researchers have analyzed spending trends for this population over a multiyear period in order to gain a much clearer understanding of exactly how much is being spent and by whom.
Study finds generic options offer limited savings for expensive drugs
May. 9, 2018—Generic drug options did not reduce prices paid for the cancer therapy imatinib (Gleevec), according to a Health Affairs study released this week.
Study evaluates community-based health efforts
Feb. 1, 2018—A new study from researchers at Vanderbilt and Harvard universities, published this week in the journal Health Affairs, uses federal health survey data to evaluate community-based efforts to address smoking, obesity and other health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Study finds nurses staying in workforce longer
Jul. 24, 2014—Registered nurses are staying in the workforce longer than in past decades, boosting the nation’s supply of R.N.s, according to a new study whose authors include Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Peter Buerhaus, Ph.D.