Melinda Buntin Archives
COVID-19 hospitalizations increase primarily in two Tennessee regions, could hit 1,000 in late July
Jun. 16, 2020—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.
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.
Buntin named deputy editor of JAMA Health Forum
Jan. 29, 2020—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.
Vanderbilt health policy expert explains TennCare block grant proposal
Oct. 9, 2019—Tennessee has made an “opening bid” in its negotiations with the federal government about a block grant that could significantly change how TennCare functions for more than 1 million children and low-income individuals, and making sense of the complex proposal can be tricky.
Panel explores tobacco-control legislation efforts
Apr. 4, 2019—Tobacco control legislative initiatives in Tennessee and other states were discussed during the spring Research into Policy and Practice Lecture sponsored by the Department of Health Policy at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and NashvilleHealth.
Policies for Action Research Hub at Vanderbilt created
Dec. 13, 2018—Experts from Vanderbilt University School of Medicine’s Department of Health Policy and Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of Education and Human Development are joining efforts to establish a Policies for Action (P4A) Research Hub at Vanderbilt to better understand and develop recommendations to address the needs of some of Tennessee’s most vulnerable children, including those in immigrant families and with prenatal exposure to opioids.
Experts weigh in on where new state officials could take health policy
Nov. 20, 2018—The Incoming class of elected officials will encounter a variety of outstanding — yet often overlooked — health care policy questions that will impact health and providers across Tennessee.
Health policy speaker urges looking beyond data
Sep. 6, 2018—Katherine Swartz, PhD, a nationally known leader in health policy research, encouraged others conducting investigations in the field to move beyond the data and into local communities to gather the stories behind the data during last week’s Research into Policy and Practice Lecture hosted by Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Department of Health Policy.
Buntin visits the Hill
Jul. 12, 2018—Melinda Buntin, PhD, Mike Curb Professor and Chair of the Department of Health Policy, recently testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee chaired by U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander.
Speakers discuss use of evidence in state health policymaking
Apr. 19, 2018—“State Health Policy: Does Evidence Really Make a Difference” was the title of the spring Research into Policy and Practice Lecture, April 11 in Light Hall. The semi-annual lecture is sponsored by the Department of Health Policy.
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.
Insurance commissioner outlines ACA challenges
Nov. 16, 2017—Since 2014 the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, has assisted lower- and moderate-income people who buy insurance on their own on the individual market, providing premium subsidies and discounts on out-of-pocket expenses. Under the law, people who don’t carry compliant insurance face a penalty, the so-called individual mandate. Large employers who don’t offer insurance are also penalized.
