Articles
Setting the Record Straight
A Weak Attempt at Pitting Hospitals Against Each Other: Arnold Ventures Uses Third Way to Advance Its Latest Advocacy Strategy
By Molly Smith - Group Vice President for Public Policy, American Hospital Association, Bharath Krishnamurthy, Director, Health Analytics & Policy
For unclear reasons, Arnold Ventures, a private LLC backed by hedge fund billionaires John and Laura Arnold, has repeatedly targeted hospitals as part of a widespread misinformation campaign.
Drug Prices, Drug shortages
Drug Prices and Shortages Jeopardize Patient Access to Quality Hospital Care
By Bharath Krishnamurthy, Director, Health Analytics & Policy, Megha Parikh, Associate Director of Health Analytics and Policy
The inability of many patients to obtain needed drug therapies due to either high prices or shortages has negatively affected patient outcomes.1 Nearly 30% of Americans say they haven’t taken their medication as prescribed due to high drug prices, and it is estimated that more than 1.1 million Medicare patients alone could die over the next decade because they cannot afford to pay for their prescribed medications.2,3
Hospital Data, Setting the Record Straight
Unequal Transparency: How Hospitals Report More Data than Any Other Entity in the Health Care Sector
By Bharath Krishnamurthy, Director, Health Analytics & Policy, Aaron Wesolowski, AHA Vice President of Research Strategy and Policy Communications
Imagine if the government required health insurance and drug companies to account for every dollar they spent, audit those data, and publicly report those numbers. The pushback would be tremendous, yet that is the reality for hospitals and health systems operating in the U.S.
340B Drug Pricing Program
New Error-Ridden 340B Study Misses the Mark
By Bharath Krishnamurthy, Director, Health Analytics & Policy, Aimee Kuhlman, VP Advocacy Grassroots, Government Relations
A new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine demonstrates a stunning lack of understanding of the 340B drug pricing program and the overall landscape of drug pricing.
Financial Management, Patient care and Information
Margin Misconceptions: What do Break-even Hospital Margins Mean for Patient Care?
Given the historic financial pressures borne by hospitals and health systems over the last eighteen months, there is tremendous focus on organizations’ margins. Simply put, this metric tells us how an organization’s costs compare to their revenues and is one, but not the only, indicator of a hospital or health system’s financial health.
Drug Prices
Flawed Report Aims to Deflect Attention From Role Insurer PBMs Play in High Drug Costs
A new AHIP “report” suggests that hospitals are significantly marking up the costs of drugs to the detriment of patients. They make baseless claims that specialty pharmacies, many of which insurers conveniently own through their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) affiliates, provide a lower-cost alternative for patients.
Drug Prices, Setting the Record Straight
Flawed Report Aims to Deflect Attention From Role Insurer PBMs Play in High Drug Costs
A new AHIP “report” suggests that hospitals are significantly marking up the costs of drugs to the detriment of patients. They make baseless claims that specialty pharmacies, many of which insurers conveniently own through their pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) affiliates, provide a lower-cost alternative for patients.
340B Drug Pricing Program
New PhRMA-led Coalition Seeks to Dismantle 340B and Undermine Access to Care for Patients
Once again, the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) has demonstrated its willingness to put the profits of its drug company members over the needs of America’s patients.
340B Drug Pricing Program
Restoring the 340B OPPS Payment Policy: Good for Patients, Good for Providers
By Bharath Krishnamurthy, Director, Health Analytics & Policy, Aimee Kuhlman, VP Advocacy Grassroots, Government Relations
In July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services published its annual outpatient prospective payment system regulation.