- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
What We're Reading: HHS to Tackle Drug Pricing; COVID-19 Emergency Extended; Teen Mental Health Worsens
President Joe Biden is directing HHS, through an executive order, to use the Innovation Center to lower drug prices; the US extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days; the CDC reported that 75% of teenagers experienced adverse childhood experiences in 2021, which worsened their mental health.
Biden to Sign Executive Order Telling HHS to Work on Lowering Drug Costs
The White House announced that President Joe Biden will sign an executive order directing HHS to explore new ways to lower prescription drug costs. Specifically, the order directs HHS to use the Innovation Center, which focuses on alternative payment models, to expand into drug pricing affordability. HHS will have 90 days to report its plans to lower drug prices. The president will sign the order during a trip to the West Coast Friday and Saturday as Medicare open enrollment season begins.
US Extends COVID-19 Public Health Emergency
HHS Thursday extended the COVID-19 public health emergency for another 90 days. The declaration has been renewed every 90 days since it was first put into place in January 2020. White House officials are concerned about upcoming colder weather and fall and winter holidays, The Hill reported.
Teenagers Cite Worse Mental Health in 2021
The CDC reported Thursday that most US adolescents had adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) during the pandemic, worsening their mental health. Physical abuse, emotional abuse, food insecurity, or loss of a parent’s job were exerienced by nearly 75% of teenagers last year, as well as electronic bullying, dating violence, and sexual violence. Data from the 2021 Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey indicate that rates of poor current mental health and reporting a past-year suicide attempt among teens with 4 or more ACEs were 4 and 25 times as high as in those without ACEs, respectively.
Neonatology Pricing and Network Participation Under State Balance Billing Regulations
October 2nd 2025This national study of neonatology services found no clear evidence that state surprise billing regulations influenced prices or provider network participation for the commercially insured.
Read More
AI in Health Care: Balancing Governance, Innovation, and Trust
September 2nd 2025In this conversation with Reuben Daniel, associate vice president of artificial intelligence at UPMC Health Plan, we dive into how UPMC Health Plan builds trust with providers and members, discuss challenges of scaling AI effectively, and hear about concrete examples of AI's positive impact.
Listen
Managed Care Reflections: A Q&A With Ge Bai, PhD, CPA
October 2nd 2025To mark the 30th anniversary of The American Journal of Managed Care, each issue in 2025 includes a special feature: reflections from a thought leader on what has changed—and what has not—over the past 3 decades and what’s next for managed care. The October issue features a conversation with Ge Bai, PhD, CPA, professor of accounting at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School and professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore, Maryland.
Read More
Infertility Coverage Boosts ART Use and Pregnancy Success: Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA
August 26th 2025In this episode, Richard A. Brook, MS, MBA, discusses his study showing that infertility treatment coverage increases assisted reproductive technology (ART) use and improves pregnancy outcomes.
Listen
