- Center on Health Equity & Access
- Clinical
- Health Care Cost
- Health Care Delivery
- Insurance
- Policy
- Technology
- Value-Based Care
What We're Reading: Medicare for All; Irma Hospital Closures; Hospital Safety Violations
Bernie Sanders to Reveal Single-Payer Bill
While Congress considers how to best stabilize the individual insurance market, Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, plans to unveil his “Medicare for All” bill. According to The Hill, the idea of a single-payer healthcare system is gaining traction within the Democratic Party, and Senator Kamala Harris, D-California, has already announced support for the bill. Sanders made a single payer system a focus of his 2016 presidential campaign.
Irma Forced 35 Hospitals to Close
As Hurricane Irma has approached the United States, its path has changed multiple times, causing trouble for hospitals potentially in the path. Hospitals in Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina have order total or partial evacuations, with Florida evacuating nearly 1900 patients, reported STAT. However, the Florida Hospital Association reported that the majority of its member hospitals stayed open, because they felt they could weather the storm.
Hospital Accredited Despite Safety Violations
Despite serious safety issues at a hospital in Massachusetts, the Joint Commission made no change in the hospital’s accreditation. In an investigative piece, The Wall Street Journal took a look at how the Joint Commission approves accreditation for hospitals with serious problems. In 2014, 350 accredited hospitals were in violation or requirements and one-third of them had additional violations in the next 2 years. Even in instances where CMS cut off funding because of violations, the Joint Commission may not revoke accreditation.
Hospital Participation in Medicare ACOs: No Change in Admission Practices and Spending
August 19th 2025Hospital accountable care organization (ACO) participation did not impact emergency department admission rates, length of stay, or costs, suggesting limited effectiveness in reducing spending for unplanned admissions and challenging hospital-led ACO cost-saving strategies.
Read More
Laundromats as a New Frontier in Community Health, Medicaid Outreach
May 29th 2025Lindsey Leininger, PhD, and Allister Chang, MPA, highlight the potential of laundromats as accessible, community-based settings to support Medicaid outreach, foster trust, and connect families with essential health and social services.
Listen
Care Quality Metrics in Medicare During COVID-19 Pandemic
August 12th 2025Medicare Advantage outperformed traditional Medicare on clinical quality measures before and during the COVID-19 pandemic; mid-pandemic, however, traditional Medicare narrowed the gap on some in-person screenings.
Read More
