Study finds threat to care coordination for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid
Some managed care plans are set up to help coordinate health care for people who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid, but "look-alike" plans that aren't obligated to provide such coordination may lead to poorer quality of…
Medicare Advantage patients have fewer hospitalizations but more ED visits for potentially avoidable conditions, study finds
Patients insured by Medicare Advantage had fewer hospitalizations for potentially avoidable conditions compared to patients insured by traditional Medicare, according to a new study.
Why no single health care system is the world’s ‘best’
Harvard Chan School faculty members were among seven experts who appeared in a Washington Post video discussing how to improve the U.S. health care system and whether other countries’ systems are better.
Would Medicare for All affect how much money people earn?
Implementing a Medicare for All system would have broad effects on the American economy, though understanding the precise impact is difficult, according to experts. In a February 3, 2020 New York Times column, Austin Frakt, senior research scientist…
The most expensive health care system in the world
The U.S. spends more on health care than all the other wealthy democracies in the world. But in spite of all that spending, life expectancy in the U.S lags behind that of its peer countries. And many Americans…
Can education improve health?
Numerous studies have found a connection between education and health. In a June 3, 2019 New York Times article, Austin Frakt of Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health discussed research from the past few decades suggesting that…
Are the high costs of health care in the U.S. worth it?
Despite spending more on health care than any other country, the U.S. has health outcomes that are not much better—and in many cases, are worse—than other countries. In a May 20, 2019 New York Times article, Austin Frakt,…
Beware the white coat
While the doctor’s white coat may symbolize the profession of medicine, it may also be harboring bacteria and pathogens, studies have found. In an April 29, 2019 New York Times article, Austin Frakt, adjunct associate professor in the…
Tightening access to painkillers won’t end the opioid epidemic
Policies intended to curb opioid overdoses by limiting access to prescription painkillers may have unintended consequences, including a potential short-term uptick in overdose deaths, according to a new study. The study, which simulated the impact of 11 policies…
How to build a ‘Medicare for All’ plan
The idea of “Medicare for All” has been making headlines in recent months—but what exactly does it entail? There are currently a number of different ideas being floated about how to set up such a system. For example,…