V-BID Center in the News: December 2019
This December, the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design was featured in the publications of The Health Care Blog and Fierce Healthcare.
Press Release: Tradeoffs, a New Health Policy Podcast, Features V-BID
This week’s episode of TradeOffs, a new national podcast that brings listeners engaging stories about our toughest health policy challenges, will highlight the V-BID story, from its conception at an Ann Arbor restaurant to major policy achievements in Washington, DC.
V-BID Center Winter 2019 Update: Policies to Help Patients with High Deductibles & Other News
This update features policy developments, media reports, and events supporting continued momentum for multiple V-BID Center initiatives from late October of 2019 through mid-December 2019.
V-BID Center Fall 2019 Update: Executive Order and Other News
This update features policy developments, media reports, and events supporting continued momentum for multiple V-BID Center initiatives from July of 2019 through mid-October 2019.
Press Release: US Treasury Announces HSA Guidance
July 17, 2019 — In response to a June Executive Order, the U.S. Department of the Treasury released Notice 2019-45, a guidance allowing HSA-HDHP plans the flexibility to cover specified medications and services used to treat chronic diseases prior to meeting the plan deductible.
Press Release: Chronic Disease Management Act of 2019 Introduced in Congress
Senators John Thune (R-SD) and Tom Carper (D-DE), introduced the Chronic Disease Management Act of 2019 in the Senate (S. 1948), followed by the introduction of the companion bill in the House of Representatives (H.R. 3709) by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Tom Reed (R-NY).
V-BID Center Policy Update Summer 2019
This update features policy developments, media reports, and events supporting continued momentum for multiple V-BID Center initiatives from mid-February to early July 2019.
Press Release: Executive Order, Senate Legislation Enable Innovation in HSA-HDHPs
On June 24, 2019, President Trump signed an executive order, and Senators John Thune (R-S.D.) and Ben Carper (D-DE) introduced bipartisan legislation that allow health savings account eligible high-deductible health plans (HSA-HDHPs) the flexibility to cover essential medications and services used to treat chronic diseases prior to meeting the plan deductible.
AJMC Screen Door
On Tuesday, May 7, 2019, Dr. A. Mark Fendrick, MD, Director of the Center for Value-Based Insurance Design (V-BID), spoke at the HealthCare 21 Business Coalition’s annual forum in Knoxville, TN.
V-BID Center Spring 2019 Update: Summit Recap and News
This update features policy developments, media reports, and events supporting continued momentum for multiple V-BID Center initiatives from the end of 2018 through mid-February 2019.
Putting Patients First: Morning Consult Releases Drug Rebate Op-Ed
February 25, 2019 – The Morning Consult has published an opinion-editorial co-authored by V-BID Center Director, Dr. A Mark Fendrick, and President & CEO of the PAN Foundation, Dan Klein.
V-BID Center Winter 2019 Update: Low-Value Care Webinar and Policy News
This update features policy developments, media reports, and events supporting continued momentum for multiple V-BID Center initiatives from the end of 2018 through mid-February 2019.
AJMC Article: The Drug Price Iceberg
The Drug Price Iceberg: More Than Meets the Eye When it comes to the political iceberg of drug prices, there is more than meets the eye. Policies that reduce prices but do not lower consumers’ out-of-pocket costs will not address the main challenge facing most Americans. Access to affordable prescription drugs is a topic of increasing public concern. In a recent survey, 82% of respondents identified medical costs as their biggest financial challenge. Although prescription spending growth has moderated and drug spending remains a relatively small part of total medical expenditures, a 2018 Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed that a significant majority of Americans think that Congress and the president are not doing enough about the problem. The fact that a majority of American adults use prescription medications is likely driving the issue of drug affordability as a policy priority. Nearly 3 in 5 American adults take [...]
CMS Announces Transformative Updates to MA V-BID Demo
Introducing V-BID 2.0: CMS Announces Updates to Medicare Advantage V-BID Demo January 18, 2019 - The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced transformative updates to the Medicare Advantage Value-Based Insurance Design (MA V-BID) model. These changes aim to increase choice, lower cost, and improve the quality of care for Medicare beneficiaries. The model launched on January 1, 2017, and has since been expanded to include 25 states, 9 chronic conditions, Chronic Condition Special Needs Plans, and allows participants to propose their own systems or methods for identifying eligible enrollees. Riding on the heels of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, which included a directive to expand the model to all 50 states by 2020, today's release makes sweeping changes to the CY2020 model, including: Allows plans to provide reduced cost-sharing and additional benefits to enrollees in a more targeted fashion Bolsters rewards and incentives programs that plans can offer beneficiaries to [...]
White House Report Urges Broader Coverage for Chronic Diseases in HSA-Qualified High-Deductible Health Plans
White House Report Urges Broader Coverage for Chronic Diseases in HSA-Qualified High-Deductible Health Plans On December 3rd, 2018, the White House released its 119-page report, Reforming America's Healthcare System Through Choice and Competition. In this report, HHS, in collaboration with the Department of Treasury, Labor, the FTC, and the White House, sets forth many formal recommendations aimed toward developing a better health care system. The report highlights the need for HSA reform and, more specifically, advocates for the expansion of the scope of preventive care and chronic condition services covered before the minimum deductible is met. An excerpt from pages 82 and 83 is included below: "As noted above, an additional constraint on the availability and use of HSAs is the requirement that HSA-qualified plans can only provide certain preventive care benefits before the minimum deductible is met. Reconsideration of the scope of [...]