Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-20eCollection Date: 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag215
Garth W Strohbehn, Samyukta Mullangi, Daniel A Goldstein, Lalan Wilfong, Mark J Ratain
{"title":"Variation in guideline decision-making: a cross-sectional study of oncology compendium panels.","authors":"Garth W Strohbehn, Samyukta Mullangi, Daniel A Goldstein, Lalan Wilfong, Mark J Ratain","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag215","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag215","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Clinical practice guidelines influence coverage policy, utilization management, and health care spending. In oncology, some function as drug compendia that guide Medicare coverage of off-label therapies, yet little empirical work has examined their governance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a cross-sectional descriptive study using publicly available documentation to evaluate responses to 75 standardized external change requests submitted to 26 National Comprehensive Cancer Network disease-site panels concerning pembrolizumab or nivolumab dosing. Requests concerning subcutaneous formulations served as a comparator. We characterized request disposition, review timing, transparency, scope interpretation, and financial conflict-of-interest (FCOI) context.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>By March 6, 2026, 10 of 75 dosing-related requests (13%) had been adopted, 51 (68%) rejected or determined to be outside panel scope, and 14 (19%) remained pending (median time to decision, 190 days). In contrast, requests concerning US Food and Drug Administration-approved subcutaneous formulations were adopted in 52 of 53 cases (98%) and reviewed substantially more rapidly (median, 11 days). Public documentation incompletely described panel deliberations, voting, participation, and management of FCOIs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Standardized requests revealed operational heterogeneity and limitations in publicly available documentation within a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services-recognized compendium, identifying opportunities to strengthen transparency and governance in coverage-relevant decision-making.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag215"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13505518/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-20eCollection Date: 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag210
Regen Weber-Fares, Thomas Cheung, David J Washburn, Timothy Callaghan, Megan LaFleur, Denise Martinez, Deepak Muthyala, Keegan Warren, William Sage, Cason D Schmit
{"title":"Pandemic era expansion of state laws governing the professionalization of community health workers.","authors":"Regen Weber-Fares, Thomas Cheung, David J Washburn, Timothy Callaghan, Megan LaFleur, Denise Martinez, Deepak Muthyala, Keegan Warren, William Sage, Cason D Schmit","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag210","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag210","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Community Health Workers (CHWs) are trusted public health workers who strengthen healthcare access, quality, and cultural responsiveness by addressing social determinants of health. While CHW services show value, professionalization policies, including certification and training requirements, remain debated.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>To understand these policies, we conducted an empirical legal mapping study of CHW professionalism laws in 54 US jurisdictions (50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Guam) in effect in 2019 and 2024 following consensus legal mapping guidelines for legal research, coding, and quality control.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We screened 2248 relevant laws, with 31 jurisdictions modifying CHW professionalization laws. Between 2019 and 2024, the number of jurisdictions with consistent terminology (16 to 21), defined CHW roles (15 to 21), laws concerning certification (14 to 22), and laws requiring training for practice or certification (21 to 23) increased. Jurisdictions with formal education requirements declined (12 to 8), while jurisdictions requiring training programs increased (12 to 20).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CHW professionalization requires careful navigation. While increased professionalism might enhance workforce stability, it risks creating barriers to entry and undermining CHWs' community-rooted identity. Future research is needed to identify the balance between CHW professionalism and the preservation of CHW status as trusted members of the communities they serve.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag210"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13505520/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820673","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-19eCollection Date: 2026-09-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag213
Mark K Meiselbach, Soren Clarkwest, Benjamin Westermeyer, Matthew D Eisenberg
{"title":"Podcast advertising by online sports betting platforms and alcohol brands, 2024-2025.","authors":"Mark K Meiselbach, Soren Clarkwest, Benjamin Westermeyer, Matthew D Eisenberg","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag213","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag213","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Online sports betting has expanded rapidly in the United States following the 2018 Supreme Court decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, with a growing body of research linking this expansion to increases in problem gambling, financial distress, bankruptcy filings, and intimate partner violence. Sportsbooks have invested heavily in advertising to acquire and engage customers. Podcasts may be a particularly attractive channel for sportsbook marketing, but little is known about the scale or targeting of this advertising.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Using podcast advertising data from Podscribe for January 2024 through December 2025, we describe the podcast advertising estimated spending and volume for major online sportsbooks and compare them to the largest alcohol advertisers on podcasts.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 2025, sports betting advertisers spent an estimated $63.4 million on podcast advertising, 2.9 times the $21.9 million spent by alcohol advertisers. DraftKings was estimated to have outspent all alcohol advertisers combined in 2025. DraftKings and FanDuel together accounted for 82% of estimated sports betting podcast spending, and The Joe Rogan Experience captured 13.9% of estimated sports betting podcast spending in 2025.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The scale, format, and concentration of sportsbook podcast advertising merit attention from policymakers considering federal marketing regulations.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 9","pages":"qxag213"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13531462/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148876701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"State sanctuary policies and the immigration enforcement activities across US counties: implications for population health.","authors":"Alexandra Eastus, Caroline Kravitz, Alina Schnake-Mahl, Tamara Rushovich, Serenity Lita Lillibridge, Brent Langellier","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag212","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag212","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Recent increases in US immigration enforcement may contribute to an anti-immigrant environment that poses serious health and social risks. In response, several states have enacted sanctuary policies limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, though their population-level impacts remain unclear. This study estimated associations between state sanctuary policy enactment and county-level public program participation by baseline immigration enforcement.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>County-level data from 2011 to 2023 were obtained from the American Community Survey and Syracuse Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse. Outcomes included county-level Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participation. Sanctuary policies were modeled as a time-varying exposure using a staggered difference-in-differences framework, with analyses stratified by baseline immigration enforcement.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We found no statistically significant association between sanctuary policy enactment and Medicaid or SNAP enrollment per 10 000 likely eligible individuals in counties with high baseline enforcement; however, estimated percent changes were positive (Medicaid percent change: 28.6, 95% CI: -14.9, 94.3; SNAP: 9.9, 95% CI: -81.6, 557.5). In counties with low baseline enforcement, associations were not statistically significant, and estimates were smaller in magnitude.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that protective immigration policies may partially mitigate chilling effects and promote engagement with social supports among eligible populations. However, estimates should be interpreted cautiously given the limited number of treated states.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag212"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13505508/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148820755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-13eCollection Date: 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag211
Jinman Pang, Simona Surdu, Sage Shirey, Jean Moore
{"title":"Workplace indicators and well-being among oral health professionals in HRSA-funded health centres.","authors":"Jinman Pang, Simona Surdu, Sage Shirey, Jean Moore","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag211","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag211","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Oral health provider well-being is critical to sustaining the HRSA Health Centre (HRSA-HC) workforce, yet limited evidence exists on the drivers of well-being outcomes specifically among dental assistants (DAs), dental hygienists (DHs), and dentists in safety-net settings.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study used data from the 2022 HRSA Health Centre Workforce Well-being Survey among 2671 oral health providers (DAs = 1385; DHs = 564; dentists = 722). Well-being outcomes for job satisfaction, engagement, and burnout were calculated as mean Likert scores and categorized into tertiles; intention to stay was dichotomized. Descriptive statistics, multinomial logistic regression, and multivariable logistic regression with backward stepwise selection were used to examine associations between 16 well-being drivers and four outcomes separately by provider type.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>DHs reported the most favourable well-being outcomes, with the highest levels of job satisfaction, engagement, and intention to stay, while burnout was similar across provider types. Work-life balance, meaningfulness, and professional growth were consistently associated with more favourable well-being outcomes and lower burnout, while workload and moral distress were related to higher burnout and poorer well-being across most provider types. Additional provider-specific drivers were also identified.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings underscore the need for both universal and provider-specific organizational strategies to strengthen oral health workforce well-being and retention at HRSA-HCs.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag211"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13594666/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149027209","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-11eCollection Date: 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag202
Andrew S Oseran, Bassel M Shanab, Archana Tale, Yunzhe Qian, Rishi K Wadhera
{"title":"Health care access, affordability, and satisfaction following enrollment in Medicare Advantage.","authors":"Andrew S Oseran, Bassel M Shanab, Archana Tale, Yunzhe Qian, Rishi K Wadhera","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/haschl/qxag202","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Medicare Advantage (MA) enrollment is growing rapidly, yet less is known about how these plans impact health care access, affordability, and satisfaction for adults newly entering Medicare.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Event study, difference-in-differences analysis comparing longitudinal changes in patient-reported outcomes among adults newly enrolled in MA (vs traditional Medicare [TM]) in the Health and Retirement Study (2010-2022).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were 4247 adults who newly enrolled in Medicare between 65 and 67 years of age (34.2% MA; 65.8% TM). Following Medicare enrollment, health care access improved similarly in MA and TM, with no differential change between groups. However, MA enrollees experienced a greater reduction in the proportion of individuals reporting trouble affording medical care (difference-in-differences [DiD] estimate -5.3pp [95% CI, -9.7 to -0.9]). Additionally, the percentage of adults satisfied with their care increased for both groups; however, these gains were larger among MA enrollees and increased over time (DiD +13.3pp [95% CI, 7.9-18.6]).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this national, longitudinal study of adults entering Medicare, we found that enrollment in MA was associated with greater improvements in the affordability of care and higher satisfaction compared with enrollment in TM, without meaningful differences in health care access.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag202"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13492085/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148803596","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-11eCollection Date: 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag186
Jennifer L Bacci, Natalia Oster, Benjamin S Dunlap, Susan M Skillman, Bianca K Frogner
{"title":"Pharmacy benefit manager policy and pharmacy stakeholder perceptions of financial pressures and closures.","authors":"Jennifer L Bacci, Natalia Oster, Benjamin S Dunlap, Susan M Skillman, Bianca K Frogner","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag186","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag186","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>The community pharmacy workforce provides access to medications and services, yet financial pressures and pharmacy closures threaten patient access. Pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) influence medication reimbursement and are frequently cited as contributors to financial strain. States have enacted legislation to regulate PBM practices. This study examined state PBM laws from 2015 to 2025 and pharmacy stakeholder and workforce perceptions of factors influencing closures.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Enacted state PBM legislation from 2015 to 2025 was identified using the National Academy for State Health Policy and the National Conference of State Legislatures databases and analyzed descriptively. Thirteen key informant interviews were conducted with pharmacy organization leaders and pharmacists with firsthand closure experience. Interviews focused on system-level contributors to closures and were analyzed using rapid content analysis.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pharmacy benefit manager regulation expanded from 2 states in 2015 to all 50 states by 2023. Interview participants perceived PBM practices as a major contributor to financial instability and low workforce morale. While PBM policies were viewed as necessary, participants cited inconsistent enforcement and limited workforce relief.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Despite regulations, PBM practices are perceived as key drivers of financial pressures and closures. Strengthening policy implementation and enforcement may help sustain the workforce and preserve access to care.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag186"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13594649/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149027258","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-10eCollection Date: 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag175
Stephan R Lindner, Brynna Manibusan, Kyle Hart, Dennis McCarty, Daniel Hartung, K John McConnell
{"title":"Opioid use disorder medication treatment in residential settings increased 2017-2021, but sustaining it following stays remains an issue.","authors":"Stephan R Lindner, Brynna Manibusan, Kyle Hart, Dennis McCarty, Daniel Hartung, K John McConnell","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag175","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag175","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Residential treatment is part of the care continuum for opioid use disorder (OUD). However, use of OUD medications (MOUD) has been historically low in this setting. The goal of this study was to assess changes in MOUD during residential treatment stays and the 12-month period surrounding them.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used national Medicaid claims data for the year 2017-2021 and descriptive as well as regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Between 2017 and 2021, the rate of MOUD treatment in residential settings increased from 30.4 to 58.5 percentage points. By contrast, the rate of MOUD treatment 6 months before residential treatment stays and 5 months following residential treatment stays was low in 2017 and increased only slightly. Changes were similar in states that implemented a substance use disorder waiver compared to non-waiver states. Most states exhibited similar changes. New York was the only state where MOUD rates before and after residential treatment stays increased markedly.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our study suggests that use of MOUD during residential treatment stays increased substantially 2017-2021, but that this increase was not sustained during the months following stays. Improving retention in MOUD treatment following residential treatment stays could be an important future policy goal.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag175"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13455005/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Health affairs scholarPub Date : 2026-08-10eCollection Date: 2026-08-01DOI: 10.1093/haschl/qxag200
Robert Zeithammer, Supriya Kapur, Diana Silver, James Macinko
{"title":"Public support for gun restrictions in public places that serve alcohol: the cost of enforcement matters.","authors":"Robert Zeithammer, Supriya Kapur, Diana Silver, James Macinko","doi":"10.1093/haschl/qxag200","DOIUrl":"10.1093/haschl/qxag200","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Public opinion on firearm legislation varies, though there is broader agreement on restricting guns in alcohol-serving venues.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study used a discrete choice experiment with 306 US adults in June 2025 to examine preferences for firearm restrictions across different conditions. Scenarios varied by who would be restricted (felons, currently intoxicated individuals, or those with prior alcohol-related offenses), venue size (small, medium, or large), and annual enforcement costs ranging from $0 to $300.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Results show that when no enforcement costs are included, a majority of the respondent sample weighted to voting-eligible Americans (56%-74%, depending on the restricted group and venue size) supports firearm restrictions, with support exceeding 65% for restrictions in large venues. However, introducing a $100 annual cost reduces support: significant majority support remains only for restricting combinations of felons, intoxicated people, or those with alcohol-related convictions and only in large venues. Support patterns differ by demographics: women show the strongest support regardless of political affiliation, Democratic men show moderate support, while Republican men and Independents are least supportive. Gun ownership did not independently affect preferences.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>While support for firearm restrictions in alcohol-serving venues is widespread, even modest implementation costs significantly reduce public backing.</p>","PeriodicalId":94025,"journal":{"name":"Health affairs scholar","volume":"4 8","pages":"qxag200"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13455013/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148709059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}