Home health care patients exposed to hurricane-related flooding had lower rates of timely care and discharge to the community, and longer home health stays compared to those in nonflooded areas. ja.ma/4oUtmQE

Greater geographic availability of methadone and naltrexone was linked to increased use among non-Hispanic White Medicaid enrollees, but not non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic enrollees. ja.ma/4weXCIk

In Hong Kong, overall #ColorectalCancer screening participation increased and socioeconomic disparities narrowed after a population-wide screening program, but uptake remains lower and gaps persist for specific groups. ja.ma/4eh17q7

America’s aging population is creating challenges for health policy, health services, and the long-term care system, which faces funding and workforce shortages. Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, and David Grabowski, PhD, discuss this and more. 🎧 Listen now: ja.ma/4oAuTuP

Among #ICU patients aged ≥80 years, use of life-sustaining treatments varied widely between institutions, and higher treatment intensity was not associated with better in-hospital survival after adjustment for patient and institutional factors. ja.ma/4oyrvAM

A claims-based model reliably identified Medicare beneficiaries with functional limitations, pinpointing many not captured in administrative data, supporting improved monitoring of functional status by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. ja.ma/4upglzn

💬 Editorial by JAMA Health Forum EIC Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH: Population aging is projected to double Medicare spending and intensify demands for long-term care, calling for integrated health, social, and payment models. ja.ma/4aMaEEH

Enrollment assisters perceived Colorado’s state-funded marketplace-like private health insurance program improved clients’ health and reduced emergency care use but noted limited spots and need for health insurance education. ja.ma/43QqSbY

#ChildWelfare involvement at birth was associated with reduced moderate- to high-complexity emergency department use in the first year of life among Medicaid-covered infants with prenatal substance exposure. ja.ma/4ovfkVr

Among US adults with live #births, electronic #health record network data validated adequacy of #prenatal care but consistently underestimated early care initiation compared with national vital statistics. ja.ma/4xfr7uU

State-level tort immunity for nursing homes during COVID-19 was linked to a reduction in staff hours, particularly among certified nursing assistants, suggesting liability risk may influence staffing decisions and resident care. #ARM26 @academyhealth.bsky.social ja.ma/4dJdrAG

Claims-identified mental health disorder diagnoses among #Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries increased substantially from 2000 to 2023, especially for #anxiety, #depression, and substance use disorders. ja.ma/4vrwqFT

Indoor air quality in public housing communities remained significantly worse than outdoor air, even after adoption of a smoke-free housing policy, indicating persistent environmental health disparities. ja.ma/4edcjoR

Universal, first-dollar contraception coverage in British Columbia reduced out-of-pocket costs by 83% over two years, with the largest cost reductions among individuals aged 20 to 29 years. ja.ma/4x4WNDe

Revision of the Nutrition Facts label did not substantively alter the nutritional profile of US packaged foods, indicating that stronger interventions—such as front-of-package labels—may be needed to improve population nutrition. ja.ma/4vkbUXA

💬 Editorial: JAMA Health Forum will launch a series focused on advancing rigorous methods and data in health policy research, addressing modern evaluation designs, emerging data sources, and equity-centered approaches. ja.ma/4u5itMu

Most advanced economies permit waiving clinical efficacy and immunogenicity testing for #Biosimilars if analytical data are adequate, but many emerging and developing economies require additional studies. #ARM26 @academyhealth.bsky.social ja.ma/4uIu3P2

For nursing home residents with #dementia, Institutional Special Needs Plan enrollment was associated with fewer hospitalizations, #ICU admissions, and interventions in the last month of life. #ARM26 @academyhealth.bsky.social ja.ma/4x1pK2A

Only 5% of FDA-authorized #AI-enabled medical devices included predetermined change control plans, with nearly three-quarters publicly reporting all recommended elements. ja.ma/4wP4KvV

Medicaid prescription caps for young adults with #OpioidUseDisorder were linked to declines in overall prescription use and higher acute care utilization, while buprenorphine receipt remained unchanged. ja.ma/43mVPEv

Among children and youth with special health care needs (#SHCN), four distinct subpopulations with unique health indicator profiles were identified, supporting tailored policies and programs to improve pediatric health outcomes. ja.ma/4v8llJJ

💬 Editorial: Comparative health systems research expands policy imagination, sharpens debate, and accelerates equity, but translating evidence into practice requires political will and community engagement. ja.ma/4fxcZ9O

Expiration of eviction moratoria was associated with increases in psychotropic medication prescriptions and outpatient visits for serious mental illness, but not overall mental health visits, mood-related care, or suicide-related visits. ja.ma/4dyAigQ

💬 Editorial: After Dobbs, abortion clinic access declined but overall abortion rates remained stable. Early data indicate increased travel, self-managed medication abortion, and concern over maternal and infant mortality. ja.ma/3PM39X4

Crisis stabilization units (#CSU) serve Medicaid patients with serious mental illness, psychosis, or substance use, while emergency departments (#ED) more often manage acute crises including suicide-related diagnoses. ja.ma/4ulNI7g

State-level abortion bans are associated with increased moral distress and work-related stress in #OBGYN clinicians but minimal overall geographic movement of the workforce across states since Dobbs. ja.ma/4dyaeTf

Diana Foster, PhD, of the University of California, San Francisco, joined JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH, to discuss the impact of the Dobbs decision and role of science in documenting reproductive health in the coming years. ja.ma/3RaEBaJ

Among children and youth with special health care needs (#SHCN), four distinct subpopulations with unique health indicator profiles were identified, supporting tailored policies and programs to improve pediatric health outcomes. ja.ma/4nubfQA

💬 Viewpoint: Medicaid medical directors recommend clinically anchored medical frailty exemptions under HR 1, using diverse data sources and efficient processes to prevent gaps in coverage for vulnerable adults. ja.ma/4uTm5Ch

Yesterday, the JAMA Health Forum editorial board met to discuss plans for the journal, which is dedicated to addressing health policy and strategies affecting medicine, health, and health care.

After the Medicaid rebate cap removal, manufacturers shifted utilization from branded to authorized generic #Dapagliflozin, especially in managed care organizations, reducing rebate exposure and financial losses. ja.ma/4nlLfa7

Among traditional #Medicare beneficiaries, private equity acquisition of primary care practices was not associated with changes in all-cause or preventable hospitalizations, but modestly reduced emergency department visits. ja.ma/4ng5s17

Medicare negotiation and most-favored-nation pricing could have substantially reduced 2024 spending on brand-name #Cancer medicines. Savings were notably greater than negotiated discounts alone. ja.ma/4tOp9zv

Among #Medicare beneficiaries, primary care visit rates and access declined from 2017 to 2023. Telemedicine was more frequently used by underserved groups for primary care access. ja.ma/4tTBZN2

💬Viewpoint: Media and policy emphasis on individual #Obesity treatment may unintentionally “crowd out” support for structural interventions, including unhealthy food taxes and regulation of food environments. ja.ma/429Dhaq

Patients and clinicians identified sampling, detection, nonresponse, and misclassification biases in health-related social needs (#HRSN) data collection, challenging its reliability for population health and policy decisions. ja.ma/4tFgdMG

State policy support for fully virtual #telehealth buprenorphine prescribing for #OpioidUseDisorder among Medicaid enrollees varies widely, with more restrictive policies for nurse practitioners and physician assistants compared with physicians. ja.ma/4tBE2VG

Through 2019, more US states enabled minors to independently consent to #MentalHealth care, but recent laws in several states have revoked this capacity, often without strong #Confidentiality protections for patient records. ja.ma/4e7QkQS

In 2025, Medicare Part D plans broadly covered generics for #MultipleSclerosis disease-modifying therapies; coverage for brand-name-only agents declined, especially after implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act. ja.ma/4mOLqKA

The End-Stage Renal Disease Treatment Choices model by CMSGov did not meaningfully increase use of home dialysis or kidney transplant among Medicare beneficiaries with #KidneyDisease after nearly 4 years of implementation. ja.ma/48pha3g

Hospital diagnoses of #Depression or #AlcoholUseDisorder were associated with substantial, long-term reductions in personal income, surpassing losses for stroke or breast cancer and disproportionally affecting younger and non-employed individuals. ja.ma/4vJHDT9

Among US women aged 39 to 50 years, about half did not support performance metrics based on cancer screening attendance, and most preferred physician scores focus on informed discussion rather than receipt of screening. ja.ma/4cuJS3S

Institution-based and population-based definitions capture distinct groups of safety-net ambulatory practices, with minimal overlap, indicating that policy approaches may need to be tailored for different health equity and funding objectives. ja.ma/4u06D71

The US Food and Drug Administration Sentinel Initiative’s ARIA system assessed hundreds of postmarket #DrugSafety concerns, but data limitations and reporting gaps often made it insufficient for concerns identified during premarket review. ja.ma/4tdJdLb

Most branded medication prescriptions initially rejected by prior authorization were delayed or denied, with lower approval rates among patients with Medicaid or multiple disease conditions, highlighting barriers to timely access for these populations. ja.ma/4vAhwOj

Hospital diagnoses of #Depression or #AlcoholUseDisorder were associated with substantial, long-term reductions in personal income, surpassing losses for stroke or breast cancer and disproportionally affecting younger and non-employed individuals. ja.ma/41emp1N

Editorial by JAMA Health Forum Editor in Chief Sandro Galea, MD, DrPH: Federal policy changes in 2026, including work requirements tied to #Medicaid expansion under the #ACA, are projected to increase uninsured rates among low-income adults. ja.ma/4tKk0YS

Nearly half of individuals who began as health care support workers remained in low-wage jobs after 40 years, while about one-third achieved upward mobility to higher-wage roles in health care or other sectors. ja.ma/48003ot

In California, local flavored tobacco bans were associated with reduced #ENDS use among youth but were not linked to increased #Cigarette use, with effects observed after multiple years of policy implementation. ja.ma/3O1VqU9

Providing stable housing to older adults experiencing #Homelessness was cost-effective, increased quality-adjusted life expectancy, and reduced deaths and overdoses compared with no intervention in this simulation model. ja.ma/3OdZpgs