Although the traumatic circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic have exacerbated existing health inequities, it has also fueled an immediacy to address them. The CDC recently released two grant-funded initiatives for state and local health departments to mitigate COVID-19 related health disparities: National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including […]

On June 23, 2020, Governor Michael O. Leavitt, former United States Secretary of Health and Human Services testified before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) in a hearing titled, “COVID-19: Lessons Learned to Prepare for the Next Pandemic.” HELP Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN) released a white paper titled “Preparing […]

By Emilie Ebert and Alan Hanson As areas in the United States ease restrictions, and as more industries resume operations, many business owners are wary of how they could be impacted by future outbreaks of COVID-19. For many, restarting the economy is a relief. However, the threat of disruption from flare-ups in COVID-19 transmission have […]

Written by Robert Richards, Ph.D. and David Muhlestein, Ph.D., JD The global COVID-19 pandemic is the largest public health crisis in generations. Life as we know it, from macroeconomic conditions all the way down to personal daily life, has been impacted significantly (to put it lightly). As the pandemic has now been with us for […]

Written by Robert Richards, Ph.D., Ben Gong, and David Muhlestein, Ph.D., JD The global COVID-19 pandemic has caused the U.S. and many other countries to put their economies on pause in an effort to slow the spread of the disease. The social distancing policies in place in many locations have dramatically altered our daily lives […]

Written by Governor Mike Leavitt, Founder; Chair, Board of Managers, at Leavitt Partners As the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) prepares to start disbursing funds from the Public Health and Social Services Emergency Fund, as appropriated by Congress in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, it is critical that […]

Written by Bo Nemelka, Principal, and Brett Graham, Chief Strategy Officer, at Leavitt Partners The Lightning Rod is a Strategy Centered on Value A lightning rod is a metal rod placed on top of a building which is connected to the ground below to protect the building from being damaged by lightning strikes. When (not […]

Value-Based Payment (VBP) arrangements allow health care purchasers to align financial outcomes to quality clinical outcomes. Such arrangements are designed to drive improvements in health outcomes at multiple levels (i.e., individual, community, within a risk pool) and reduce the cost burden associated with treatment and prevention. Quality measurement is a central component to these arrangements—how […]