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Topics

West Health and Gallup survey highlights growing concerns over medical debt across income and demographic groups. 

Americans borrowed $74 billion to cover health care costs last year

Reimbursement based on Medicare Economic Index, updated cost data, settings all in play.

MedPAC hammers out recommendation on doctors’ reimbursement in Medicare Physician Fee Schedule

Congress and President Donald J. Trump are working toward a March 14 deadline to either fund the government or have many services shutdown. 

Government shutdown explained: Will Trump, Congress avoid March 14 shutdown deadline? 

Doctors groups from 50 states join in missive to lawmakers.

State medical associations plead to Congress: Don’t slash Medicaid

Physicians drumming up support to counter 2.83% cut that started in January.

House GOP Doctors Caucus throws support to restoring Medicare reimbursement

Primary Care Scorecard: ‘We have to put primary care first’

 is not just a matter of not having health insurance. 

 has grown to become one-fifth of the United States economy, more than other countries of the Western World, but with poorer health outcomes. The time has come for hard 

 through primary care, said Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA.

Videos

A discussion about primary care with the president of the Milbank Memorial Fund.

Primary Care Scorecard: ‘More than enough money’ for good primary care

Financing is crucial to strengthening primary care, yet Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA, said current health care markets fail to allocate funds efficiently, prioritizing specialty care over 

 a priority. A good place to start: reform the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.

Primary Care Scorecard: Reforming graduate medical education

, with the majority of graduate medical education (GME) dollars going to hospital-based programs rather than community-based settings, which are more effective at 

. Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA, explains how this works — or doesn’t work — for 

Primary Care Scorecard: Why primary care is losing physicians

Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA, explains how the number of 

 and other clinicians is growing more slowly than specialty physicians due to 

, as medical students and advanced practitioners opt for higher-paying, less demanding specialties to manage their student debt. This trend is leading to 

 of physicians and advanced practitioners entering office-based primary care, further straining 

Primary Care Scorecard: Medicare undervalues primary care

Spending on primary care is steadily declining across Medicaid, Medicare, and commercial insurance, largely due to Medicare’s undervaluation of 

 and the fee-for-service payment model that favors specialty care. As a result, health systems prioritize 

 compared to other countries and even some lower-cost, high-performing U.S. health systems. Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA, explains this financial model.

Primary Care Scorecard: A surprising finding

Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA, describes a 

 of the 2025 Primary Care Scorecard. Nearly 30% of adults report lacking a 

, meaning they have no regular provider to address their health needs, which can lead to fragmented and inefficient treatment. This issue contributes to growing frustrations about 

, longer wait times, and increased reliance on urgent care and emergency rooms, ultimately weakening the foundation of a 

Primary Care Scorecard: How it started

Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA, discusses the origin of the organization’s 

. The 2025 scorecard was published in February 2025 in conjunction with the Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies and The Physicians Foundation. The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's 2021 committee focused on implementing high-quality primary care, emphasizing the need for a strong primary care-based health system. To track progress, the 

, now in its third year, measuring key areas such as financing, workforce, access, technology, and accountability.

Primary Care Scorecard: An introduction to the Milbank Memorial Fund

Milbank Memorial Fund President Christopher F. Koller, MPPM, MA, introduces the organization, which has become a co-publisher of 

 grades the state of primary care within the U.S. health care system.

A discussion about primary care with the leader of the Milbank Memorial Fund.

Drug prices: Introducing research and patient advocacy group AAR

Drug prices: Another way to interpret negotiations for cost

Drug prices: Expensive, but for whom?

Drug prices: Formulary inclusion vs. formulary placement

Drug prices: Utilization management with insurance and patients

Drug prices: Real benefits for seniors in the Inflation Reduction Act

Drug prices: Additional provisions to help beneficiaries

Drug prices: Medicare coverage of antiobesity medications

Medicare is the single largest health insurer in the United States. Leveraging that beneficiary base to negotiate better prices for drugs sounds like it could be a great idea.

That’s the point of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, created in 2022 by the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA).

But so far federal regulators have selected drugs that have the greatest cost to Medicare, not its beneficiaries. That means “beneficiaries deserve better,” and there are policies that could make prescription drugs more accessible and affordable to seniors, according to the Alliance for Aging Research (AAR).

AAR director of public policy and government affairs, published a statement responding to the Jan. 17 announcement about the next 15 drugs subject to price negotiation. She also authored an analysis in 

arguing the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services could set up regulatory guardrails that ensure greater financial relief for patients.

What’s more: A program intended to help beneficiaries could create barriers to care, she said.

 to discuss the potential unintended side effects of the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, as created by the federal Inflation Reduction Act. Talks with federal regulators and pharmaceutical makers began last year to determine prices on 10 drugs, with the new prices to take effect in 2026.

Bargaining for widely used prescription drugs may save money for Medicare, but AAR wants seniors to see better prices at the pharmacy counter.

Medicare Drug Price Negotiations: Who really benefits?

Weight loss and antiobesity are not the same thing, said Adina Lasser, director of public policy and government affairs with the 

 (AAR). Based on scientific and medical evidence, AAR publicly has stated its support for 

 of the GLP-1 RA antiobesity drugs that have become blockbusters across health care. Here she explains the organization’s stance ono those medications. AAR also commissioned a white paper titled 

“CMS Has the Legal Authority to Cover Anti-Obesity Medications (and Should).”

 It was prepared by Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Field LLP and published in 2024. Federal rules have long 

 or classes of drugs when used for “anorexia, weight loss, or weight gain.” But AAR argues that statutory restriction does not prohibit coverage of the antiobesity drugs, according to the paper.

A discussion about the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program with Adina Lasser, director of public policy and government affairs with the Alliance for Aging Research.

Medicare & Medicaid

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