Jose Figueroa, MD, MPH
@joefigs2
Associate Prof of Health Policy & Management @HarvardHPM @HarvardHSPH | Doctor @BrighamWomens | Faculty Director, Healthcare Quality & Outcomes Lab
What happens when low-income Medicare beneficiaries lose subsidized drug coverage (aka the Part D Low Income Subsidy)? Unfortunately, they are much more likely to die. And these deaths are likely preventable . Our new @NEJM study out today nejm.org/doi/full/10.10…
The true cost of the reconciliation bill will be measured in lives—over 50,000 per year. It’s a predictable result when you cut off insurance to people who are old, poor and sick. @eric_t_roberts and I discuss in @MSNBC @NBCNews @HarvardHPM @PennLDI msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-…
In their new Forefront article, @joefigs2, @eric_t_roberts, Jessica Phelan, and Kenton Johnston from @HarvardChanSPH, @PennMedicine, and @WashU discuss how, as CMS sets its agenda under new leadership, there are critical opportunities to develop integrated care models for…
It’s been nearly 8 months since @NIHAging @NIH updated its website showing the NIA paylines for research grants. As of today, “an interim funding line for NIA has not yet been determined” for fiscal year 2025. nia.nih.gov/research/grant…
We've lost another healthcare giant: Lucian Leape, the father of the modern patient safety movement and a person of remarkable character & integrity. My wife @katiehafner wrote his @nytimes obituary – it rightly highlights both his impact & his courage. nytimes.com/2025/07/01/hea…
In our (@joefigs2) @JAMANetworkOpen commentary, we discuss new research that underscores the vital role hospital leadership plays in addressing health-related social needs. Among other findings, the authors show that hospitals w/greater involvement from senior execs & other…
Our new @JAMAHealthForum study adds more evidence on how MA plans enrolling veterans maximize profits by not paying for care. Veterans in high-veteran MA plans are much more likely to have surgical care paid by VA than plan itself—even when surgery occurs in non-VA hospitals…
Veterans enrolled in high-veteran Medicare Advantage plans are more likely to have their surgical care costs shifted to the Veterans Health Administration instead of being covered by the MA plans. #ARM25 @AcademyHealth ja.ma/4kOsObr
Avoidable mortality increased in all US states between 2009 and 2021, while it decreased in other high-income countries. ja.ma/4ksQgeV @joefigs2
I want to emphasize that this is 18,000 avoidable deaths per year *of Medicare enrollees.* They aren't in CBO's "uninsured" count — they're older people and folks with disabilities on Medicare who won't get extra financial help because of a proposed moratorium on a regulation.
CBO projects that House reconciliation bill will cause 1.38 million low-income Medicare beneficiaries to lose Medicaid coverage. We estimate that this will lead to over 18,000 avoidable deaths/year stemming from loss of LIS. Link to memo led by @PennLDI: bit.ly/4mwfcDA
What happens when you kick 14 million people off their coverage? Illnesses and health care needs don't disappear - costs just shift. Our latest piece finds providers would be saddled with $48B in uncompensated care costs (and break that number out by state):
Last week was hard for us @HarvardChanSPH after losing all NIH grants. This week, we are forced to reckon with what’s next, including shutting down research, considering staffing cuts, and scrambling to cover salaries. HSPH: “ground zero” of NIH cuts nytimes.com/2025/05/21/us/…
Special Article: Loss of Subsidized Drug Coverage and Mortality among Medicare Beneficiaries nej.md/4jS1wRt #HealthPolicy #PublicHealth
Two new studies inject powerful evidence into the heated Medicaid debate in Washington, showing the public insurance program is saving lives. tradeoffs.org/2025/05/15/new…