As States Implement Medicaid Community Engagement Requirements, Due Process Safeguards Loom Large Sara Rosenbaum,Alison Barkoff,andAllyson Crays April 15, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/states-implement-medicaid-community-engagement-requirements-due-process-safeguards-loom The OBBBA’s community engagement requirements will have a significant impact on the eligibility determination process. So will Constitutional due process safeguards.

Population Health Costs Of Exclusionary And Criminalizing Immigration Policies Nolan Kline,Alana M. W. LeBrón,William Lopez,Nicole L. Novak,Melina Michelen,andMaria-Elena De Trinidad Young

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/briefs/population-health-costs-exclusionary-and-criminalizing-immigration-policies KEY POINTS: The current immigration enforcement landscape is an extension of the past thirty years of immigration policy, which has increasingly focused on exclusion and securitization. Despite historically falling under the domain of civil law, immigration matters in the US have increasingly been treated as issues of criminal law. Immigration enforcement policies have individual, interpersonal, and communitywide harms that affect all people in the US. Beyond the health-related harms of immigration enforcement policy, there are broader economic and social harms that affect all US residents.

Consumer Debt, Race, And Health: Can Debt Relief Be A Solution For Reducing Racial Health Disparities? Fenaba R. Addo December 11, 2025

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/briefs/consumer-debt-race-and-health-can-debt-relief-solution-reducing-racial-health KEY POINTS: Black Americans have been systematically excluded from wealth accumulation through policies and practices that increase debt burdens and limit asset building, leading to chronic financial vulnerability and worse health outcomes. Debt negatively influences health through resource constraints, financial stress, and social stigma. These mechanisms limit access to health care, increase risky health behaviors, and cause psychological distress, and they disproportionately affect Black Americans. Evidence on the health benefits of debt relief, such as debt discharge from bankruptcy, suggest improved health outcomes but is limited when it comes to determining the benefits for Black communities. Improvements in data infrastructure and algorithmic matching may offer new pathways to study debt, race, and health more effectively. Although more research is needed, policy actions focused on expanding health insurance, supporting student debt relief, reforming bankruptcy systems, and asset building could address racial disparities in debt and health.

Podcast: Which Star Ratings Are Driving Medicare Advantage Quality Gains Rob LottandAndrew Anderson April 21, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hp20260416.449153/full/?utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_cfX2b1_r5eKgjIJlHjsGx9AmohzHKzpFy9N8OdKum5j2dmoRibPJS562upHdfGJ7nz0Nxa6EiiLrqJqo23knahkJkTg&_hsmi=415566602&utm_content=ahp&utm_source=hasu Health Affairs Publishing's Rob Lott interviews Andrew Anderson of Johns Hopkins University about his recent paper that explores new research on the Medicare Advantage Star Ratings program and how effectively it has driven quality improvement over time.

New Prior Authorization Proposals: Implications for Prescription Drug Access Jeff ByersandMichael S. Gerber April 24, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/do/10.1377/hp20260423.626376/full/?utm_campaign=podcast&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8AKh9tc2c7lwiwd8YGwKSzg8GXMbeWtjGYlOhiGzv0nyFNyC0gwFgFB-2nil87YC81AIIHhdNKS6mDiz7W5HkXq-K1Ew&_hsmi=415566602&utm_content=hatw&utm_source=hasu Health Affairs Publishing's Jeff Byers welcomes Senior Editor Michael Gerber back to the pod to discuss recent federal action on prior authorization, including CMS’s proposal to expand response-time requirements to prescription drugs. The conversation also covers insurer efforts to reduce prior auth volume, the promise of AI and prior authorization, and what increased transparency could reveal about costs.

A Global Resolution To Bring Liver Health Into The NCD Mainstream Jeffrey V. Lazarus April 21, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/global-resolution-bring-liver-health-into-ncd-mainstream?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_g7bz85huBhxC982LRvG0ZoWfPANy1ONNYhU9xZbr6pdzF3qH-Z1OrGy7tr0m8SgGztrJFpmw3aQoCtnt7TeHMtXh0Iw&_hsmi=415566602&utm_source=hasu Despite its scale, steatotic liver disease remains largely absent from global and US noncommunicable disease strategies.

Expanding The GUIDE Model To Include Adults With Intellectual Disability And Dementia Matthew P. JanickiandPhilip McCallion April 23, 2026

https://www.healthaffairs.org/content/forefront/expanding-guide-model-include-adults-intellectual-disability-and-dementia?utm_campaign=forefront&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz--gJ-jgHgWuJwqe0LQe8Jv5tWHtsgNOtii7OAp8ZcrtLcfNnBWFZGMM2jE0Bxsd-S2EmxOn56uyvK-Opb0fdS8Rvw_d_A&_hsmi=415566602&utm_source=hasu Expanding the GUIDE model’s eligibility language to include adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities offers a practical opportunity to address emerging service gaps while advancing health equity.