Leah Rand

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine (both D-VA) issued the following statement after the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) reported that premiums for Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage are projected to rise by an average of 20.5% next year – a spike driven largely by the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits that have helped make health care more affordable for hundreds of thousands of Virginians: “The news that Virginians who rely on health care coverage from the marketplace could see their premiums jump by more than 20% next year is deeply troubling. This entirely-avoidable increase is being driven by the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits that have helped hundreds of thousands of Virginians afford quality health care. While President Trump and congressional Republicans bent over backward to extend tax cuts for the uber-wealthy as part of their tax and budget bill, they chose not to renew these critical health care credits that have saved the average Virginian nearly $90 a month. Alongside our Democratic colleagues, we even forced a vote on an amendment to the bill to extend the credits, and Republicans voted it down. “We know what’s at stake when health care becomes unaffordable: families go without coverage, people skip doctor visits and prescriptions, and small health problems turn into costly emergencies. That’s not only bad for public health, it drives up costs for everyone. ...” ...President Trump’s tax and budget bill.. did not extend these credits. As a result, Virginians who purchase coverage on the Virginia marketplace will see the largest share of next year’s premium hikes directly tied to the loss of these credits. Without action, more than a third of the nearly 415,000 Virginians who currently rely on this coverage could be priced out of their health insurance..

Virginia senators on news state ACA insurance premiums will rise an average 20.5%:
"While President Trump and congressional Republicans bent over backward to extend tax cuts for the uber-wealthy as part of their tax and budget bill, they chose not to renew these critical healthcare credits."

Finding this here to say how sorry I am that I can no longer listen to TKC outside the UK. After 12 years and never missing an episode, it's like losing my favorite friends to cook with in the kitchen

Health Technology Assessment, Again: A Transparent, Evidence-Based Approach For CMS Drug Price Negotiations | Health Affairs Journal The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) can now negotiate the prices of a set of drugs that represent significant Medicare expenditures. The long-term success of negotiations will depend ...

New @healthaffairs.bsky.social paper on how CMS can integrate formal aspects of #HTA, much of which is patterned after @icer-review.bsky.social practices! Many thanks to @commonwealthfund.org for their support. @basucally.bsky.social @leah-rand.bsky.social
www.healthaffairs.org/doi/10.1377/...

Impostor Syndrome: Fraudulent Participants in Qualitative Research Can Skew Results Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 July 2025 Leah Z. Rand Open the ORCID record for Leah Z. Rand[Opens in a new window] , Sarah McGraw , Junyi Wang , Jonathan J. Darrow and Aaron S. Kesselheim Abstract We report on an experience with impostor research participants, people who misrepresent themselves, and identify characteristics that can be used by investigators to screen out such participants. We compare the responses of impostor and valid participants, showing that impostors meaningfully change qualitative study findings with implications for policy interventions or follow-on research informed by the study. It is important for investigators to be alert to the potential for impostor participants and plan their research accordingly.

New on FirstView: "Impostor Syndrome: Fraudulent Participants in Qualitative Research Can Skew Results" by @leah-rand.bsky.social, @akesselheim.bsky.social of @portalresearch.org & coauthors offers actionable ways to overcome the fraudulent participant problem.
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...

Medicaid is the backbone of health coverage in Kentucky - and that is by far its most important role.

Often unlooked, however, is the substantial role it plays in our economy. Through the care it pays for, jobs are created, workers supported, and economic activity is generated.

Around the World in HTAs: Canada – Autonomous yet Collaborative - OHE In this Insights series, Around the World in HTAs, we shed light on HTA around the world. In this edition, Adam Raymakers and Chris Skedgel take us to Canada.

Out today!

The latest in the series "Around the World in HTAs" from the OHE (@ohenews.bsky.social) is an overview of the Canadian process that I wrote with Chris Skedgel (@chrissked.bsky.social).

If you need a general overview of the HTA process in Canada, check it out!
www.ohe.org/insight/arou...

WATCH: @akesselheim.bsky.social testifies before @waysmeanscmte.bsky.social

On NIH cuts - "...the next generation will look back at this moment & ask what we were doing while the Trump administration systematically disposed of 1000s of research projects that could've helped patients."

PORTAL Post | April 2025 Skinny labeling, 340B expansion, patent games, and more analysis from the PORTAL team.

Check out the latest research from the PORTAL team in the April edition of our newsletter, featuring analysis on generic drug 'skinny labeling,' the expansion of the 340B program, a new form of product hopping, and much more! 🛟🧪

mailchi.mp/57ccd5e0b342...

The speed with which we are going backwards is beyond unsettling. Without public discourse, without debate, without Congressional input, without investigation into the impact and effect of these changes for the country ... www.bloomberg.com/opinion/feat...

Trump promised scientific breakthroughs. Researchers say he’s breaking science. NIH funding for biomedical research has abruptly fallen by billions of dollars, with many grant decisions on hold. Trump officials say they’re reviewing the agency.

Each admin gets to put its own stamp on science funding priorities (w/ caveats around rigor, not using science $ to wage other political battles). One admin's priorities extend into the next and so on. But science cannot work if you burn it down every 4 years.
www.washingtonpost.com/politics/202...

Nice piece by @peterneumann11.bsky.social showing how US-based CEAs continue to use QALYs as an outcome, despite the opposition of some.

cevr.tuftsmedicalcenter.org/news/the-dea...

Join us tomorrow for a discussion of private equity in health care and policy solutions to protect patients and care quality
Friday, FEB 7 12:30-1:30 pm on Zoom

Register: lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/x422s...

@harvardchanschool.bsky.social @petrieflomcenter.bsky.social @portalresearch.org

🚨 Just out today (online)! 🚨

Our results show that a common argument against #QALYs (based on the use of subgroup analyses) is not justified with empirical data.

With co-authors: @leah-rand.bsky.social , @wbfeldman.bsky.social, & @akesselheim.bsky.social from @portalresearch.org.

opportunity costs associated with NICE recommendations.

Defo the most important h economics paper you will read today, maybe this week, maybe the year so far

This is where the primary care budget gets spent

A

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

PORTAL Post | December 2024 Vaccine hesitency, biologics vs. small molecules, clearing patent thickets, technology transfer, and more from the PORTAL research team.

Check out the latest research from PORTAL in the December edition of our monthly newsletter! Featuring analyses on vaccine hesitancy, patent thickets, march-in rights, antibiotic prescribing and more. Sign up here: eepurl.com/iQSXmU

Deadline Approaching - Join the PORTAL Team! Apply by December 1, 2024 to be a PORTAL Postdoctoral or General Medicine Fellow. We are also accepting applications for a Faculty Member in Health Policy or Health Services Research.

📣PORTAL is hiring! 📣

There are less than 2 weeks left to apply for our Postdoctoral and General Medicine Fellowships, both with a focus on pharmaceutical law, health policy, and health services research. Apply by December 1, 2024.

Learn more: mailchi.mp/3e02f38a708b/portal-hiring-2025