Why Low Growth in Health Costs Still Stings April 8, 2015 Perspective This was published as a Wall Street Journal Think Tank column on April 8, 2015. In my last Think Tank piece, I reported that just 3% of Americans felt health costs had been rising more slowly than usual, even though they have been growing at record low rates in recent years. The…
3 Takeaways From the Medicare Trustees Report August 1, 2014 Perspective In his latest column for The Wall Street Journal’s Think Tank, Drew Altman dives into this week’s release of the Social Security and Medicare Trustees Report to discuss the good news that may have been missed.
Biden vs Trump on Health With Swing Voters September 17, 2020 Perspective Drawing on newly released KFF/Cook Political Report polling in key Sun Belt states, Drew Altman discusses how the 2020 election is more about President Trump but issues do matter. He says that swing voters in Florida, Arizona and North Carolina prefer Joe Biden over President Trump on more issues including health care and the coronavirus, but President Trump has the edge on their top issue, the economy.
Most Americans are Practicing Social Distancing April 13, 2020 Perspective Drew Altman analyzes data showing surprising numbers of Americans of all ages are sheltering in place and reporting social distancing, and discusses the implications in an Axios column.
The Public Wants the Federal Government, Not States, in Charge On Coronavirus April 7, 2020 Perspective In Drew Altman’s Axios column, he analyzes new polling showing that rather than serving as backup to the states, the public wants the federal government to lead the nation’s coronavirus response.
The Front-line Workers Most at Risk from Coronavirus June 22, 2020 Perspective As state and local governments ease social distancing orders, many employers and workers face decisions about a physical return to the workplace. Drew Altman’s latest Axios column analyzes the numbers and finds that, “An estimated 25-30 million people are caught in the middle of the coronavirus economy — they’re unable to work from home but also face a high risk of severe infection.”
Black Americans Are More Skeptical of a Coronavirus Vaccine October 14, 2020 Perspective Drew Altman discusses how systemic racism has led to striking levels of reluctance to get a COVID-19 vaccine among Black Americans, including those at highest risk, and the challenge it presents for ending the pandemic.
Drugs Aren’t the Reason the U.S. Spends So Much on Health Care September 30, 2020 Perspective Drew Altman’s column in Axios: the U.S. now spends twice per capita what other wealthy countries do on health care. But while drug costs get all the time in public debate, it’s hospital and outpatient spending that mostly explains the difference. And that will be impossible to take on without real pain and political risk, he says.
Reopening is a Risk for Republican Governors May 4, 2020 Perspective In an Axios column, Drew Altman analyzes recent data on COVID-19 cases and deaths and finds “The hardest-hit areas so far have mostly been in states with Democratic governors. But the number of coronavirus cases is now increasing more quickly in states with Republican governors.”
Hotspot States See More COVID Cases in Nursing Homes July 21, 2020 Perspective In his Axios column, Drew Altman discusses new data on the surge of new infections in long-term care facilities in COVID-19 hotspots. The dominant narrative about the Sunbelt surge in new cases is that the infected population is younger, but he says that’s not the whole story. There is also a spike in cases in long-term care facilities, especially in Florida and Texas.
