Ken Perez
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Ken Perez
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Ken Perez: An assessment of the health policies of Kamala Harris and Donald Trump
The 2024 presidential election features a shift in policy position by Democratic Party candidate Kamala Harris, who has distanced herself from her previous advocacy of Medicare for All, while Republican Party candidate Donald Trump appears less intent on repealing the Affordable Care Act.
Ken Perez: How 3 presidential candidates are defining their prescription drug pricing policies
What do voters care most about? It’s arguably the most salient question in every election cycle. Each March, to answer that question, Gallup asks Americans to rate their concern about a variety of national issues. This year’s survey asked respondents about 14 different issues.a Inflation came out on top, with 55% of those surveyed worrying…
Ken Perez: Assessing the U.S. response to the healthcare needs of migrants and asylum seekers
Immigration, for decades one of the most politically charged issues in the United States, is emerging as a top issue during this election year. A poll of 1,074 U.S. adults conducted Nov. 30-Dec. 4, 2023, found that immigration ranked as the fourth-highest priority for 2024, with 35% of those surveyed indicating that they want the…
Ken Perez: How homelessness and healthcare are inextricably linked
Homelessness is a worsening problem for the United States, and in multiple ways, it is a healthcare issue. Many of our nation’s failed efforts to solve this problem, outlined below, do not fully acknowledge this reality. But a promising new not-for-profit initiative, Built for Zero, may provide a truly viable solution using a data-driven approach…
Ken Perez: 3 strategic options hospitals can use to repair today’s negative margins
The year 2022 has been characterized by some economists as being the worst financial year for U.S. hospitals in decades as expense growth has outpaced revenue increases. As a result, many hospitals and health systems have a pressing need to launch initiatives that can effectively repair their negative operating margins.a Labor shortages and inflation demand…
2022 midterms aftermath: Gridlock or bipartisanship?
Studies conducted over the past several years have found the polarization is increasing in American society.a And not surprisingly, the 2022 midterm elections reflected the deep divisions. Two fiercely contested Senate seats in this past election are emblematic. Democrat John Fetterman won Pennsylvania’s hotly contested Senate race over Republican Mehmet Oz, MD, taking over the seat…
Ken Perez: What U.S. hospitals and health systems can expect from the 2022 IRA
Passed on Aug. 7, 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act has policy provisions that are significant for providers, but overall, it constitutes a mixed bag for hospitals and health systems.
Ken Perez: U.S. demographic realities and the productivity mandate for healthcare
COVID-19’s impact on nursing is undeniable. But focusing too much on the pandemic can obscure longstanding and inexorable demographic trends that are also contributing to growing nursing shortages.
Ken Perez: Healthcare assailed by a labor crisis, with pharmacy technicians particularly affected
The healthcare sector lost more than half a million workers from February 2020 to September 2021, contributing to labor shortages in the sector. An often-overlooked yet important element in this trend is the acute shortage among pharmacy technicians, who play a vital role in the delivery of pharmacy services.
Ken Perez: Healthcare plays a pivotal role in the fate of the Democrats’ social spending bill
Characterized by some as the centerpiece of President Joe Biden’s agenda, the Democrats’ $3.5 trillion budget plan is still very much a work in progress.