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USC Schaeffer

@schaeffer.usc.edu

Home to the Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics and the Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service. Transforming policy through rigorous, independent research and close engagement with public and private sector leaders.

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USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · yesterday

Drug spending is shifting away from “me-too” products and toward highly novel medicines, according to new USC Schaeffer research in Health Affairs. The findings suggest markets & policy are evolving to reward meaningful scientific innovation.

Pharmaceutical Spending Is Shifting Away From ‘Me-Too’ Drugs - August 3, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

Drug spending has become increasingly concentrated on innovative medicines, largely due to greater patient use rather than higher prices. - August 3, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · last wk.

The 2025 L.A. wildfires had lasting psychological impacts on residents in evacuation zones, particularly those already facing social and economic hardship, according to a new study from the Center for Economic and Social Research at USC Schaeffer.

L.A. Wildfires Had Lasting Mental Health Impacts for the Most Vulnerable Residents - July 29, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

Almost one year after the fires, elevated levels of anxiety and depression were concentrated among Angelenos who already faced social and economic hardship. - July 29, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · last wk.

📢 New research funding opportunity: The USC-Yale Roybal Center for Behavioral Interventions in Aging, hosted at the USC Schaeffer Center, is accepting proposals for research testing mechanisms of behavior change to promote healthy aging. More info here ⬇️

USC-Yale Roybal Center for Behavioral Interventions in Aging - USC Schaeffer

Mission To advance value-based care through randomized trials and to understand mechanisms of behavior change to promote healthy aging. Specific Aims The application for the 2027-2028 funding period i...

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2w ago

A prolonged vacancy atop the FDA could mean delayed work on new treatments until there's greater policy clarity, USC Schaeffer's @profgenkanter.bsky.social tells Pharma Voice. “Transition delays and really, any uncertainty in leadership, are not good for the industry and not good for the public."

Why the FDA’s top spot could sit empty for months

Multiple factors could get in the way of confirming a new commissioner before the midterm elections, experts said, leaving the agency’s long-term initiatives in limbo.

pharmavoice.com

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2w ago

Language barriers could make it difficult for some patients to understand or get info about hospitals’ financial assistance programs. USC Schaeffer's Erin Duffy in AJMC explains how the financial consequences for patients can be substantial.

Closing Language Access Gaps Is Key to Improving Financial Assistance Awareness: Erin L. Duffy, PhD, MPH | AJMC

June author Erin L. Duffy, PhD, MPH, discusses her study showing nonprofit and system-affiliated hospitals provide greater access to translated financial assistance documents.

ajmc.com

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2w ago

Don't count on AI to lower healthcare spending, write USC Schaeffer scholars Bob Kocher & Erin Duffy. Without significant changes to system incentives and market structures, AI is likely to increase health spending in the coming years.

Thinking about the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on U.S. Health Care Costs and Spending Growth

As artificial intelligence is rapidly adopted across the U.S. health care sector, many experts see it as a critical tool in reducing health care costs and spending growth. These outcomes are not ne...

catalyst.nejm.org

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 3w ago

Health insurance premiums for family coverage in California are expected to top $30K next year. USC Schaeffer's Glenn Melnick explains in @latimes.com how soaring premiums are eating into workers' wages.

California employer health premiums will cost as much as a new car in 2027

Employers are bracing for what could be the highest rise in health insurance premiums in 16 years, driving up the cost of family coverage in California to more than $30,000.

latimes.com

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 3w ago

The prevailing sentiment that new #Alzheimers drugs don’t really work has been a major disservice to families affected by the disease, USC Schaeffer Scholars Paul Aisen and Joe Grogan argue.

Alzheimer’s Drugs Deserve a Second Opinion - July 13, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

A closer look at new Alzheimer’s treatments shows delayed disease progression over multiple years. Medicare should reconsider the costs to patients of maintaining coverage restrictions. - July 13, 202...

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 3w ago

Much of what's known about preventing #dementia comes from research in wealthy countries like the US. A new global study from USC Schaeffer's Center for Economic and Social Research finds modifiable dementia risk factors vary widely around the world, but also share some key similarities. #aaic26

Dementia risk factors look different around the world, large USC study finds

Because risk factors such as low education, high blood pressure and smoking vary widely, a one-size-fits-all approach to prevention won’t work.

today.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 4w ago

Dementia isn’t just a health crisis, it’s also an economic one. USC Schaeffer’s Julie Zissimopoulos discusses her new research with @ktla.com estimating that dementia will cost the U.S. a staggering $818 billion this year.

The Hidden Toll: Shocking report reveals DEMENTIA costs expected to EXPLODE this year

Nearly 6 million Americans currently live with Dementia - the majority of them over the age of 65. The degenerative brain disease already poses a toll on those who contract it as well as their loved o...

ktla.com

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 4w ago

Medicare prescriptions for Wegovy jumped in the 6 months after the weight-loss drug was approved for heart risk, new USC Schaeffer research shows. However, fewer than 1% of beneficiaries who were likely eligible had filled a prescription.

Medicare Prescriptions for Wegovy Jumped After Approval for Heart Disease - July 9, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

New research shows that expanding the use of GLP-1 medications beyond obesity could improve access, but coverage barriers remain. - July 9, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 4w ago

USC Schaeffer experts recently shared recommendations on a bipartisan legislative proposal to better integrate clinical trials into routine care and expand the use of real-world evidence in regulatory decision-making.

Comments on Cures in Care Initiative - June 30, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

Embedding clinical research into routine care and expanding use of real-world evidence in regulatory decisions require targeted improvements to data infrastructure. - June 30, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · last mo.

Medicare this week will start covering GLP-1s for weight-loss, potentially benefiting millions of beneficiaries. USC Schaeffer research on the cost, coverage and value of anti-obesity medications has helped inform this policy shift.

Schaeffer Solutions: Addressing the Obesity Crisis - June 25, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

For 20 years, Schaeffer researchers have advanced understanding of obesity’s root causes, its costs and the value of interventions, including new anti-obesity medications. - June 25, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · last mo.

DC health debates often center on budget scores, less so on long-term consequences for health outcomes, markets and biomedical innovation. Dana Goldman & Erin Trish in @jamahealthforum.com suggest complementing CBO analysis w/outside modeling to provide a more complete picture of policy impacts.

Scoring Health Reform

This Viewpoint discusses the scoring system used by the Congressional Budget Office for health policy decisions and explores the long-term consequences that receive inadequate analysis within this sys...

jamanetwork.com

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · last mo.

"This is a health crisis. It's also an economic crisis for families and government. It's not something to sit back and ignore." USC Schaeffer's Julie Zissimopoulos discusses with @marketwatch.com new research estimating dementia will cost the US $818 billion this year.

This disease is more expensive than cancer and heart disease combined. And it’s only going to get worse.

“People should be alarmed. This is a health crisis. It’s also an economic crisis for families and government.”

marketwatch.com

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

"Even if you live in a wealthy country, if you lack access to clean drinking water, you are far more likely to lack access to food." -USC Schaeffer's Wandi Bruine de Bruin on her new research linking food insecurity & water insecurity.

A global report reveals the link between unsafe water and hunger

A landmark study spanning 121 countries has found that people without access to clean drinking water are pointedly more likely to go hungry, a link that...

smartwatermagazine.com

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

A proposed California ballot measure to cap medical executives' pay is unlikely to reduce patient costs, USC Schaeffer's Glenn Melnick tells @kffhealthnews.org.

Looming Medicaid Cuts Supercharge California’s Latest Labor-Industry Fight - KFF Health News

One of California’s largest healthcare unions is sponsoring two initiatives that would regulate community clinics and cap executive and managerial pay at hospitals and physician groups. In the most re...

kffhealthnews.org

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

Medicare could unlock a trove of valuable clinical trial data through relatively modest changes to reporting requirements, USC Schaeffer Scholars Sidra Haye and Mireille Jacobson write in @jamahealthforum.com.

Improving Clinical Trials Reporting in Medicare Claims - June 12, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

More accurate reporting of trial-related care could generate valuable evidence about new treatments, promote representative trial enrollment and improve coverage decisions. - June 12, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

GLP-1s may deliver the greatest health and economic benefits to disadvantaged populations, who historically have faced greater barriers to sustained weight loss through behavioral interventions. New NBER working paper from USC Schaeffer scholars ⬇️

GLP-1 Therapy and the Reshaping of Socioeconomic Gradients in Health - June 8, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

GLP-1s may deliver the greatest health and economic benefits to disadvantaged populations, who historically have faced greater challenges losing weight through behavioral interventions. - June 8, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

Medicare’s cap on monthly #insulin costs reduced beneficiaries’ spending on the drug by 21% and increased use among those who previously had especially high costs, finds new USC Schaeffer research in JAMA.

Medicare’s $35 Insulin Cap Lowered Beneficiary Costs, Increased Use for Some - June 8, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

The monthly spending limit improved adherence among insulin users who previously had especially high costs, Schaeffer researchers found. - June 8, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

At yesterday's FDA listening session on the commissioner's voucher program, USC Schaeffer's Lowell Schiller said issuing formal rules or guidance would strengthen program integrity and provide greater certainty for product sponsors.

Comments on the Commissioner’s National Priority Voucher Pilot Program - June 4, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

FDA should establish clear rules or guidance outlining how products are selected and evaluated for the program, along with appropriate guardrails. - June 4, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

A Medicare policy providing coverage for promising treatments while more evidence is gathered has effectively created a two-tiered system for access to innovative medical technologies, new USC Schaeffer research shows.

How Medicare's Evidence Requirements Create Barriers to Equitable Healthcare Access - June 4, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

A comparison of hospitals that do and do not participate in Coverage with Evidence Development (CED) finds that rural and low-income Medicare beneficiaries face reduced access to emerging technologies...

schaeffer.usc.edu

USC Schaeffer@schaeffer.usc.edu · 2mo ago

Water insecurity and food insecurity are often seen as separate issues. However, people who lack clean drinking water also tend to struggle with food access & safety, new USC Schaeffer research finds. The findings underscore the need for coordinated global action on these issues.

Lack of Clean Drinking Water Linked to Increased Food Insecurity - June 2, 2026 - USC Schaeffer

The global study of 121 countries reinforced the need for comprehensive solutions to address water and food insecurity together, rather than as siloed distinct challenges. - June 2, 2026

schaeffer.usc.edu