Top 10 Milbank Quarterly Articles of 2022

We are pleased to present our top 10 most-read Milbank Quarterly articles of 2022.

1. Financing Approaches to Social Prescribing Programs in England and the United States

Sahil Sandhu, Hugh Alderwick, Laura M. Gottlieb

In this Perspective, the authors described how social prescribing works in England and the United States, and how funding flexibility and targeted financing mechanisms for social services have been introduced. The authors called for an evaluation of these programs to determine which health care investments deliver the greatest impact, as well as more support for community-based organizations and services.

2. Information From Same-Race/Ethnicity Experts Online Does Not Increase Vaccine Interest or Intention to Vaccinate

Shana Kushner Gadarian, Sara Wallace Goodman, Jamila Michener, Brendan Nyhan, Thomas B. Pepinsky

This analysis of online vaccine endorsement campaigns revealed no evidence that information from same race/ethnicity experts in these campaigns affected vaccine interest or the intention to vaccinate. “Our findings help give context to the well-established imperative to address fundamental inequities in access and distribution processes,” the researchers concluded.

3. Coverage of New Drugs in Medicare Part D

Huseyin Naci, Ilias Kyriopoulos, William B. Feldman, Thomas J. Hwang, Aaron S. Kesselheim, Amitabh Chandra

This study found that newly approved drugs are frequently subject to formulary exclusions and restrictions such as prior authorization in Medicare Part D plans. The researchers also found that drug price, but not therapeutic benefit, consistently influences formulary inclusion in nonprotected classes of drugs that Medicare doesn’t require plans to cover, as well as coverage restrictions in both protected and nonprotected classes.

4. Estimating the Impact of Medicaid Expansion and Federal Funding Cuts on FQHC Staffing and Patient Capacity

Shiyin Jiao, R. Tamara Konetzka, Harold A. Pollack, Elbert S. Huang

This study provided insights into how states can best fund these centers to expand access to care in light of President Joe Biden’s plan to build on the ACA and double investments in federally qualified health centers (FQHCs).

5. Health Centers and Value-Based Payment: A Framework for Health Center Payment Reform and Early Experiences in Medicaid Value-Based Payment in Seven States

Rachel Tobey, James Maxwell, Eric Turner, Erin Singer, Zoe Lindenfeld, Robert S. Nocon, Allison Coleman, Joshua Bolton, Hank Hoang, Alex Sripipatana, Elbert S. Huang

Health centers, which provide primary care services to almost 29 million Americans, are important participants in and beneficiaries of state expansions of Medicaid coverage and statewide payment reform. This mixed-methods study assessed value-based payment (VBP) participation in health centers in seven states from 2013 to 2017.

6. Measuring the Trustworthiness of Health Care Organizations and Systems

Andrew Anderson, Derek M. Griffith

In this Perspective, the authors described a conceptual model for measuring and building trustworthiness in health care delivery based on existing behavioral theories. They argued that developing and publicly reporting measures that assess the trustworthiness of providers is necessary to promote health care equity.

7.  What Does the State Innovation Model Experiment Tell Us About States’ Capacity to Implement Complex Health Reforms?

Anne-Marie Boxall

In this article, findings from six State Innovation Model (SIM) case studies run by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Innovation Center between 2013 and 2019 revealed that, for such state-led reform initiatives to be successful, the federal government needs to better support states by providing direct financial support, reforming its own programs, particularly Medicare, and committing to a long-term strategy for advancing payment and delivery system reforms.

8. State-Level Social and Economic Policies and Their Association With Perinatal and Infant Outcomes

Jessica L. Webster, David Paul, Jonathon Purtle, Robert Locke, Neal D. Goldstein

Rates of preterm birth and infant mortality are alarmingly high in the United States. This study found that certain state-level social and economic policies have the potential to reduce adverse perinatal and infant health outcomes.

9. Jail Health Care in the Southeastern United States From Entry to Release

Jessica Carda-Auten, Elena A. Dirosa, Catherine Grodensky, Kathryn M. Nowotny, Lauren Brinkley-Rubenstein, Debbie Travers, Mersedes Brown, Steve Bradley-Bull, Colleen Blue, David L. Rosen

The scarce resources allotted to jail health care are likely resulting in treatment delays, limited access to care, lower-quality care, unnecessary use of emergency medical services and emergency departments, and limited services to support continuity of care upon release, according to this study.

10. How Ethnic Minority Context Alters the Risk for Developing Mental Health Disorders and Psychological Distress for Latinx Young Adults

Margarita Alegria, Mario Cruz-Gonzalez, Kiara Alvarez, Glorisa Canino, Cristiane Duarte, Hector Bird, Maria Ramos-Olazagasti, Sheri Lapatin Markle, Isabel O’Malley, Doriliz Vila, Patrick E. Shrout

This longitudinal study demonstrated the importance of addressing social factors like family and peer relationships for youth living in the majority context, and neighborhood and cultural factors like perceived discrimination and social position for youth living in the minority context to prevent depression and anxiety disorders in Latinx young adults.