Hospitals are discouraging infection testing to avoid Medicare penalties, a practice clinicians say jeopardizes patient safety and skews public reporting. As Brown University’s Andrew Ryan put it, “Basically, the measures are just really, really bad … this is honestly the worst” pay-for-performance program, underscoring deep flaws in how infection penalties are designed and enforced.
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Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research
Andrew M. Ryan Ph.D.
Director for the Center for Advancing Health Policy Through Research, Professor of Health Services, Policy & Practice
Biography
Dr. Ryan is a Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice and the founding director of the Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research (CAHPR) at Brown. Professor Ryan came to Brown in the fall of 2022 from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, where he served as director of the Center for Evaluating Health Reform, co-director of the Center for Health Outcomes and Policy, and associate director of the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation’s Data and Methods Hub.
Recent News
This news video features Dr. Andrew Ryan, Director of CAHPR, discussing his study on Rhode Island’s hospital affordability standards, which led to significant hospital price and premium reductions—saving $1,000 per fully insured member by 2022.
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Rhode Island Current
Hospital price growth cap helped lower insurance premiums, Brown study shows
This article reports on a study by CAHPR researchers that found that Rhode Island’s 2010 hospital price growth cap significantly reduced hospital prices and lowered premiums for fully insured health plans by $1,000 per member annually by 2022. However, the policy had limited impact on the self-insured market due to federal ERISA regulations, and the resulting hospital revenue losses have raised concerns about financial sustainability and care quality.
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Health Affairs Forefront
Are Changes To The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Driving Value In US Health Care?
The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule is a cornerstone of U.S. healthcare policy, directly influencing how services are priced and covered. This Health Affairs blog delves into a brief analysis of the CY25 Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Changes and what impact it could have moving forward.
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Humans in Public Health Podcast
Podcast: The Values of Medicare
Professors Andy Ryan and David Meyers study the cost and value of Medicare plans across the country, including controversial and rapidly expanding Medicare Advantage (MA) plans. Learn the upsides, downsides and incentives that guide these MA plans, and how reforming them could save billions of dollars every year.
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