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Developing strong resiliency and care solutions for airmen and guardians is key to human capital development and force readiness. The True North program is one of the Department of the Air Force's (DAF's) most significant recent investments in promoting the resiliency of its people. Assessing the program's level of success, justifying funding, and informing decisions about the program's future will require a rigorous evaluation. The authors of this study (1) identify desired outcomes for members participating in the program, (2) define appropriate measures of effectiveness that could be used in evaluating the True North program, and (3) make recommendations for ongoing internal evaluation of the program. The True North program encompasses selected installation welcome centers, embedded religious support teams (RSTs), and embedded mental health (EMH) teams. To determine how DAF might evaluate this program and its components, the authors reviewed relevant policies and procedures and literature relevant to the program components and conducted interviews with 17 True North program personnel and 21 group and squadron commanders. They present a program logic model to determine potential evaluation measures.

Prescription drug research and development is, particularly in its most expensive later stages, an increasingly global endeavor undertaken by large, multinational firms. However, the availability of the resulting new drugs in individual countries and the timing of their launch can vary because of regulatory differences, business decisions, and other factors. The now-enacted Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and other policy proposals aim to lower U.S. prices for brand-name drugs that are between three and four times as expensive as in other higher-income countries. Some stakeholders assert that lower U.S. prices will prevent U.S. patients from accessing some drugs sold in other countries or delay the launch of new drugs in the United States. To address these concerns, the author uses 2018 to 2022 data to compare the availability and timing of entry of new prescription drugs between the United States and other high-income countries.

Starting in 2026, Minnesota could experience disruptions to its health insurance marketplace caused by the anticipated sunset of federal premium subsidy enhancements, made available through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, as well as the expiration of state funding for its reinsurance program. With reduced premium subsidies, fewer people might enroll in marketplace plans, which could lead to higher premiums and market instability. The expiration of reinsurance, which partially offsets insurers' claims costs for people with high expenditures, could exacerbate these issues. In this study, researchers estimate the effects of implementing state-funded subsidies to bolster Minnesota's marketplace given these anticipated changes. They also study the impact of replacing the state's Basic Health Program with a similarly structured marketplace plan. The policy reforms that researchers consider were developed by the Minnesota Council of Health Plans and share similar goals with legislation recently proposed by Minnesota policymakers, such as HF 96, a bill authorizing study of a public option that also proposed to temporarily enhance marketplace subsidies.

Most U.S. Air Force medical personnel spend their time at military treatment facilities (MTFs) caring for patients whose ailments are far less complex or urgent than the severe trauma-related injuries they would see in war. This mismatch between peacetime and wartime medical care necessitates a deliberate effort on the part of the Air Force Medical Service (AFMS) as a whole and the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF) to ensure that personnel in critical medical specialties receive the training and hands-on clinical experience they need to save lives in a high-casualty environment. The goal of this research project was to investigate approaches for increasing readiness and proficiency. To develop a portfolio of readiness building activities, the authors analyzed manpower and personnel data, reviewed Comprehensive Medical Readiness Program (CMRP) checklists and relevant literature, engaged in discussions with the stakeholder community, and developed models of the assignment system and of skill acquisition and decay. They present their findings and recommendations for the future and have developed a prototype framework to demonstrate a possible method for deciding which readiness building activities and assignment policies to employ.

This article summarizes the Parkinson's Disease (PD) Endpoints Roundtable, which was held in Washington, D.C., on November 2-3, 2022, and hosted by The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, Parkinson's UK, and Parkinson Canada. This event brought representatives from academia and industry together with those from regulatory agencies, community partners, and research funders to discuss challenges in clinical outcome assessment development for treatments in early PD and to identify priorities for the field and opportunities for collaboration. This article provides a summary of the presentations given and topics discussed at the roundtable and synthesizes the discussions about the development of clinical outcome assessments and the use of digital health technologies for developing clinical trial endpoints.

Manufacturers' list prices for insulin have increased dramatically over the past decade in the United States. In this study, the authors present results from a comparison of U.S. and international prices for insulins using a price index approach. They compare prices for all insulins and different categories of insulin in the United States and 33 comparison Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development countries. They present separate comparisons using U.S. manufacturer gross prices reflected at pharmacies and estimated manufacturer net prices after applying rebates paid by manufacturers. This study updates a prior RAND Corporation study, Comparing Insulin Prices in the United States to Other Countries: Results from a Price Index Analysis, with more-recent data and includes new supplementary analyses, editorial changes, and updates to reflect the evolving insulin market landscape.

The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline-known more simply as 988-holds promise for significantly improving the mental health of Americans and accelerating the decriminalization of mental illness. However, the rapid transition to 988 has left many gaps as communities scramble to prepare-not the least of which includes determining how 988 will interface with local 911 response systems and law enforcement. 911 is often the default option for individuals experiencing mental health emergencies, despite the fact that 911 call centers have limited resources to address behavioral health crises. Since 988 launched in 2022, one key area of focus has been ways that jurisdictions approach 988/911 interoperability: the existence of formal protocols, procedures, or agreements that allow for the transfer of calls from 988 to 911 and vice versa. This study presents case studies from three jurisdictions that have established models of 988/911 interoperability. It provides details related to interoperability in each model, including the role of each agency, points of interagency communication, and decision points that can affect the way a call flows through the local system. It also identifies facilitators, barriers, and equity-related considerations of each jurisdiction's approach, as well as lessons learned from implementation. This study should be of interest to jurisdictions that are looking to implement 988/911 interoperability, including those that are spearheading local initiatives and those that are responding to state-level legislation. Its findings are relevant to 988 call centers, public safety answering points, mobile crisis units, law enforcement, and local and state decisionmakers.

The demographics of the veteran population are changing. Veterans who served after September 11, 2001 (post-9/11 veterans), are more likely to be female and identify as a person of color than their older counterparts. They are also more likely to be raising children, many of them without support from a partner. This study provides a comprehensive look at the financial, physical, and mental health of veteran single parents; explores the differences across these factors by race, ethnicity, and gender; and includes recommendations on policies and programs that can better support veteran single parents and their children.

Understanding the extent to which prescription drug prices are higher in the United States than in other countries-after accounting for differences in the volume and mix of drugs-is useful when developing and targeting policies to address both growth in drug spending and the financial impact of prescription drugs on consumers. This study summarizes findings from comparisons of drug prices in the United States and other high-income countries based on 2022 data and presents results for specific types of drugs, including brand-name originator drugs and unbranded generic drugs, and from sensitivity analyses.