Joseph Walker

3 weeks ago | josephnoelwalker.com | Joseph Walker

In this special highlights episode, I share the eight biggest things I learned from my 2025 Australian policy series. The conversations totaled more than 12 hours of discussion. I've boiled them down to eight excerpts (about 45 minutes) of what struck me as key insights. You can find the excerpts in audio, video or textual form below. VideoTranscriptJOSEPH WALKER: Hi everyone. I'm doing something different this episode.

1 month ago | wsj.com | Joseph Walker

Republican budget cutters are targeting state taxes on hospitals and nursing homes that raise federal Medicaid spendingAn obscure set of state taxes on hospitals and other health providers is in the crosshairs of congressional budget cutters because the levies can lead to higher federal spending on Medicaid. Known as provider taxes because states impose them on hospitals, nursing homes and other facilities that provide healthcare, the taxes boost a state’s budget for funding Medicaid.

2 months ago | wsj.com | Dave Michaels |Joseph Walker

The commission has paused its lawsuit against three pharmacy-benefit managers because no current commissioners can participate in the caseThe Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against three large pharmacy-benefit managers over insulin prices is on hold after President Trump fired two of the agency’s commissioners. The FTC this week halted a lawsuit against the country’s largest drug middlemen, which negotiate drug prices for employers and insurers.

2 months ago | wsj.com | Joseph Walker

March 15, 2025 9:08 am ETA new breed of drug middlemen are pushing an unusual cost-saving strategy that lets their employer clients tap a federal program meant for hospitals that serve the poor. The government program, known as 340B, allows hospitals that care for many uninsured and low-income patients to purchase outpatient medicines at steep discounts. Hospitals can pocket the savings, but they can also choose to pass the discounts on to patients at their pharmacies.

2 months ago | wsj.com | Joseph Walker

Companies such as Rescription, MakoRx and Liviniti are selling pharmacy-benefit plans that save employers money by funneling workers to those 340B hospital pharmacies instead of traditional drugstores. The workers get the discounted 340B price under these plans. Hospitals participate because it expands their customer base and they receive fees for dispensing prescriptions, the companies say.