Prescription Drug Prices, Unemployment Insurance, Anti-Asian Racism: RAND Weekly Recap

GSTDTAP > 资源环境科学

	Prescription Drug Prices, Unemployment Insurance, Anti-Asian Racism: RAND Weekly Recap
	admin
	2021-09-17
发布年	2021
语种	英语
国家	美国
领域	资源环境
正文(英文)	This week, we discuss prescription drug prices, unemployment insurance reform, how to mitigate the effects of disasters, anti-Asian racism, L.A. County Sheriff's Department subgroups, and how to reduce extremism in the military. Photo by MJ_Prototype/Getty Images One Way to Potentially Cut U.S. Drug Prices in Half High prescription drug prices in the United States drive up overall health care costs and lead many patients to forgo their medications. What if U.S. drug prices were linked to those in other countries? In a new RAND study, researchers modeled the effects of capping prices for U.S. prescription drugs at 120 percent of those paid in six other high-income nations. They found that this change would have cut U.S. spending on insulins and 50 top brand-name drugs by 52 percent in 2020—a savings of $83.5 billion. Britni Mann waits to speak with potential employers during a job fair at Hembree Park in Roswell, Georgia, May 13, 2021. Photo by Christopher Aluka Berry/Reuters Unemployment Insurance: To Help Workers, Help Businesses Earlier this month, federal action to prop up America's state-based unemployment system wound down, affecting millions of Americans. This highlights the underlying flaw of unemployment insurance, says RAND's Kathryn Edwards: Businesses, which fund the program through payroll taxes, see little if any direct upside. This creates incentives for states and businesses to make benefits less generous and harder for workers to receive. In light of this reality, Congress may want to pursue lasting unemployment reform that can withstand the next crisis, Edwards says. Residents walk by the reconstructed wall of a levee at the Lower Ninth Ward canal in New Orleans, Louisiana, August 16, 2015. Photo by Carlos Barria/Reuters 'Building Back Better' to Mitigate the Effects of Disasters Louisiana and its neighbors have been hammered by storm after storm—most recently Hurricane Ida. What might it take to help communities not only recover from such disasters, but also reduce their future risk? According to Jay Balagna of the Pardee RAND Graduate School and RAND's Aaron Clark-Ginsberg, it's essential to look at how disaster preparedness and response systems can actually create risk themselves, by reinforcing wealth inequality, systemic discrimination, and disparities in access to crucial services. A man takes part in a National Day of Action rally in the neighborhood of Flushing in New York City, March 27, 2021. Photo by Ron Adar/SOPA Images/Sipa USA via Reuters Addressing Anti-Asian Racism Anti-Asian hate crimes increased by nearly 150 percent in major U.S. cities in 2020, goaded by political rhetoric that sought to focus the COVID-19 conversation on China. In a new Q&A, part of an ongoing series of conversations with RAND president and CEO Michael Rich, researchers Lu Dong and Jennifer Bouey discuss this rise in hate, the need for better data, and the importance of listening to different Asian American communities. A Los Angeles County Sheriff's vehicle patrols the Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Torrance, California, February 24, 2021. Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters Problematic 'Subgroups' of L.A. Sheriff's Deputies For decades, some deputies in the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department have organized themselves into secret subgroups. Many community members view these groups as the source of behaviors such as hazing, covering up for fellow deputies, harassing residents, and excessive use of force. A new RAND report explores how to better understand and address this issue. "There needs to be greater consistency among command staff in setting expectations and enforcing policies that discourage the influence of these groups," says lead author Samuel Peterson. Jessica Marie Watkins (second from left) and Donovan Ray Crowl (center), both U.S. veterans who have since been indicted for their roles in the Capitol riot, in Washington, D.C., January 6, 2021. Photo by Jim Bourg/Reuters How to Reduce the Risk of Extremism in the Military The vast majority of U.S. military personnel are not extremists. But recent reports of current or former personnel engaging in extremist activities and violence—including the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol—have highlighted the threat of extremist activity in the military. In a new paper, RAND researchers examine the scope of the problem and evaluate how to effectively prevent, detect, and address extremism in the ranks. Listen to the Recap Get Weekly Updates from RAND If you enjoyed this weekly recap, consider subscribing to Policy Currents, our newsletter and podcast. Stay Informed RAND Policy Currents Email Subscribe to the podcast. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn
URL	查看原文
来源平台	RAND Corporation
文献类型	新闻
条目标识符	http://119.78.100.173/C666/handle/2XK7JSWQ/337871
专题	资源环境科学
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	admin. Prescription Drug Prices, Unemployment Insurance, Anti-Asian Racism: RAND Weekly Recap. 2021.