New on the Web 13: September 2002
We've collected information on several new reports and other resources available on the Web that we hope you'll find interesting and useful. Descriptions and links appear below.
AARP Public Policy Institute: "Health Coverage Among 50-64 Year-Olds"
Center for Studying Health System Change: "Working Families' Health Insurance Coverage, 1997-2001"
CMS: www.careplanner.org
Commonwealth Fund: "The Erosion of Employer-Based Health Coverage and the Threat to Workers' Health Care"
Connecticut Health Policy Project: "The Connecticut Health Policy Project's Health Advocacy Toolbox"
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: "Changes in Insurance Coverage: 1994-2000 and Beyond"
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund: "Medicare's Disabled Beneficiaries: The Forgotten Population in the Debate over Drug Benefits"
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust: "Employee Health Benefits: 2002 Annual Survey"
Urban Institute: "States as Innovators in Low-Income Health Coverage," "Variations among States in Health Insurance Coverage and Medical Expenditures: How Much Is Too Much"
AARP Public Policy Institute
Health Coverage Among 50-64 Year-Olds provides an overview of the sources of coverage in this age group in 2000.The report details the differences in coverage by work and retirement status and the characteristics of those with varying sources of private coverage and of the uninsured. The information comes from an analysis of the March 2001 Current Population Survey. (August 2002)
Center for Studying Health System Change
Working Families' Health Insurance Coverage, 1997-2001 reports that, despite a booming economy, falling unemployment, and moderate health insurance premium growth, the proportion of Americans in working families covered by employer-sponsored health insurance remained almost flat between 1997 and 2001. The tracking report concludes that "relying on economic growth alone to reduce the number of uninsured is unlikely to be effective in achieving substantial expansion of employer coverage." (August 2002)
CMS
Careplanner is a long-term care decision support tool developed by CMS. The tool was designed for seniors, adults with disabilities, and those with chronic illnesses who need support services, as well as for seniors who wish to plan ahead. Social workers, case managers, health professionals, and government agencies can also use the tool to help individuals and families assess and select options and access available services. (Fall 2002)
Commonwealth Fund
The Erosion of Employer-Based Health Coverage and the Threat to Workers' Health Care presents the results of the Commonwealth Fund's 2002 Workplace Health Insurance Survey. Among the findings are that 41 percent of workers experienced increases in their premiums or cost-sharing, or both, during the year, and that many workers are not confident that employers will continue to offer health coverage to them down the road. (August 2002)
Connecticut Health Policy Project
The Connecticut Health Policy Project's Health Advocacy Toolbox was designed for beginning advocates who want to improve the health care policies that affect them and their families. While written with Connecticut advocates in mind, the Tool Box provides guidance on navigating the legislative process, administrative advocacy, and changing public opinion that any advocate can use. It also provides guidance on finding and using data and effective communications. (Fall 2002)
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Changes in Insurance Coverage: 1994-2000 and Beyond explores the insurance trends for the latter half of the 1990s and examines why the number of uninsured Americans under 65 fell in 2000 for the second straight year. The report examines data showing changes in private and public coverage, the uninsured rates for adults and children, by race, by the number of workers in a family, and by the number of employees in a worker's firm. The report notes that, despite the recent gain in coverage for children, the trends in health coverage remain bleak. (August 2002)
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Commonwealth Fund
About 5 million Americans under age 65 qualify for Medicare coverage because they have a disability. Medicare's Disabled Beneficiaries: The Forgotten Population in the Debate over Drug Benefits was conducted to provide policymakers with better information on disabled beneficiaries' need for prescription drug coverage. The report concludes that Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities have few coverage options for prescription drugs besides Medicaid. (September 2002)
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust
Employee Health Benefits: 2002 Annual Survey provides data on employer health plans, including coverage, costs, enrollment patterns, health plan choice, and employee costs. It reports that, generally, workers are paying more while their benefits are eroding. According to the survey, sharply rising health care costs and the economic downturn have resulted in higher premium contributions and cost-sharing for workers, as well as cutbacks in the scope of health benefits offered by employers. (September 2002)
Urban Institute
States as Innovators in Low-Income Health Coverage examines the extent to which states have been innovative in designing programs to provide health coverage to low-income people beyond what is required for Medicaid and SCHIP. The report begins by discussing the mechanisms available for states to use when expanding coverage. It then divides states into four groups, from most to least innovative, and concludes that most states have not made serious attempts to extend coverage. (June 2002)
Variations among States in Health Insurance Coverage and Medical Expenditures: How Much Is Too Much attempts to answer this question: How well is our decentralized health care system doing in providing coverage and access to Americans, particularly low-income Americans, regardless of where they live? To that end, it explores the considerable variation in health insurance coverage for children and nonelderly adults. It provides information on private and public coverage, uninsurance rates, and on expenditures on Medicaid and other programs states use to support health services. (June 2002)
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