New on the Web 3: September 2001
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.
Physicians and Charity Care: "Physicians Pulling Back from Charity Care"
High-Risk Insurance Pools: "Insuring the Uninsurable: An Overview of State High-Risk Health Insurance Pools"
How to Talk to Parents About Medicare and Health Coverage: "Talking With Your Parents About Medicare and Health Coverage"
Health Services Used by Uninsured vs. Insured Children: "Survey of American Families: Comparison of Households with Insured Children vs. Uninsured Children Eligible for SCHIP/Medicaid Coverage"
The Children's Health Initiative of Santa Clara County: "A First Glance at the Children's Health Initiative in Santa Clara County, California"
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services: "Medicaid: Stronger Efforts Needed to Ensure Children's Access to Health Screening Services"
Children's Dental Care Under SCHIP and Medicaid: "Does SCHIP Spell Better Dental Care Access for Children? An Early Look at New Initiatives"
Employer Attitudes Towards Patients' Rights: "Employers' Attitudes Toward Patients' Rights"
Survey on Consumer Experiences with Health Plans: "National Survey on Consumer Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Health Plans"
Health Care and Health Insurance Disparities Experienced by Women: "Diagnosing Disparities in Health Insurance for Women: A Prescription for Change"
Mental Health Care Disparities Experienced by People of Color: "Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity"
Physicians and Charity Care
The Center for Studying Health System Change has issued a new study, titled Physicians Pulling Back from Charity Care, that documents the recent drop in the percentage of physicians providing charity care. The findings are based on the Community Tracking Study Physician Survey of more than 12,000 physicians. The authors conclude that reduced physician participation in charity care will hurt the medically indigent if, as projected, growth in physician supply slows and the number of uninsured rises along with escalating health care costs. (August 2001)
High-Risk Insurance Pools
Insuring the Uninsurable: An Overview of State High-Risk Health Insurance Pools is a new report from The Commonwealth Fund by researchers at Mathematica Policy Research. The report concludes that high-risk insurance pools, currently available in 29 states, offer only limited help for those who've been denied private health coverage because of pre-existing medical conditions or are Medicare beneficiaries in need of supplemental insurance. The authors found that high premiums, deductibles, and copayments make high-risk pools unaffordable for people with serious medical conditions, and that waiting periods for those with certain medical conditions also keep enrollment rates low. (August 2001)
How to Talk to Parents About Medicare and Health Coverage
Talking With Your Parents About Medicare and Health Coverage, a recently updated guide from the Kaiser Family Foundation, provides adult children with the basic facts about Medicare, managed care options, supplemental health insurance, and long term care in order to better equip them to discuss these subjects. It also includes a state-by-state list of key agencies that can answer specific questions on these topics. It's a good piece for advocates that explains the programs in clear language-a useful primer for new staff. (August 2001)
Health Services Used by Uninsured vs. Insured Children
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the results of a new study in a report titled "Survey of American Families: Comparison of Households with Insured Children vs. Uninsured Children Eligible for SCHIP/Medicaid Coverage". The report findings were based on 1,662 interviews of parents with children aged 18 and younger living in the household. Among the findings were that 21 percent of eligible-uninsured children went without needed medical care because their parents could not afford to pay for treatments (compared to three percent of insured children), and that nearly three-quarters of families with eligible-uninsured children do not have access to an employer-provided health plan for children. (August 2001)
The Children's Health Initiative of Santa Clara County
A First Glance at the Children's Health Initiative in Santa Clara County, California, a new background report from the Kaiser Family Foundation, examines the efforts of Santa Clara County to provide health insurance coverage to all children living in the county. It is one of the first localities to attempt such an initiative. Among the "lessons learned" from the implementation process so far is that "with sufficient political will and significant financial resources, counties and cities do not have to wait for changes in federal and state policy to expand health insurance coverage to children." (August 2001)
Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services
The General Accounting Office has issued a new report on EPSDT services that states are required to provide children under 21, services that include comprehensive, periodic evaluations of health, developmental, and nutritional status. According to the report, Medicaid: Stronger Efforts Needed to Ensure Children's Access to Health Screening Services, the available evidence indicates many children are not receiving EPSDT services, and state reporting on EPSDT services is "unreliable and incomplete," especially for children in managed care. The report provides examples of innovative state programs. (July 2001)
Employer Attitudes Towards Patients' Rights
The Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust have released the results of a national survey of employers titled Employers' Attitudes Toward Patients' Rights. The survey found that smaller employers (those with fewer than 200 employees) are significantly more likely than larger employers (67 vs. 28 percent) to support a patient's right to sue a health plan, and somewhat more likely (86 vs. 74 percent) to support the right to appeal a health plan's decision to an independent reviewer. (August 2001)
Survey on Consumer Experiences with Health Plans
National Survey on Consumer Experiences With and Attitudes Toward Health Plans reports the results of a new survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Harvard School of Public Health. Among the findings: 62 percent of privately insured adults under 65 give their health plans a grade of A or B, although 48 percent report having some type of problem with their health plan in the last year; 39 percent of respondents said managed care plans do a "bad job" serving consumers; and, 69 percent of respondents said it is very or somewhat important to include the right to sue a health plan in a patients' bill of rights. (August 2001)
Health Care and Health Insurance Disparities Experienced by Women
A new report issued by The Commonwealth Fund documents the disparities women face in accessing health care and health insurance. Diagnosing Disparities in Health Insurance for Women: A Prescription for Change includes a review of selected coverage expansion approaches. It concludes that building on options that currently exist-employer-sponsored insurance, CHIP, and Medicaid-offers the greatest promise. (August 2001)
Mental Health Care Disparities Experienced by People of Color
Mental Health: Culture, Race, and Ethnicity is a supplement to the first Surgeon General's report on mental health. This new Surgeon General's report documents several disparities affecting mental health care of racial and ethnic minorities compared with whites: Minorities have less access to, and availability of, mental health services; minorities are less likely to receive needed mental health services; minorities in treatment often receive poorer quality mental health care; and, minorities are underrepresented in mental health research. The report also offers guidance on eliminating these disparities and ensuring equality in access, use, and outcomes of mental health care. (August 2001)
Return to New on the Web Contents
