New on the Web 39 (October 2007)
From the Access Project: “2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators”
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “The New Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirement: A Brief Overview”
From the Center for Health Care Strategies: “From Policy to Action: Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities at the Ground-Level”
From the Commonwealth Fund: “Separate and Unequal: Racial Segregation and Disparities in Quality across U.S. Nursing Homes,” “Whither Employer-Based Health Insurance? The Current and Future Role of U.S. Companies in the Provision and Financing of Health Insurance”
From the the Commonwealth Fund, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Tufts-New England Medical Center: “Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Progress Report: Findings from a 2006 National Survey of Seniors”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: “Trends in Health Care Costs and Spending”
From the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust: “Employer Health Benefits: 2007 Summary of Findings”
From the National Health Policy Forum: “Medicare Advantage Payment Policy,” “The Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program”
From State Coverage Initiatives: “Health Insurance Connectors & Exchanges: A Primer for State Officials”
From the Urban Institute: “Concerns about Parents Dropping Employer Coverage to Enroll in SCHIP Overlook Issues of Affordability”
From the Access Project
2007 Health Insurance Survey of Farm and Ranch Operators provides key findings from a survey of 2,000 farmers from seven states. It discusses their age, racial and ethnic background, income, and health insurance status, as well as whether health care expenses contribute to other financial problems, overall debt, and reduced access to health care. (September 2007)
From The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
The New Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirement: A Brief Overview reviews the federal requirement regarding proof of citizenship and identity. It argues that, rather than preventing illegal immigrants from enrolling (its purported goal), it far more likely to impede coverage for many eligible U.S. citizens. (September 2007)
From the Center for Health Care Strategies
From Policy to Action: Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities at the Ground-Level outlines practical strategies that states and Medicaid programs are implementing to reduce disparities in health care. These strategies include:
• Collecting more information on the race and ethnicity of enrollees,
• Incorporating disparities reduction goals into health plan provider contracts,
• Linking monetary incentives to reducing disparities in health care,
• Analyzing utilization and performance data by race and ethnicity, and
• Increasing access to culturally and linguistically appropriate care.
(August 2007)
From the Commonwealth Fund
Separate and Unequal: Racial Segregation and Disparities in Quality across U.S. Nursing Homes summarizes the findings from an article published in “Health Affairs,” which suggests that there is a link between racial segregation in nursing homes and disparities in the care that is provided to minorities. In order to ensure more equitable care for all residents, researchers recommend policy changes such as improving the payment structures for nursing homes with a high proportion of Medicaid residents, leveling the amount of money paid to nursing homes by Medicaid and private payers, and monitoring admissions practices. (September 2007)
Whither Employer-Based Health Insurance? The Current and Future Role of U.S. Companies in the Provision and Financing of Health Insurance examines the importance of employer coverage in our current health care system, as well as its limitations. It also calls for employers to join other stakeholders in designing a more rational and equitable health care system. (September 2007)
From the Commonwealth Fund, Kaiser Family Foundation, and Tufts-New England Medical Center
Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Progress Report: Findings from A 2006 National Survey of Seniors provides an in-depth look at the experiences seniors have had with Medicare Part D. The survey, which was administered to approximately 16,000 seniors in English and in Spanish, found that most seniors enrolled in the program paid less out of pocket for drugs than those with no coverage, but they still paid more than those who had coverage from other sources (like employer-based coverage). (August 2007)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation
Spending on health care, which is projected to be 16.2 percent of the U.S. gross domestic product in 2007, has consistently grown faster than the overall economy since the 1960s. Trends in Health Care Costs and Spending presents some of the key statistics regarding the current level of health care costs and spending in the U.S., as well as how these costs are likely to grow in the future. (September 2007)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research and Educational Trust
Employer Health Benefits: A Summary of Findings reports on the rate of growth of health insurance costs, as well as the percentage of employers that offer high-deductible health plans. The findings indicate that, though the growth rate for health insurance costs is at its lowest since 1999, it is still growing faster than both wages and inflation. (September 2007)
From the National Health Policy Forum
Medicare Advantage Payment Policy provides an overview of Medicare Advantage. It explains how plans are paid, reviews recent trends in plan participation and enrollment, and considers key issues raised by proposals to change the payment system. (September 2007)
Title V is a limited source of federal funds that states can use to help address the social, financial, behavioral, and structural barriers to health care for women, children, and families. Many of the children Title V serves also have Medicaid or CHIP coverage. The Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program highlights the key components of Title V and its interaction with Medicaid and CHIP. (September 2007)
From State Coverage Initiatives
Health Insurance Connectors & Exchanges: A Primer for State Officials examines a crucial component of the 2006 Massachusetts health care reform law known as “the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority,” or simply, “The Connector.” The Connector is presented as a prototype that other states can adapt when seeking to expand health coverage, depending on the specific characteristics in those states. (September 2007)
From the Urban Institute
Concerns about Parents Dropping Employer Coverage to Enroll in SCHIP Overlook Issues of Affordability addresses the issue of crowd-out—the substitution of public coverage for private coverage. The report compares family medical spending of those who have employer-sponsored health insurance, those who are covered by Medicaid or CHIP, and those who are uninsured. It aims to dispel common misperceptions about CHIP and the people it was meant to serve. (September 2007)
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