New on the Web 55 (April 2009)
From the Alliance for Health: “Covering Health Issues”
From the Campaign for America’s Future: “Healthy Competition: How to Structure Public Health Insurance Plan Choice to Ensure Risk Sharing, Cost Control and Quality Improvement”
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “Rules of the Road: How an Insurance Exchange Can Pool Risk and Protect Enrollees’
From Health Affairs: “Will Americans Support an Individual Mandate?”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: “How Is the Primary Care Safety Net Faring in Massachusetts? Community Health Centers in the Midst of Health Reform”
From the Kaiser Family Foundation: “Health Care Costs: A Primer”
From Mathematica: “Improving Access to Language Services in Health Care: A Look at National and State Efforts,” “Costs and Benefits of Eliminating the Medicare Waiting Period for SSDI Beneficiaries”
From NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health: “The Public and the Health Care Delivery System”
From the Urban Institute: “Do Health Problems Reduce Consumption at Older Ages?”
From the Alliance for Health
Covering Health Issues presents a step-by-step explanation of the congressional budget process, a practical guide to covering health issues for TV and radio, and a list of sources for public opinion polls on health issues. It is written with reporters in mind, but it is also a useful resource for anyone looking for concise information on health policy issues. (April 2009)
From the Campaign for America’s Future
Healthy Competition: How to Structure Public Health Insurance Plan Choice to Ensure Risk- Sharing, Cost Control and Quality Improvement examines the debate over the effectiveness of the public plan option in health reform. It also suggests the most effective ways to implement a successful public plan model. (April 2009)
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Rules of the Road: How an Insurance Exchange Can Pool Risk and Protect Enrollees finds that a strong exchange can greatly reduce the problems many people currently face when they must obtain coverage on their own without the help of an employer. It then lays out four key components of an efficient insurance exchange, including minimum standards for the benefits packages offered and a limit on the number of different benefit packages. (April 2009)
From Health Affairs
Will Americans Support the Individual Mandate? presents national public opinion data and found that, on its own, an individual mandate does not have broad support across a politically diverse group of participants. The study did find, however, that policy makers who choose to pursue an individual mandate may expand their base of supporters by incorporating it into a "shared-responsibility" plan that includes requirements for employers, government, and insurers. (April 2009)
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
How Is the Primary Care Safety Net Faring in Massachusetts? Community Health Centers in the Midst of Health Reform reports that community health centers in the state saw an increase in patients from 2005-2007 as the health reform law was implemented. The Massachusetts experience shows that community health centers play a critical role in caring for newly insured patients while continuing to serve as the primary care safety net for those who remain uninsured. (March 2009)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation
Health Care Costs: A Primer examines recent trends in health care costs and the factors that contribute to the rapid rise in these costs. This updated primer includes information on the types and sources of health care spending, the demographic factors associated with higher or lower levels of spending, and the impact of higher premiums and out-of-pocket costs on families and employers. (March 2009)
From Mathematica
Improving Access to Language Services in Health Care: A Look at National and State Efforts profiles work in California, Minnesota, and New York, highlighting challenges, successes, and implications for future policy. The report examines the activities in these states that are designed to promote successful practices as a guide for dealing with patients with limited English proficiency. (April 2009)
Costs and Benefits of Eliminating the Medicare Waiting Period for SSDI Beneficiaries concludes that even though the costs of eliminating the waiting period would be substantial, there would also be substantial benefits, including fewer beneficiaries delaying needed health care, reduced financial hardships for those who must pay high out-of-pocket costs, and reduced state Medicaid expenditures. (March 2009)
From NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health
The Public and the Health Care Delivery System focuses on Americans' experiences with issues more typically discussed by health policy experts, including electronic medical records, coordination of care, and comparative effectiveness. Researchers used data from a randomly selected group of people to better understand how Americans relate to these specific issues and to possible policy changes in these areas. (March 2009)
From the Urban Institute
Do Health Problems Reduce Consumption at Older Ages? suggests that holes in the health care safety net for those under age 65 (before they are eligible for Medicare) force some low-income people to lower their living standards to cover medical expenses. For example, older adults with health problems may have to deplete their savings, forgo necessary care, or reduce their use of other essential services to pay their medical bills. (March 2009)
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