New on the Web 71 (August 2010)
From the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: “50 Ways to Implement Health Reform: State Challenges and Federal Assistance”
From the Center for American Progress: “The Importance of Community Health Centers: Engines of Economic Activity and Job Creation”
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “Health Reform Changes to Medicare Advantage Strengthen Medicare and Protect Beneficiaries,” “Health Reform Expands Medicaid Coverage for People with Disabilities”
From the Center for Studying Health System Change, Mathematica, and the Urban Institute: “State-Based Advocacy As a Tool for Expanding Children’s Coverage: Lessons from Site Visits to Six IAC Grantee States,” “Strategic Engagement of Policymakers Is Key to Advancing a Children’s Health Care Coverage Policy Agenda”
From the Commonwealth Fund: “Realizing Health Reform’s Potential: Women and the Affordable Care Act of 2010”
From Consumers Union: “How Much Is Too Much: Have Nonprofit Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans Amassed Excessive Amounts of Surplus?”
From the Health Care Reform Coordinating Council: “Health Care Reform Coordinating Council: Interim Report”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: “Expanding Medicaid to Low-Income Childless Adults under Health Reform: Key Lessons from State Experiences”
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute: “Will the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 Improve Health Outcomes for Individuals and Families?”
From the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
50 Ways to Implement Health Reform: State Challenges and Federal Assistance examines the key challenges facing states and looks at how the implementation of previous health legislation, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), can help state policy makers determine the best way to proceed with implementation. The webcast’s panel of experts also compares states’ best practices and discusses how states can learn from each other’s experiences. (August 2010)
From the Center for American Progress:
The Importance of Community Health Centers: Engines of Economic Activity and Job Creation describes how stimulus funding resulted in expanded health care and improved local economic activity, and it discusses the economic impact that additional health reform funding will have on economic activity and the creation of more jobs. The report estimates that increases in funding for health centers will generate $53.7 billion in economic activity over the next five years. (August 2010)
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
Health Reform Changes to Medicare Advantage Strengthen Medicare and Protect Beneficiaries discusses how the new law will affect people enrolled in Medicare Advantage plans, including provisions that became controversial during the debate. Contrary to the law’s critics, the changes in overpayments to private plans do not take effect until 2012, and all guaranteed Medicare benefits will continue to be covered. (July 2010)
Health Reform Expands Medicaid Coverage for People with Disabilities explains why Medicaid, rather than private insurance, is often a better option for people with disabilities or chronic conditions, given its affordability and comprehensive benefits. (July 2010)
From the Center for Studying Health System Change, Mathematica, and the Urban Institute:
State-Based Advocacy As a Tool for Expanding Children’s Coverage: Lessons from Site Visits to Six IAC Grantee States presents key findings from six states (AR, CO, IA, OH, TX, WA) that received grants from the Insuring America’s Children: States Leading the Way (IAC) program, which supports state advocates working to expand children’s health coverage in 16 states. The report details effective strategies used by advocates in each state according to the state’s political and economic climate, providing a roadmap for advocates around the country working to expand children’s health coverage. (July 2010)
Strategic Engagement of Policymakers Is Key to Advancing a Children’s Health Care Coverage Policy Agenda looks at how children’s health advocates in seven states (AR, CO, IA, OH, RI, TX, and WA) established strong relationships with policy makers in order to move their agendas forward. These advocates’ experiences provide useful lessons for other advocates pursuing expansions in health coverage in their state. (July 2010)
From the Commonwealth Fund:
Realizing Health Reform’s Potential: Women and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 looks at how women will benefit from provisions that improve coverage and reduce premiums, eliminate pre-existing condition exclusions, eliminate gender rating, and others. Given that women, on average, use more health services over their lifetimes, the new law is likely to greatly improve women’s experience with the health care system. (July 2010)
From Consumers Union:
How Much Is Too Much: Have Nonprofit Blue Cross Blue Shield Plans Amassed Excessive Amounts of Surplus? reports that out of the 10 plans sampled, seven held more than three times the minimum amount needed for solvency protection. In addition, many of these plans with large surpluses continued to raise premiums. The report recommends that states take surpluses into consideration when reviewing rate increases and establish better standards for what is an appropriate surplus for a nonprofit plan. (July 2010)
From the Health Care Reform Coordinating Council:
Health Care Reform Coordinating Council: Interim Report presents the council’s preliminary outline for Maryland’s plans to implement the new reform law. The council was created to ensure effective coordination between relevant state agencies so that Maryland can implement federal reform as effectively and successfully as possible. (July 2010)
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:
Expanding Medicaid to Low-Income Childless Adults under Health Reform: Key Lessons from State Experiences uses interviews with officials and experts from across the country to help inform efforts to expand Medicaid to childless adults. Key findings include that their limited connection to public programs, fluctuating incomes, and language and cultural barriers all serve as challenges to reaching and enrolling childless adults. (July 2010)
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute:
Will the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 Improve Health Outcomes for Individuals and Families? discusses how the new law’s expansion of access to insurance, and thereby access to effective medical services, can improve health. In addition to increasing coverage, the new law expands preventive and wellness care and institutes other reforms designed to improve health care quality and in turn, improve health outcomes. (July 2010)
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