New on the Web 82 (July 2011)
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “States Should Take Additional Steps to Limit Adverse Selection among Health Plans in an Exchange”
From the Commonwealth Fund: “Assessing the Financial Health of Medicaid Managed Care Plans and the Quality of Patient Care They Provide,” “Early Implementation of Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans: Providing an Interim Safety Net for the Uninsurable”
From the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI): “Tracking Health Insurance Coverage by Month: Trends in Employment-Based Coverage among Workers, and Access to Coverage among Uninsured Workers, 1995-2009”
From Health Affairs: “Improving Health Care Access for Low-Income People: Lessons from Ascension Health’s Community Collaboratives,” “Medicare Advantage Plans”
From the Health Industry Forum: “The Evolution of State Health Insurance Exchanges”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: “California’s ‘Bridge to Reform’ Medicaid Demonstration Waiver,” “Online Applications for Medicaid and/or CHIP: An Overview of Current Capabilities and Opportunities for Improvement”
From the Kaiser Family Foundation: “An Employer Health Benefits Balance Sheet,” “The Role of Medicare and Beneficiaries in the Deficit-Reduction Debate”
From the Met Life Mature Market Institute: “Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents”
From the National Bureau of Economic Research: “The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment: Evidence from the First Year”
From the National Health Law Program (NHelP): “Health Law and Litigation”
From the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: “The Effects of Health Reform on Small Businesses and Their Workers”
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
States Should Take Additional Steps to Limit Adverse Selection among Health Plans in an Exchange explains how the health care law seeks to minimize adverse selection in the exchanges and recommends additional steps that states can take to do so, such as requiring insurers that sell in the exchanges to offer plans in every coverage level. (June 2011)
From the Commonwealth Fund:
Assessing the Financial Health of Medicaid Managed Care Plans and the Quality of Patient Care They Provide examines how these plans differ from other managed care plans in terms of administrative costs, quality of care, and financial stability. It found that Medicaid managed care plans paid out the lowest percentage of their premiums on medical care and the highest percentage on administrative costs. (June 2011)
Early Implementation of Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plans: Providing an Interim Safety Net for the Uninsurable looks at enrollment trends and early changes to these plans, estimates their out-of-pocket costs, and provides information on the age and medical conditions of early enrollees. Although enrollment has been lower than expected, the plans are playing an important role in making coverage available to people with pre-existing conditions. (June 2011)
From the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI):
Tracking Health Insurance Coverage by Month: Trends in Employment-Based Coverage among Workers, and Access to Coverage among Uninsured Workers, 1995-2009 shows the effects of the recession and unemployment on changes in coverage. The findings underscore the degree to which employment rates directly influence the levels of the uninsured. (June 2011)
From Health Affairs:
Improving Health Care Access for Low-Income People: Lessons from Ascension Health’s Community Collaboratives examines seven communities where Ascension Health, the largest nonprofit health system, collaborated with other safety net providers to improve health care. While some challenges remain, the lessons from these communities can be valuable to policy makers as they implement the health care law. Log in required. (July 2011)
Medicare Advantage Plans discusses the history of Medicare Advantage plans, changes that were mandated by the health care law, and issues that may emerge from ongoing legislative and legal challenges. (June 2011)
From the Health Industry Forum:
The Evolution of State Health Insurance Exchanges looks at the impact of exchanges on the health care industry, states, and health reform efforts. The forum also discusses the political climate surrounding health reform and how it might affect the law and its implementation. (July 2011)
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:
California’s “Bridge to Reform” Medicaid Demonstration Waiver describes the three key initiatives of California’s waiver: expanding coverage under the Low-Income Health Program, improving the county-based safety net (delivery system reform), and enrolling seniors and people with disabilities in managed care plans. It also explains how the waiver will help the state prepare for full implementation of the health reform law. (June 2011)
Online Applications for Medicaid and/or CHIP: An Overview of Current Capabilities and Opportunities for Improvement examines the extent to which current applications incorporate features that streamline and simplify the enrollment process. (June 2011)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation:
An Employer Health Benefits Balance Sheet notes that, while it is impossible to predict exactly how employers will respond to the health care, it is helpful to look at some of the key factors that employers will consider in deciding whether to continue offering health coverage. It presents these factors in an easy-to-read table. (June 2011)
The Role of Medicare and Beneficiaries in the Deficit-Reduction Debate discusses how the Medicare reform options that Congress is considering might work and how these options would affect beneficiaries and taxpayers. The briefing coincides with the release of the report “Living Close to the Edge: Financial Challenges and Tradeoffs for People in Medicare.” (link to http://www.kff.org/medicare/upload/8200.pdf) (June 2011)
From the Met Life Mature Market Institute:
Caregiving Costs to Working Caregivers: Double Jeopardy for Baby Boomers Caring for Their Parents looks at the extent to which older adult children provide care to their parents, the roles that gender and work play in that caregiving, and the potential cost to the caregivers in terms of lost wages and future retirement income. (June 2011)
From the National Bureau of Economic Research:
The Oregon Health Insurance Experiment: Evidence from the First Year proves that Medicaid coverage improves access to health care, financial security, and reported health status. These findings are particularly important given the Medicaid cuts that Congress is debating. (July 2011)
From the National Health Law Program (NHelP):
Health Law and Litigation is a website that houses a comprehensive collection of helpful resources regarding the legal challenges to the Affordable Care Act, including a schedule of the remaining court cases, links to articles explaining the legal challenges and relevant precedents, and links to other efforts to interfere with the law’s implementation. (July 2011)
From the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
The Effects of Health Reform on Small Businesses and Their Workers estimates the impact on offers of health coverage, the coverage itself, and the costs to the employers. (June 2011)
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