New on the Web 84 (September 2011)
From the Commonwealth Fund: “Affordable Care Act Reforms Could Reduce the Number of Underinsured U.S. Adults by 70 Percent,” “When Unemployed Means Uninsured: The Toll of Job Loss on Health Coverage, and How the Affordable Care Act Will Help”
From Enroll America: “Ten Ways to Make Health Coverage Enrollment and Renewal Easy,” “Using Electronic Data to Make Enrollment Easier: A Closer Look at Utah's eFind System”
From Health Affairs: “Complex Medicare Advantage Choices May Overwhelm Seniors—Especially Those with Impaired Decision Making”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:
“A Profile of Medicaid Managed Care Programs in 2010: Findings from a 50-State Survey”
From the Kaiser Family Foundation:“The Budget Control Act of 2011: Implications for Medicare,” “Medicare Advantage 2011 Data Spotlight: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Market Update,” “Mapping Premium Variation in the Individual Market”
From Kaiser Health News and USA Today: “Health Insurers Deny Coverage to Many Who Apply for Individual Policies”
From the National Women's Law Center: “State-by-State Fact Sheets for Super-Committee Advocacy”
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute: “Gains for Children: Increased Participation in Medicaid and CHIP in 2009”
From the Urban Institute: “Medicare Premiums and Social Security’s Cost-of-Living Adjustments”
From the Commonwealth Fund:
Affordable Care Act Reforms Could Reduce the Number of Underinsured U.S. Adults by 70 Percent explains that, by providing premium assistance and lowering out-of-pocket costs, the new law will help those who have insurance but still struggle to pay for health care. (September 2011)
When Unemployed Means Uninsured: The Toll of Job Loss on Health Coverage, and How the Affordable Care Act Will Help discusses the difficulty people face finding and paying for insurance if they lose their jobs. Although the Affordable Care Act will provide affordable insurance in 2014, this report suggests that policy makers should help the recently unemployed now by offering COBRA subsidies or extending unemployment benefits. (August 2011)
From Enroll America:
Ten Ways to Make Health Coverage Enrollment and Renewal Easy outlines enrollment best practices that can guide policy decisions in any state to maximize the number of people who are quickly and easily enrolled in coverage. (August 2011)
Using Electronic Data to Make Enrollment Easier: A Closer Look at Utah's eFind System examines how Utah gathers readily-available electronic data from federal, state, and local databases to better determine applicant eligibility and streamline enrollment in public programs. (August 2011)
From Health Affairs:
Complex Medicare Advantage Choices May Overwhelm Seniors—Especially Those with Impaired Decision Making explains that simplifying choices in Medicare Advantage could improve beneficiaries’ enrollment decisions, strengthen value-based competition among plans, extend the benefits of choice to seniors with impaired cognition, and lower out-of-pocket costs for enrollees. Subscription required. (September 2011)
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:
A Profile of Medicaid Managed Care Programs in 2010: Findings from a 50-State Survey provides a comprehensive look at these programs, documenting their diversity; examining how states monitor quality; and exploring efforts to improve care, including managed long-term care and initiatives targeted at dual eligibles. (September 2011)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation:
The Budget Control Act of 2011: Implications for Medicare provides an overview of the new law, describes the role of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (the super committee), and examines how Medicare could be affected. (September 2011)
Medicare Advantage 2011 Data Spotlight: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Market Update examines trends to find that, despite concerns about the possible effects of the reduction in overpayments that were required by the health reform law, enrollment continued to rise this year, and enrollees are paying lower premiums than they did in 2010. (September 2011)
Mapping Premium Variation in the Individual Market includes state-specific data and a map detailing the variations in average premium rates across the country for 2010.The nationwide average monthly premium per person was $215, with state averages ranging from $136 in Alabama to more than $400 in Massachusetts and Vermont. (August 2011)
From the Kaiser Health News and USA Today:
Health Insurers Deny Coverage to Many Who Apply for Individual Policies discusses state-specific denial rates that are now available on www.healthcare.gov. In 2014, insurers will no longer be allowed to deny consumers based on health status, but until then, the denial rates are useful tools for consumers who are selecting an insurer. (September 2011)
From the National Women’s Law Center:
State-by-State Fact Sheets for Super-Committee Advocacy offer state-specific data to help advocates promote a plan for deficit reduction that would protect programs that are vital to the wellbeing of women and families (including Medicaid, Medicare, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program—SNAP), close corporate tax loopholes, and create jobs. (August 2011)
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute:
Gains for Children: Increased Participation in Medicaid and CHIP in 2009 shows that the number of children eligible for and enrolled in public health insurance programs has increased in recent years. This is likely the result of federal and state policies aimed at improving enrollment and retention. (August 2011)
From the Urban Institute:
Medicare Premiums and Social Security’s Cost-of-Living Adjustments explains that the increase in Part B and Part D premiums will likely consume most of this year’s cost-of-living increase in Social Security benefits, leaving little money for enrollees to spend on anything other than health care. (August 2011)
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