In Pursuit of Affordable Health Care: On the Ground Lessons From Families in Massachusetts August 30, 2009 Report This report, based on focus groups with adults in a variety of circumstances, highlights the experiences of Massachusetts residents in obtaining health coverage, accessing health care services and managing out-of-pocket costs in the wake of the state’s 2006 health reform law. Report (.pdf)
The Next 100 Days: Some Final Hurdles to Health Reform August 30, 2009 Event The Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation co-sponsored this briefing, for reporters, to explore some of the important issues that must be settled if President Obama is to sign a meaningful health reform bill this year. Issues addressed include: Will there be a public plan option…
Children and Health Care Reform: Assuring Coverage That Meets Their Health Care Needs August 30, 2009 Issue Brief This issue brief examines the health care needs and health costs of children and analyzes the specific health care needs of two children in particular, including one with serious health challenges. The findings have implications for the health reform debate as policymakers consider minimum standards for coverage, required cost sharing…
Matching Health Benefit Packages to Health Needs: Key Issues To Consider In Health Reform August 30, 2009 Event Three reports and a video collectively examine the range of health care needs and costs that people face today against the backdrop of the scope of health coverage that may be available to them under health reform. Children and Health Care Reform: Assuring Coverage That Meets Their Health Care Needs…
Oral Histories: Report From a Dental Fair for Uninsured Adults August 30, 2009 Report This report profiles patients attending a dental fair in rural Virginia to highlight the impact of lack of coverage for oral health services on adults. Uninsured adults have vast oral care needs, and untreated dental problems can have serious health, employment and social consequences, highlighting the relationship between inadequate benefits…
Consumers’ Experience in Massachusetts: Lessons For National Health Reform August 30, 2009 Report This report examines the impact of state health reform efforts on the lives of ordinary people in Massachusetts, including a look at coverage provided by both public programs and private sources. It focuses specifically on people’s ability to afford and obtain needed care. Report (.pdf)
Individuals with Special Needs and Health Reform: Adequacy of Health Insurance Coverage August 30, 2009 Issue Brief This issue brief examines the health care needs and health costs of individuals with special health challenges, focusing on those with low-to-moderate incomes. It finds that even under a benefit package more generous than most offered in the private insurance market, individuals and families can face significant gaps in coverage…
Health Reform: Lessons From Massachusetts August 30, 2009 Event As Congress debates comprehensive national health reform, the Kaiser Family Foundation has two reports and an updated fact sheet that examine state-level health reform in Massachusetts and the lessons it offers for policymakers in Washington. Consumers’ Experience in Massachusetts: Lessons For National Health Reform and In Pursuit of Affordable Health…
Pulling it Together: This Could Be the Next Big Issue in Health Reform August 20, 2009 Perspective No, this is not about “death panels.” The town hall meetings. The media coverage of the town hall meetings. Media polls about how the American people feel about the town hall meetings. And even the media myth busting and fact checking about the most extreme claims made at the town…