Investing in Health IT: What the U.S. and Other Countries Are Learning October 29, 2010 Event Recent legislation, including the stimulus package and the new health reform law, invests substantial funds in health information technology which can help prevent medical errors and improve the quality and value of care. However, questions have been raised about the cost of implementation and personal privacy considerations. This briefing addressed…
Innovations in Primary Care: What’s in the ACA? December 13, 2010 Event The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act aims to move the health care system away from an episodic, fee-for-service approach and towards a coordinated, preventive model of care delivery. Exactly how does the law encourage innovations in primary care? What roles will states and purchasers of care play in this…
Inside Deficit Reduction: What it Means for Health Care September 12, 2011 Event After much heated debate on the U.S. debt limit, the Budget Control Act of 2011 was passed on August 2, 2011, containing more than $900 billion in federal spending reductions over 10 years. The law also established the 12-person “super committee” charged with finding more than $1 trillion in additional…
Long-term Services and Supports: A Rebalancing Act October 3, 2011 Event The ongoing debate over the federal budget and deficit reduction presents a balancing act for policymakers, as many compelling interests compete for scarce dollars. But for 10 million older adults and people with disabilities who need long-term services and supports, there is a “rebalancing act” in progress. The aim is…
A Reporter’s Guide to Supreme Court Arguments on Health Reform March 15, 2012 Event The Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored this reporters-only briefing to help journalists cover the Supreme Court arguments challenging the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and their aftermath with greater depth and understanding. Panelists focus on tips, story ideas and angles that have perhaps…
Community Health Centers: Can They Plug the Gaps in the Safety Net? July 23, 2012 Event The Alliance for Health Reform and the Centene Corporation sponsored a July 23 briefing to discuss the role of community health centers (CHCs) in providing care to vulnerable populations as employer-sponsored coverage declines and demand for safety-net services increase. Panelists addressed questions such as: How are states and safety-net systems…
Today’s Topics In Health Disparities: The Effect of the Economic Downturn on the Health of Communities of Color March 1, 2009 Event Transcript (.pdf) On Wednesday, March 25, the Kaiser Family Foundation held a live, interactive webcast to examine the economic downturn’s impact on health care in communities of color as part of its Today’s Topics In Health Disparities series. Rising unemployment has left many families uninsured and increasingly strained family finances…
Article and Policy Forum Examine Medicare, Health Reform and the Challenges Facing People With Disabilities September 8, 2010 Event Wednesday, Sept. 8, the Foundation held a policy workshop examining Medicare, health reform and the challenges facing people with disabilities. Younger Medicare beneficiaries with disabilities are much more likely than seniors in the program to report problems accessing and paying for needed medical services, Kaiser Family Foundation researchers report in…
More Than Meets the Eye: Long-Term Care Provisions in the New Reform Law October 1, 2010 Event In the debates around the health reform law and its implementation, little attention has been given to the law’s provisions supporting long-term care. This briefing offered an overview of these provisions, such as the CLASS Act, a new national, voluntary insurance program to help working adults finance services and supports…
What Does the Election Mean for Health Reform and Other Health Issues? November 12, 2010 Event How the new health reform law is implemented, and how quickly, depend in part on the results of the November 2 election. Now that the leadership of the House will soon change hands, what might Republicans do with respect to health reform? How might Democrats respond? Apart from reform, how…