Medicaid: A Primer on the Federal-State Partnership March 4, 2011 Event This briefing provided an overview of the Medicaid program and its role in the health care system. Panelists discussed who is eligible for Medicaid, what benefits are covered, how the program is administered. Medicaid financing and the program’s role in health reform was also explained. More information on Medicaid from…
Shared Medical Decision Making: We’re in This Together February 14, 2011 Event In recent years, awareness of the patient’s important role in managing his or her own care has been steadily growing—fed not only by such trends as the proliferation of health information on the internet and direct-to-consumer advertising, but also by the emerging science of patient-centered decision making. One way to…
Boomers Come of Age: Covering Early Retirees and Other 50-64 Year-Olds January 24, 2011 Event The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains provisions that can help workers age 50-64 if they lose their jobs and their employer-sponsored health benefits, such as incentives for employers to maintain retiree benefits. This briefing, cosponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and AARP, answered many questions about provisions…
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…
Trends in Health Insurance Coverage in the U.S.: The Impact of the Economy December 6, 2010 Event The rising number of uninsured, who they are and how they might obtain health insurance coverage were much debated during the consideration and passage of health reform in the last year. Panelists at this briefing examined the recent health insurance coverage numbers and trends, what they mean, who the newly…
The Health Workforce Dream Team: Who Will Provide the Care? December 2, 2010 Event Many providers and policymakers envision team-based care as an important way to improve quality and maximize resources. The “dream team” includes nurses and many other non-physician providers. But how will we ensure enough health care workers for a growing, aging population with ever-increasing chronic care needs? This December 2 briefing,…
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…
Physician Workforce: The Next Generation November 10, 2010 Event The new health reform law poses questions about how the increase in the insured population will affect the demand on the health care workforce. Will it increase the shortage among primary care physicians? What about specialists? How much of the workforce shortage can be alleviated by payment incentives in the…
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…
Designing a Marketplace that Works: Steps to Affordable Coverage October 22, 2010 Event The Affordable Care Act enacted in March 2010 calls for the establishment of state health insurance exchanges — marketplaces through which individuals and small businesses can purchase affordable insurance. These exchanges must begin operation by January 1, 2014. This October 22 briefing, cosponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and…
