How Does the Benefit Value of Medicare Compare to the Benefit Value of Typical Large Employer Plans?: A 2012 Update April 4, 2012 Issue Brief This study compares the value of Medicare’s fee-for-service benefits last year with the value of benefits in two large employer health plans — a large health plan serving federal employees and a typical large employer Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan. For individuals ages 65 and older, the study finds that…
Ask the Experts About Reform: Where Are We Now and Where Are We Headed? August 31, 2009 Event The Alliance for Health Reform and Eli Lilly co-sponsored this briefing to have an expanded panel of prominent experts answer questions about the current health reform efforts. Questions addressed include: What is the status of major reform bills? How do they differ from each other, and from the plan that…
Medicare Savings in Perspective: A Comparison of 2009 Health Reform Legislation and Other Laws in the Last 15 Years November 29, 2009 Issue Brief Although Medicare is not the main focus of current health reform legislation, the bill recently passed by the House—H.R. 3962, America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009—and the bill before the Senate—H.R. 3590, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—include a number of provisions that would affect Medicare program expenditures. This…
Determining Income for Adults Applying for Medicaid and Exchange Coverage Subsidies: How Income Measured With a Prior Tax Return Compares to Current Income at Enrollment March 1, 2011 Issue Brief A major goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly expand coverage and reduce the number of uninsured. Beginning in 2014, the ACA will establish a new continuum of coverage that will provide assistance to individuals with incomes up to 400% of poverty through a…
The Health of Safety-Net Hospitals: How are They Faring? What’s the Outlook? June 4, 2012 Event The Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund discusses the critical role of safety-net hospitals in providing care to vulnerable populations. Panelists will explore such questions as: Who does the safety-net system currently serve and how will this patient mix change as the health reform law plays out? How…
A Primer on Medicare Financing January 31, 2011 Issue Brief As Congress and the Administration increasingly focus on the nation’s budget deficit, many policy experts and several bipartisan deficit reduction panels have proposed significant changes to Medicare to reduce federal spending and address rising health care costs. This primer provides an overview of Medicare spending trends, how the program is…
Health Insurance Coverage for Older Adults: Implications of a Medicare Buy-In November 30, 2009 Issue Brief As the Senate debates comprehensive health reform legislation, the idea of a Medicare buy-in option for uninsured adults aged 55-64 has re-emerged as a potential component of a reform plan. This Kaiser Family Foundation policy brief provides an updated profile of the more than 4 million uninsured people between ages…
Pulling it Together: When Premiums Go Up 39% March 8, 2010 Perspective Our group that works on health care cost issues just updated an analysis that sheds light on what’s really happening to people in the individual health insurance market, the issue Secretary Sebelius, a former Kansas insurance commissioner, and others have put in the spotlight by calling on Anthem and other…
The New Health Reform Law and Medicaid April 23, 2010 Event This briefing, cosponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Kaiser Family Foundation, explores the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA). A panel of experts explain how PPACA and HCERA affect Medicaid, and answer…
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…