Medicaid and State Budgets: From Crunch to Cliff October 1, 2009 Fact Sheet This fact sheet discusses the status of Medicaid and state budgets in light of the continuing recession and the federal fiscal relief provided to state Medicaid programs through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The ARRA money has proved to be critical in helping states address budget shortfalls, preserve…
Today’s Topics In Health Disparities: Is the Health Care System Ready for Health Reform? October 1, 2009 Event On Wednesday, November 4, at 1 p.m. ET, this Today’s Topics In Health Disparities live webcast examined how ready the health care system is for the influx of newly covered individuals that health reform aims to deliver. In the health care proposals being considered by Congress, changes to Medicaid alone…
Public Opinion on Health Reform: What Do the Polls Mean? October 1, 2009 Event The Alliance for Health Reform and the Kaiser Family Foundation co-sponsored this briefing to have a panel of experts answer questions about how public support for health reform waxes and wanes depending, not only on what’s being proposed in the reform proposals, but also on who asks the question and…
The Sleeper in Health Reform: Long-Term Care and the CLASS Act October 1, 2009 Event The Kaiser Family Foundation briefing examines a little-noticed but major provision in two leading health reform bills that would change the way that the U.S. pays for long-term care. The provision, known as the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, would establish a national voluntary insurance program that…
The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act October 1, 2009 Issue Brief This issue brief provides a brief overview of the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act, including a discussion of how the program would be financed and whom it is intended to reach. The paper was released as part of a Kaiser briefing about the act, a component of…
Explaining Health Care Reform: What is Comparative Effectiveness Research? September 29, 2009 Issue Brief The brief examines current funding for comparative effectiveness research, the provisions included in the current health reform legislation, and issues related to which treatments that might be studied, whether and how to weigh costs of care, and how such findings will be used and shared with health-care practitioners and the…
Pulling it Together: The Media’s Challenge In Health Reform September 28, 2009 Perspective For many years now the news media has served as the public’s number one source of information on important issues like health reform. People rely on the news media to help them wade through claims and counter claims, understand how policy options will affect them and come to judgment on…
Pulling it Together: Simple Arithmetic September 10, 2009 Perspective This week we put out our annual benchmark survey of employer health coverage and costs. Two numbers jumped off the pages. The first number was the average cost of a family health insurance policy in 2009: $13,375. To put that number in context, if you are an employer, you can…
Oral Histories: Report from a Dental Fair September 9, 2009 Video This video profiles patients attending a dental fair in rural Virginia and highlights the impact of lack of coverage for oral health services. Uninsured adults have vast oral care needs, and untreated dental problems can have serious health, employment and social consequences. To download the video, right-click here and select…
New NPR/Kaiser/Harvard Poll Examines Public’s Views of the Role of Health Care Interest Groups in the Health Care Debate September 2, 2009 Poll Finding This survey conducted jointly by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and the Harvard School of Public Health examines the public’s views and opinions of the role of health care interest groups in the ongoing federal health care debate. The survey examines whether people feel their views are represented in the…
