Medicare+Choice in California: Lessons and Insights August 31, 2002 Report Thirty-five percent of all California Medicare beneficiaries are enrolled in a M+C plan, far in excess of the 14 percent rate nationwide. This report seeks to identify what lessons for the nation can be drawn from the California M+C experience, as Congress debates the implications of major withdrawals from the…
Mandated Health Insurance Benefits: Tradeoffs Among Benefits, Coverage, and Costs? July 2, 2002 Issue Brief An issue brief that looks at mandated health insurance benefits and the tradeoffs among benefits, coverage, and costs. It explores the debate over mandated benefits legislation, the evidence about the impact of mandates, the status of mandated benefits in other states and in California.
National Survey of Small Businesses March 30, 2002 Report A survey finds that two-thirds of small employers say that they are dissatisfied with the cost of health care and health insurance, and about one-third of small businesses that now offer insurance say they are likely to increase the share of costs borne by employees in the next year. Survey…
The Prescription Drug Conundrum: Pharmaceutical Coverage, Costs, and Affordability — Issue Brief August 31, 2000 Issue Brief A 2-page issue brief that discusses significant trends in prescription drug coverage, expenditures, utilization, along with how the pharmaceutical industry prices drugs. The brief also looks at what states are doing to control drug costs and to address issues of affordability and access for low-income and elderly populations, how health…
Generation Rx.com: How Young People Use the Internet for Health Information November 30, 2001 Report The Internet has become a daily part of life especially for younger Americans. Teens as well as adults are now going online to look for health information. What exactly are young people looking for? Do they trust what they find? Is it influencing what they talk about with their peers,…
Managed Care and Low-Income Populations: A Case Study of Managed Care in Minnesota December 30, 1996 Report 1996 UpdateThis report is an update to the May 1996 case study on managed care in Minnesota released as part of the Kaiser/Commonwealth Low-Income Coverage and Access Project.Report:
Medicare Beneficiaries and HMOs: A Case Study of the Portland Market June 29, 1998 Report This case study of the evolution of Medicare managed care in Portland, Oregon, is part of a series of four case studies being prepared for the Kaiser Family Foundation to learn more about the factors influencing, and consequences of, the growth of Medicare managed care. Portland was one of the…
New Report Looks at Health Care Trends in California Compared to Rest of Nation May 31, 2000 Report A new chartbook by the Kaiser Family Foundation shows that on most, though not all indicators, California’s health care system fares poorly when compared to the U.S. as a whole. The report, Health Care Trends and Indicators in California and the United States, shows that many more Californians have no…
Pulling it Together: Reflections on This Year’s Four Percent Premium Increase September 5, 2012 Perspective Our 2012 Employer Health Benefits Survey found a 4% increase in premiums this year, continuing the recent trend of moderation in health costs and spending reported in several studies. Double digit increases in premiums were once a common occurrence, but we have not seen any since a 10% increase in…
Medicare Part D Spending Trends: Understanding Key Drivers and the Role of Competition May 8, 2012 Issue Brief This brief commissioned by the Foundation examines factors that contributed to Medicare’s lower-than-expected spending on prescription drugs under the Medicare Part D drug benefit that started in 2006. Since its launch, Medicare has spent about 30 percent less on Part D benefits than the Congressional Budget Office originally projected. Some…