Incrementalism: Ethical Implications of Policy Choices October 1, 1999 Report This paper discusses ethical issues in incremental approaches to expanding health insurance coverage. Although any reduction in the number of uninsured is morally desirable, there are real moral differences between different policy options. This paper, which is part of the Kaiser Incremental Health Reform Project, examines these moral differences by…
Public Health in a Changing Health Care System: Linkages Between Public Health and MCOs In the Treatment and Prevention of STDs March 30, 2000 Report Public health agencies and managed care organizations share responsibility for the health of the populations they serve. Their relationships are particularly important in the area of STDs. This study analyzes the evolving relationships between managed care organizations and public health agencies in how they manage the prevention, treatment, and tracking…
Making Child Health Coverage a Reality: Lessons From Case Studies of Medicaid and CHIP Outreach and Enrollment Strategies September 30, 1999 Report Recent expansions in public health insurance for children and changes in welfare laws present states with the challenge of identifying and enrolling the large population of uninsured children in their Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). This study describes and analyzes the outreach and enrollment strategies and systems in…
A Profile of the Low-Income Uninsured July 30, 1999 Issue Brief This policy brief provides an overview of the low-income, uninsured population. Based on an analysis of the March 1998 Current Population Survey, the report discusses the demographic characteristics of this vulnerable population. It also presents information detailing health insurance coverage for low-income children and adults, as well as trends in…
Public Subsidies and Private Markets: Coverage Expansions in the Current Insurance Environment October 1, 1999 Report Many proposals for incremental expansion of health insurance coverage would provide subsidies for the purchase of nongroup policies. This paper assesses how subsidy options might play out in regulated or unregulated markets and explores the possible trade-off between two distinct policy goals: maximizing the absolute number of families with insurance…
The New Child Health Insurance Program: A Carefully Crafted Compromise October 1, 1999 Report This paper explores the major policy compromises embodied in the CHIP program. It focuses on two areas: the relative control of the federal and state governments over the program, and the design of the program in relation to the private, employer-based health insurance market. This paper is part of the…
Family Circle/Kaiser Family Foundation National Survey on Health Care & Other Elder Care Issues September 1, 2000 Poll Finding As part of a joint project with Family Circle, this national survey examines the knowledge and experiences of 806 adults with a parent 65 and older in an effort to understand their role in helping their aging parents. The survey found that half check in on their parent with regular…
A Side-by-Side Comparison of Selected Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Proposals July 30, 2000 Report This document provides a side-by-side comparison of four major federal proposals under consideration to provide outpatient prescription drug coverage to Medicare beneficiaries. It begins with a summary table comparing key features of each proposal, followed by a detailed comparison of the following major proposals: Clinton/Moynihan (The Medicare Modernization Act), House-Passed…
Trends and Indicators in the Changing Health Care Marketplace: Chartbook July 30, 1998 Report This chartbook provides an overview of health care spending and trends in health plan enrollment. It highlights health insurance premiums and costs, health insurance benefits, the structure of the health care market. Data on the stock markets role within the health care industry and implications of health insurance trends for…
A Public Dialogue on Health Care: The Future of Medicare September 29, 1998 Fact Sheet Fall 1998 Fact Sheet: