8/8/2008: Comparative effectiveness research offers the attractive prospect of cutting costs while improving the quality of health care. What exactly do comparative effectiveness studies compare? What research of this type is already underway in the U.S. and in other countries? What could we do to stimulate more of it? This issue brief, written by Alliance senior health policy associate Lisa Swirsky, addresses these questions and others. Sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

4/29/2008: Employer-sponsored coverage rates have been steadily falling, from 68 percent of non-elderly Americans in 2000 to 62 percent in 2006. Experts cite rising premium costs and workforce changes as factors driving the erosion in such coverage. A new Alliance issue brief, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, offers perspective on why this trend is happening and how alarmed we should be. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

4/22/2008: No matter who wins the White House and control of Congress in November, health reform legislation will likely be a front-burner issue for both the House and Senate in 2009. The debates about reform and the behind-the-scenes meetings of 1993 and 1994 produced a wealth of knowledge on what should be done differently the next time Congress and the White House take up this issue. This issue brief, funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, recounts nine lessons learned as recalled by veterans of both sides of the aisle and the administration.

3/1/2008: About a third of those turning 65 in 2010 will need nursing home care during their lifetimes. Yet so many people dread the thought of spending their last days or years in a nursing home. This is because many people aren’t aware of the creative alternatives being developed for those needing such care – facilities such as “Green Houses” that are resident-centered, less institutional and more home-like. This issue brief addresses the challenges being faced by those trying to change the nursing home culture, and some of their successes. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

7/26/2007: Though the Katrina flood waters have long since receded, the debate continues over how to restore – or even improve – Louisiana’s devastated health care system. This issue brief covers the health care problems still facing the city and proposed solutions. Supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

3/15/2007: Long-term care partnerships offer states a way to encourage the purchase of private long-term care insurance and, it is hoped, relieve some of the financial pressure on Medicaid. This issue brief reports on the rationale behind the partnership programs, results so far and issues going forward. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

12/21/2006: As many as 98,000 Americans die each year due to preventable medical mistakes. Health information technology could help reduce mistakes, but adoption by health care providers has been slow. This issue brief describes what's needed to link providers via information networks, and what barriers must be overcome. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

11/3/2006: Racial disparities are a persistent problem in the U.S. health care system. This four-page issue brief reviews the types of disparities that minority populations face, some programs underway to reduce disparities, and proposals for future action. Also included is a list of expert sources with telephone numbers, and helpful websites. Funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

4/1/2006: Microsoft Word text of issue brief, with endnotes and links to most resources cited.

4/1/2006: "Cash and Counseling" is a way of allowing individuals receiving personal assistance services through Medicaid to have more control over the services they get and who provides them. This issue brief describes how the program works and cites results of a three-state demonstration project.

4/1/2006: Health savings accounts (HSAs) linked to high-deductible health plans form the leading edge of the consumer-directed health care movement. HSAs got a boost when President Bush promoted them in his 2006 State of the Union address. This issue brief covers HSA basics, history, arguments raised for and against them, and a forecast of their impact on health insurance markets and consumer behavior.

4/1/2006: The State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) has been quite successful, with a monthly average of 4.2 million children covered by the program in 2005 -- double the figure in 2000. Likewise, the number of children covered by Medicaid has climbed steadily. But the job of signing up all eligible children for these two programs is far from complete. This issue brief documents the successes and challenges of SCHIP and Medicaid as congress gears up to consider the future of SCHIP in 2007. (For a Microsoft Word version with endnotes and links to most sources used in writing this issue brief, go to http://www.allhealth.org/publications/pub_20.doc).

4/1/2006: Microsoft Word text of issue brief, with endnotes and links to most resources cited.

4/1/2006: Microsoft Word text of issue brief, with endnotes and links to most resources cited.

2/1/2006: Microsoft Word text of issue brief, with endnotes and links to most resources cited.

2/1/2006: "Pay-for-Performance" programs attempt to reward quality health care by setting different payment levels for providers based on how well they meet benchmarks for quality and efficiency. More than 100 pay-for-performance programs were up and running in the U.S. as of September 2005. This issue brief describes how the programs work, why they were established and what challenges need to be addressed going forward.

1/2/2006: Several reports in 2005 documented the increase both in health care costs and the number of uninsured. This issue brief ties together these two issues, focusing on who is losing and who is gaining health coverage, and how employers and governments are responding to rising costs.

1/2/2006: Microsoft Word text of issue brief, with endnotes and links to most resources cited.