Explore Events

Although the rise in unemployment in this recession has resulted in lost health insurance coverage for many adults, a record 90 percent of children now have coverage – one-third of whom are covered by public programs, Medicaid and CHIP. About 7.5 million children remain uninsured, including 5 million who are eligible for Medicaid and CHIP […]

Understanding how Medicare works is essential to understanding federal health policy. Medicare is the federally administered health insurance program for individuals ages 65 and older and for younger people with permanent disabilities. In 2010, the program covered an estimated 47 million people. It comprised an estimated 15 percent of the federal budget and over one-fifth […]

Medicaid will play a major role in extending coverage to millions of uninsured people in 2014 through provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.  More than 16 million newly qualified individuals are expected to enroll as a result of the law. What is Medicaid and what is its role in the health care […]

The relationship between patients and doctors has been changing from the traditional model in which a doctor decides on a treatment course without significant patient input. In recent years, awareness of the importance of the patient’s role in managing his or her own care has been steadily growing–fed not only by such trends as the […]

Unemployment has hit everyone hard since the economic downturn began in 2007. And while workers age 50-64 tend to have lower rates of uninsurance than other age groups, they are especially hard hit by losing their jobs and with them their employer-sponsored health benefits. About 8.6 million adults ages 50 to 64 were uninsured in […]

One of the goals of the Affordable Care Act is improving the quality of health care while also slowing the growth of spending. This will not be easy as 30+ million individuals gain insurance and the need for chronic care coordination increases with an aging population. In order to meet this challenge, the law aims […]

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. In the meantime, rising unemployment rates and an economic recession have exacerbated the declines in health insurance coverage. According to the Current Population Survey, […]

In today’s evolving health care system, many providers and policymakers envision team-based care as an important component of the plan to improve quality, maximize resources, promote wellness, expand preventive care and enhance the value of the health care dollar. The health workforce “dream team” includes physicians, nurses, nutritionists, physical therapists, social workers, nurses’ aides, direct […]

For years, there have been concerns about whether the supply of physicians can meet the demand of our nation’s population – a population that is growing in size, age and diversity. One consideration: The physician workforce is aging as many physicians approach retirement. And physicians are increasingly looking for opportunities that allow them to balance […]

Health reform is law. But how the law is implemented, and how quickly, depend in part on the results of the midterm election. Now that the leadership of the House will soon change hands, what might Republicans do with respect to health reform? How might Democrats respond? What’s likely to happen with reform in the […]

Health information technology can help prevent medical errors, improve care coordination, increase access to providers in rural areas and improve the quality and value of care. At the same time, questions have been raised about the cost of implementation, personal privacy considerations and potential disruption to the business of health care, especially for providers in […]

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted in March 2010 calls for the establishment of state health insurance exchanges – marketplaces through which individuals and small businesses can purchase affordable insurance. These exchanges must begin operation by January 1, 2014. Between now and then, both federal and state officials have many decisions to make and many […]