Commonwealth Fund News and Research

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Commonwealth study: Unemployed skipping important medical services, highlighting importance of COBRA coverage

The Commonwealth Fund is out Wednesday with a report that shows the unemployed are skipping out on important medical services and recommends Congress extend COBRA subsidies through 2014. The study found that 72 percent of people who have lost their employer health insurance didn't fill prescriptions, get recommended tests or see a doctor because of the high cost barrier.

25 Aug 2011

Loss of job and health insurance threatens family's health and financial stability

Nearly three-quarters (72%) of people who lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs over the last two years said that they skipped needed health care or did not fill prescriptions because of cost, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. The same proportion is also struggling with medical bills or medical debt, compared to about half (49%) who lost jobs but not their health insurance.

24 Aug 2011

U.S. physicians spend more time, money for interaction with health plans than Canadian doctors

Physicians in the United States spend nearly four times as much dealing with health insurers and payers compared with doctors in Canada. Most of the difference stems from the fact that Canadian physicians deal with a single payer, in contrast to the multiple payers in the United States.

5 Aug 2011

Research roundup: Avoiding readmissions; the future of ACOs

Every week, Kaiser Health News reporter Shefali S. Kulkarni compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

30 Jul 2011

PCPCC coalition to trace progress of medical home at Oct. 21, 2011 Summit

Five short years ago, the patient centered medical home was a little-known model with the promise to improve patient outcomes and transform health care delivery. In October, the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative will trace the progress of the medical home in the context if its own five-year history of stakeholder collaboration focused on continued advancement of what is now the rapidly expanding medical home concept.

20 Jul 2011

BCBSMA global payment model reduces spending, improves quality of patient care

A just-released study by a team of researchers at the Harvard Medical School finds that a new global payment model being implemented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts (BCBSMA) is meeting its twin goals of slowing the growth in health care costs while simultaneously improving the quality of patient care.

15 Jul 2011

Medical debt, lack of insurance coverage lead to reduced health care access

In 2010, about 40 percent of Americans—or 73 million people—had trouble paying medical bills, up from 34 percent in 2005. Now, a new study confirms that having health insurance coverage is no guarantee against accumulating medical debt for working-age adults. Not surprisingly, the study likewise finds that both medical debt and lack of insurance coverage lead to reduced access to health care.

2 Jul 2011

Patients who receive poorly co-ordinated care more likely to report medication, treatment errors

Patients who received poorly co-ordinated care or were unable to afford basic medical costs were much more likely to report medication, treatment or care errors, according to an international study published in the July issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.

20 Jun 2011

Research roundup: Kids on Medicaid have trouble seeing a specialist; safety in outpatient facilities; community health center patients linking to electronic health care

In this study, researchers posing as parents sought specialty care for children in Cook County, Ill., to examine access opportunities for families on Medicaid. They found a major disparity between children with public insurance versus private insurance -- 66 percent of the callers saying the children were insured by Medicaid were denied an appointment, compared to 11 percent with a private plan.

18 Jun 2011

Report: For-profit Medicaid managed care plans have higher admin costs

Commercial Medicaid managed care plans that are publicly traded may not be serving beneficiaries as well as other plans, according a report released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Fund.

16 Jun 2011

Research Roundup: Depression disparities; Parents' views of vaccines

Archives Of Pediatrics And Adolescent Medicine: Hospital-Based Programs For Children With Special Health Care Needs: Implications Of Health Care Reform -- This study looks at 33 hospital-based comprehensive care programs for children with special needs to evaluate their effectiveness.

10 Jun 2011

HHS rule for health exchanges takes shape

In a Tuesday conference call on state health exchanges organized by the Commonwealth Fund, HHS Director of Coverage Policy Chiquita Brooks-LaSure dropped many hints of what to expect from the agency's proposed rule on health exchanges, due out sometime this month.

9 Jun 2011

Research roundup: More spending can lead to better care; Calif. exchange lessons; high-volume hospitals

Medical Spending And The Health Of The Elderly -- Does more medical spending lead to better health care for people over age 64? To answer that question, "researchers from George Mason University and the Urban Institute used data of 17,438 elderly who entered the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey in the fall of each year from 1991 to 1999, and conducted multiple interviews over three years," according to one description of the study.

4 Jun 2011

ExpeData, Nightingale partner to launch 'Clinipen' technology within North American EMR market

Nightingale Informatix Corporation, an application service provider of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) software and related services today announced it has partnered with ExpeData, LLC, an innovative software company and global leader in digital writing, to launch "Clinipen", a potentially game-changing technology within the North American EMR market.

30 May 2011

Many young adults couldn't afford needed health care: New Commonwealth Fund report

Young adults ages 19-29 are struggling to get the health care they need more than almost any other age group, demonstrating the need for Affordable Care Act provisions, some already in place, that will expand health insurance and make it more affordable, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report.

26 May 2011

Majority of opinion leaders strongly support creation of federal health insurance exchange

More than eight of 10 leaders in health and health care policy believe states should be allowed to implement key provisions of the Affordable Care Act early with full federal support, ahead of the timeline outlined in the law.

24 May 2011

Health reform implementation recommends ways to maintain access to affordable insurance: Report

Modifications to current policies could help ensure that health insurance coverage and subsidies provided under the Affordable Care Act remain stable even through major life changes, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report released today.

21 May 2011

Research roundup: Closing E.R.S; Predicting future health costs; Providing rural residents with specialized care

Factors Associated With The Closures Of Emergency Departments In The United States -- This study looks at the community, market and medical factors that led to an increase of urban hospital-based emergency department closures.

20 May 2011

OMB review could lock-in ACO rule; Long-term care providers say health law doesn't help with their problems

If there's a fight between CMS and the Office of Management and Budget over the final shape of the accountable care organization regulations, OMB may have an ace in its pocket.