In March 2011, House Budget Committee Chair Paul Ryan released his “Path to Prosperity” budget plan, which included a proposal to change Medicare from a defined benefit program into one in which the government pays a specific amount towards the cost of private health insurance for each enrollee. Surveys conducted by five different polling organizations from March-April 2011 have attempted to gauge the level of public support for such a plan, and their results have varied widely, ranging from strong support for keeping Medicare as is, to a roughly even split, to a leaned preference for changing the system. Looking at the five organizations (including KFF) that have released polls on this proposed change to Medicare since the beginning of March, this data note points to several specific aspects of question wording that might be contributing to differences in the results.

Data Note (.pdf)

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) calls for a number of web-based initiatives, including development of the website healthcare.gov which provides a variety of health information and helps individuals find coverage options. Therefore, understanding the level and quality of Internet access among those groups most likely to benefit from reform, such as the uninsured, those with lower incomes, and members of racial and ethnic minority groups, is an important consideration as health reform is implemented. A new Data Note, using data from The Washington Post/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University Race and Recession Survey, conducted Jan. 27-Feb. 9, 2011, examines racial and ethnic disparities in the shares who report seeking out health information online, and explores the broader question of how disparities in Internet access might impact the abilities of different groups to access health care information available on the web as part of the ACA.

Data Note (.pdf)

More on the Race and Recession Survey

This issue brief attempts to assess how primary care physicians will respond to the entry of 32 million newly insured people into the health care system under health reform. The increase in the number of people with health coverage is expected to intensify competition among patients and payers for primary care resources.

The brief analyzes data from a nationally representative survey of physicians to assess which adult-care primary care physicians are most likely to respond to health reform’s changes by serving additional Medicaid beneficiaries. It also profiles key aspects of their practices, patient care resources, and constraints on their capacity.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

With a renewed emphasis on health care quality driven by the Affordable Care Act, this polling data note examines historical trends in Americans’ reliance on quality ratings and how their perceptions have changed over time.

Data Note (.pdf)

This issue brief examines the broad implications of converting Medicaid to block grant financing, one of several ideas that have been put forth to help reduce the federal deficit. The paper, which does not analyze any specific proposal, notes that switching to block grant financing would fundamentally alter the Medicaid program and could have significant implications for states, localities, beneficiaries and health care providers.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

Related Resources: Prior Analyses of Block Grant Proposals

Issues in Restructuring Federal Financing (2005) (.pdf)

Financing Health Coverage: The CHIP Experience (2005)

Financing the Medicaid Program: The Many Roles of Federaland State Matching Funds (2004) (.pdf)

Medicaid and Block Grant Financing Compared (2004)

Federal Dollars and State Flexibility: The Debate Over Medicaid’s Future (1995)

The Impact Of The “Medigrant” Plan On Federal Payments To States (1995)

This paper examines the salient issues raised in a November 2010 roundtable discussion of national and state experts convened by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, in partnership with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, to discuss Medicaid policy options available under health reform to help meet the needs of adults with mental illness. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will expand the Medicaid program, offering the opportunity to improve access to care for millions of Americans with mental health disorders. States face several decisions about designing benefits, structuring service delivery and conducting outreach and enrollment for this population, which has unique health and social service needs. This report highlights key policy opportunities and challenges related to these decisions. The discussion was part of an ongoing series of Health Reform Roundtables that explore key issues related to implementing the expansion of Medicaid under health reform.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) establishes four levels of coverage based on the concept of “actuarial value,” which represents the share of health care expenses the plan covers for a typical group of enrollees. As plans increase in actuarial value – bronze, silver, gold, and platinum – they would cover a greater share of enrollees’ medical expenses overall, though the details could vary across plans.

The levels of coverage provided for in the PPACA are central to the coverage people will get and how they will ultimately perceive the effects of the health reform law. But an actuarial value is not as intuitive for people as specific deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs. Additionally, estimates of deductibles and other coverage features were not released by the Congressional Budget Office during the legislative debate.

Because projections of deductibles are subject to variation in estimating techniques and databases used, to present the most likely range of out-of-pocket costs, the Foundation commissioned separate analyses from three different actuarial consulting firms to present a range of potential estimates.

The study is part of the new Kaiser Initiative on Health Reform and Private Insurance, which will inform federal and state policymakers as they implement the PPACA and examine the implications of changes in the private insurance market under the health reform law.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

This primer provides an overview of behavioral health care, reviews the sources of financing for such care, assesses the interaction between different payers, and highlights recent policy debates in mental health. It also discusses the role of Medicaid, currently the largest source of financing for behavioral health services in the nation, covering a quarter of all expenditures. This comprehensive resource serves as a guide for those who want to understand the complex system of behavioral health financing in the United States.

Primer (.pdf)

NEWS RELEASE

National Campaign Encourages Young People to Get Tested for STDs, Including HIV

Ludacris, Vinny from The Jersey Shore, Travie McCoy, Teen Mom’s Catelynn and More Examine the “Top 10 Most Outrageous Sex Myths” in Special Airing on April 26th at 8:30 PM ET/PT

NEW YORK, NY, April 1, 2011 — The third annual GYT: Get Yourself Tested campaign kicks-off National STD Awareness Month (April) with new initiatives on-air, online, on the ground at college campuses and in more than 5,000 health centers and clinics across the nation. As part of the 2011/2012 campaign, MTV will premiere a new half-hour special, “MTV’s Top 10 Most Outrageous Sex Myths” on Tuesday, April 26th at 8:30 pm ET/PT with the Jersey Shore’s Vinny Guadagnino, Ludacris, Teen Mom’s Catelynn and more counting down the most common myths about sex, including STDs. Additionally, Perez Hilton, Rap visionary Talib Kweli, America’s Best Dance Crew’s Jungle Boogie, professional skateboarder Stevie Williams, Bobby Hundreds and more join “Team GYT” to reinforce STD prevention and testing as part of a healthy lifestyle.

“At CDC, we are proud to be part of a campaign that’s making a difference in the health of young people,” said Kevin Fenton, M.D., PhD., director of CDC’s National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. “Because STDs often have no symptoms, using GYT resources to increase awareness, communicate about STDs, and get tested for STDs are some of the most important things that sexually active people can do now to ensure a healthy future.”

Playing off mobile and Web slang in young people’s everyday vernacular, such as “OMG” and “LOL,” GYT is an easy way for young people to talk about sexual health and getting tested for STDs. Some elements of this year’s campaign include:

• “MTV’s Top 10 Most Outrageous Sex Myths” (Tuesday, April 26th at 8:30pm ET/PT on MTV) — GYT sets the record straight on many of the most common myths about STDs and other sexual health issues in a countdown show featuring artists such as Ludacris, Travie McCoy, Michael B. Jordan, and Tinsel Korey as well as talent from MTV shows, including Vinny from the “Jersey Shore,” Catelynn from “Teen Mom,” Kailyn from “Teen Mom 2,” Kevin Manno, host of the “The Seven,” “10 on Top” host Lenay Dunn, Holland Roden from “Teen Wolf” and more. Additionally, sexual health and relationship expert Dr. Logan Levkoff will weigh in on the special.
• “Team GYT” — Rap visionary Talib Kweli, celebrity gossip blogger Perez Hilton, America’s Best Dance Crew’s Jungle Boogie, professional street skateboarder Stevie Williams, head of Thehundreds.com Bobby Hundreds, Paper Twins’ artists Nica and Edgar A. English, aspiring fashion-conscious entrepreneur Allie Bashuk, surf-loving San Franpsycho, San Francisco designer/painter/artist Ube Urban, Levi Maestro of the online show “Maestro Knows,” Buff Monster, designer Han Cholo, Jeff Staple of Staple Design, and DJ A-Trak are joining forces to carry the GYT message. “Team GYT” will appear in GYT TV spots, guest blog on ACT.MTV.com, and reinforce STD prevention and testing as part of healthy lifestyle.
• GYT on Tour — GYT partners with the “Take Action Tour” to bring the campaign to 50 cities nationwide starting April 22nd in Boston. Each city will host a concert with headliners Silverstein and Bayside, and Polar Bear Club, The Swellers, and Texas in July supporting. All proceeds from the tour, organized by Hopeless Records’ non-profit organization Sub City, will go to SEX, ETC, a program of Rutgers University. Additionally, at select locations, GYT will partner with local organizations to offer free testing to concert attendees.
• GYT PSAs — A new series of TV spots will roll out on several MTV channels encouraging viewers to GYT and drive to online and mobile resources for more information, including local testing services. To view the PSAs, head to GYTNOW.org.
• www.GYTNOW.org — The informational hub of the campaign, GYTNOW.org provides basic facts about STDs, including prevention and testing, talking tips for discussing STD testing with partners, parents and health care providers, and a testing center locator. The site also hosts an online community toolkit with promotional materials that can be customized and localized to help spread the GYT message. In this online gallery, the audience can flex their creativity and make “GYT” their own by uploading personalized GYT designs. Beyond the wide range of GYT-based content available on the site, fans can also connect to GYT via Facebook or Twitter.
• GYTNOW short code and MTV Movie Awards Sweepstakes — A mobile companion to GYTNOW.org, the GYT short code (498669) provides details about local testing locations to mobile phones by simply texting a zip code. Online, users can become eligible to win a trip for two to the 2011 MTV Movie Awards by entering their zipcode in the testing location finder at GYTNOW.org during the month of April.
• GYT Nation: An extensive on-the-ground outreach effort is taking GYT to communities across the country. GYT promotional materials, including t-shirts, posters, buttons, brochures, and stickers are being distributed to more than 5,000 health centers and organizations nationwide, including Planned Parenthood’s network of more than 800 health centers and additional public and private clinics identified by the CDC. GYT is also working with state and local health departments the National Coalition of STD Directors, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine and the National Assembly of School-Based Health Centers to provide young people with information about the campaign. And, the American College Health Association (ACHA) works with GYT to distribute materials through college health centers.

“It’s been inspiring to watch our audience adopt GYT as a peer-to-peer call to action the last two years, helping to establish testing as a positive act on par with going to the gym, recycling or donating to a cause,” said Jason Rzepka, Vice President of MTV Public Affairs. “We feel privileged to sit at the nexus of public health leaders, pop culture players and America’s youth, and we’ll continue to galvanize all three to make taking control of your sexual health sexy.”

“Lack of awareness and also shame keep many young people from getting tested for STDs,” said Tina Hoff, Vice President and Director, Entertainment Media Partnerships, Kaiser Family Foundation. “GYT is about making smart and healthy decisions that are part of everyday life.”

As many as one in two sexually active young people will contract an STD by age 25 — and most won’t know it¹. GYT encourages young people to talk with health care providers and partners about getting tested for STDs. According to the CDC, approximately half of the estimated 19 million STDs occurring in the United States each year are among people 25 and younger. When left untreated, STDs can lead to an increased risk of HIV infection, infertility and cancer.

Data collected from 10 participating Planned Parenthood health affiliates — representing 24 health centers — indicate that the campaign helped drive an increase in STD tests, with a 71 percent increase in patients getting tested in April 2010 as compared to the same time in 2008, prior to the launch of the campaign. GYT partners with more than 5,000 health centers across the nation, including those run by Planned Parenthood as well as other private and public clinics identified by the CDC. This data from a small subset of participating health centers offers encouraging evidence that GYT is helping mobilize young people to get tested.

“We are proud of the young people who want to stay healthy by knowing their STD and HIV/AIDS status,” said PPFA President Cecile Richards. “Through GYT, we have made progress in getting young people tested, but more work needs to be done. The STD rates among young people are alarmingly high and we must continue to deliver the message that getting tested is easy, painless and key to living a healthy life.”

GYT launched in 2009 as an extension of a longstanding public information partnership between MTV and the Kaiser Family Foundation. It is supported by a broad range of organizations including the CDC, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, the National Coalition of STD Directors (NCSD), American College Health Association (ACHA), American Social Health Association (ASHA), the National Chlamydia Coalition (NCC), and various state and local health departments, colleges and universities, and other community groups and non-profits. Gilead Sciences, Inc. provides support and resources for select elements of the campaign. CDC provided assistance to ensure scientific accuracy of GYT health information. Comprehensive informational resources — designed for web and mobile applications — provide facts and referrals to local health centers. For more information visit www.GYTNOW.org.

MTV is the world’s premier youth entertainment brand. With a global reach of more than a half-billion households, MTV is the cultural home of the millennial generation, music fans and artists, and a pioneer in creating innovative programming for young people. MTV reflects and creates pop culture with its Emmy®, Grammy® and Peabody® award-winning content built around compelling storytelling, music discovery and activism across TV, online and mobile. MTV’s sibling networks MTV2 and mtvU each deliver unparalleled customized content for young males, music fans and college students, and its online hub MTV.com is the leading destination for music, news and pop culture. MTV is part of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), one of the world’s leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. For more information, go to www.mtvpress.com.

The Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit private operating foundation, based in Menlo Park, California, dedicated to producing and communicating the best possible information, research and analysis on health issues.

Planned Parenthood Federation of America is the nation’s leading sexual and reproductive health care provider and advocate. We believe that everyone has the right to choose when or whether to have a child, and that every child should be wanted and loved. Planned Parenthood affiliates operate more than 840 health centers nationwide, providing medical services and sexuality education for millions of women, men, and teenagers each year. We also work with allies worldwide to ensure that all women and men have the right and the means to meet their sexual and reproductive health care needs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects people’s health and safety by preventing and controlling diseases and injuries; enhances health decisions by providing credible information on critical health issues; and promotes healthy living through strong partnerships with local, national, and international organizations. For more information about CDC and its programs, visit http://www.cdc.gov.

¹http://www.ashastd.org/learn/learn_STDSTIstatistics.cfm, Cates JR, Herndon NL, Schulz S L, Darroch JE. (2004). Our voices, our lives, our futures: Youth and sexually transmitted diseases. Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

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The Kaiser Project on Medicare’s Future is a major initiative of the Kaiser Family Foundation’s Program on Medicare Policy, focused on producing timely and authoritative analysis of leading Medicare deficit reduction options and other reforms affecting people on Medicare, and on informing the debate about the future of the Medicare program. The Project is supported in part by a grant from Atlantic Philanthropies. The Kaiser Family Foundation is solely responsible for the work of the Project.

About the Kaiser Family FoundationThe Kaiser Family Foundation, a leader in health policy analysis, health journalism and communication, is dedicated to filling the need for trusted, independent information on the major health issues facing our nation and its people. The Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Menlo Park, California.

About Atlantic PhilanthropiesThe Atlantic Philanthropies are dedicated to bringing about lasting changes in the lives of disadvantaged and vulnerable people. Atlantic focuses on four critical social problems: Ageing, Children & Youth, Population Health, and Reconciliation & Human Rights. Programmes funded by Atlantic operate in Australia, Bermuda, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, the United States and Viet Nam. To learn more, please visit www.atlanticphilanthropies.com.