A number of factors have been suggested as possible reasons for increasing cost of medical malpractice insurance. For each factor I mention, please tell me whether you feel it is very important, somewhat important, not too important, or not important at all in causing higher malpractice insurance costs. If you do not know enough about some of these factors to have an opinion, just let me know. How important is…

Note: Asked of one-half of respondents

Very important

Somewhat important

Not too important

Not at all important

Don’t know/ Refused

a. Too many doctors making mistakes in treating patients?

43

33

13

1

9

b. Too many patients making unwarranted claims against doctors?

53

23

9

6

9

c. Too many lawyers filing unwarranted lawsuits?

60

22

6

6

6

d. Too many juries making larger awards than are justified?

42

30

8

7

13

e. High profits made by insurance companies selling malpractice insurance?

49

28

5

5

12

Of those factors you said are very important in causing rising malpractice insurance costs, which one do you think is the MOST important reason these costs are rising?

Note: Also includes those who said “very important” to only one reason

32         Too many lawyers filing unwarranted lawsuits

15         High profits made by insurance companies selling malpractice insurance

14         Too many patients making unwarranted claims against doctors

11         Too many doctors making mistakes in treating patients

9          Too many juries making larger awards than are justified

*          Other reason is most important

2          All same/equally important        

17         None of these very important    

*          Don’t know      

*          Refused           

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health. Methodology: Fieldwork by ICR-International Communications Research, November 4-November 28, 2004 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,396. 

(I’m going to read you a list of things some people worry about and others do not. I’d like you to tell me how worried you are about each of the following things.) How worried are you about…your health plan being more concerned about saving money for the plan than about what treatment is best for you? Are you very worried, somewhat worried, not too worried, or not at all worried?

Subpopulation/Note: Those who have health insurance

30%  Very worried

31   Somewhat worried

16   Not too worried

20   Not at all worried

4    Don’t know/Refused

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. Methodology: Conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates International, October 4-October 9, 2005 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,200.

Do you think…managed care companies such as HMOs (Health Maintenance Organizations) generally do a good or bad job of serving their consumers?

41%  Good job

54   Bad job

5    Not sure/Refused

Methodology: Conducted by Harris Interactive, April 5-April 10, 2005 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,010. Data provided by The Roper Center for Public Opinion Research, University of Connecticut.

This fact sheet summarizes and compares seventeen states’ approved Medicaid waivers related to Hurricane Katrina evacuees.

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

The Foundation’s Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has collected resources related to the Medicaid policy changes in the budget reconciliation law, Deficit Reduction Act of 2005.

Deficit Reduction Act of 2005: Implications for Medicaid

West Virginia Medicaid State Plan Amendment: Key Program Changes and Questions

KYHealth Choices Medicaid Reform: Key Program Changes and Questions

Reports Explore Long-Term Care Issues Included in the Deficit Reduction Act

The Nuts and Bolts of Making Medicaid Policy Changes: An Overview and a Look at the Deficit Reduction Act

New Requirements for Citizenship Documentation in Medicaid

Key Issues and Opportunities: Implementing the New Medicaid Integrity Program

Paying for Nursing Home Care: Asset Transfer and Qualifying for Medicaid

Increasing Premiums and Cost Sharing in Medicaid and SCHIP: Recent State Experiences

Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment Services Fact Sheet

Medicaid 1915(c) Home and Community-Based Service Programs: Data Update

KaiserEDU.org tutorial: Future Directions in Medicaid: Implications of the DRA of 2005 and 1115 Waivers

Paying for Nursing Home Care: Asset Transfer and Qualifying for Medicaid

This snapshot presents key facts on who relies on nursing home services and highlights research findings on asset transfer and its impact on Medicaid eligibility.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

Medicaid and Budget Reconciliation: Implications of the Conference Report

This issue brief provides an overview of the federal budget context and then highlights key Medicaid savings proposals in the budget reconciliation conference bill and discusses the implications of the proposed changes.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

This policy brief examines national data to determine the share of current enrollees of public health coverage programs who would have alternate coverage options if public coverage were no longer available. The authors estimate that no more than 9 percent of low-income adults would have access to an alternative source of insurance in the absence of public coverage. This research suggests that the vast majority of current enrollees affected by cutbacks in eligibility for public programs, particularly those with the lowest incomes, are likely to be left uninsured.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

A Pre-Katrina Look At the Health Care Delivery System For Low-Income People InNew Orleans

This issue brief offers a retrospective look at how care was provided to poor residents in New Orleans before Hurricane Katrina hit. It describes the structure of the public safety net and briefly discusses the challenges facing the system as it tries to rebuild.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

KNOW HIV/AIDS News Releases

• KNOW HIV/AIDS Launches Four New PSAs and Premieres Short Film in Support of World AIDS Day (December 1, 2006)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS Wins the 2006 National Public Service Announcement Emmy Award (October 25, 2006)
• UCLA Student Wins Paramount Pictures’ KNOW HIV/AIDS Short Screenplay Competition (April 20, 2006)
• UPN and CBS Programs Address HIV as Part of KNOW HIV/AIDS Initiative (April 4, 2006)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS Creates New PSAs Filmed At HIV/AIDS Support Groups In Los Angeles and El Salvador (December 1, 2005)
• Paramount Pictures Announces KNOW HIV/AIDS Short Screenplay Competition (November 29, 2005)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS Seeks to Normalize HIV Testing With Its Latest Message “The Know Is Spreading” (September 27, 2005)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS ENCOURAGES AMERICANS TO GET TESTED FOR HIV (June 6, 2005)
• VIACOM AND KAISER LAUNCH YEAR THREE OF KNOW HIV/AIDS CAMPAIGN (January 24, 2005)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS Teams up with Hip-Hop Sensation Common to Promote HIV Testing (November 15, 2004)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS Launches Groundbreaking Series of Messages on HIV Testing (June 9, 2004)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS Campaign to Premiere Year Two on Super Bowl Sunday (January 27, 2004)
• Viacom and Kaiser Family Foundation’s KNOW HIV/AIDS Campaign to Premiere Year Two on Super Bowl Sunday (January 12, 2004)
• KNOW HIV/AIDS Campaign to Support World AIDS Day (December 1, 2003)
• BET Plans Comprehensive News and Public Affairs Programming to Support National HIV Testing Day; Network Partners with Kaiser Family Foundation to Produce Prime Time Town Hall on HIV Testing (June 18, 2003)
• Viacom and Kaiser Family Foundation Support National HIV Testing Day Through KNOW HIV/AIDS Campaign (June 9, 2003)
• BBC World Service Launches First Educational HIV/AIDS Campaign (May 19, 2003)
• Viacom and Kaiser Family Foundation Launch Comprehensive Initiative to Fight AIDS (January 6, 2003)
• Viacom and Kaiser Family Foundation to Launch Comprehensive Media Campaign to Fight HIV/AIDS (October 2002)
• Statements Regarding the Viacom-Kaiser HIV/AIDS Initiative