This report projects the impact of the new Medicare drug benefit on out-of-pocket spending for people who enroll in 2006. This analysis from November 2004 estimates that 6.9 million beneficiaries are projected to be affected by the coverage gap (the so-called “doughnut hole”) in the standard Part D drug benefit. This estimate is based on projected enrollment in Part D plans of 29 million (Congressional Budget Office, July 2004), prior to implementation of the drug benefit and actual enrollment in Part D plans.

Executive Summary (.pdf)

Report (.pdf)

National Survey on Consumers’ Experiences With Patient Safety and Quality Information — Toplines

This document includes the complete toplines from a national survey assessing Americans’ perceptions about the quality of health care, their awareness and reported usage of information in making their health care choices, and their experiences with their health care providers five years after the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report on medical errors. The Kaiser Family Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Harvard School of Public Health collaborated on the survey.

Survey Toplines (.pdf)

Covering New Americans: A Review of Federal and State Policies Related to Immigrants’ Eligibility and Access to Publicly Funded Health Insurance

This brief provides an overview of health coverage challenges facing immigrants, the federal rules regarding immigrants’ eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP, and state efforts to provide replacement coverage for immigrants who are ineligible for Medicaid and SCHIP.

Report (.pdf)

National Survey on Consumers’ Experiences With Patient Safety and Quality Information — Summary and Chartpack

This chartpack summarizes key findings from a national survey assesses Americans’ perceptions about the quality of health care, their awareness and reported usage of information in making their health care choices, and their experiences with their health care providers five years after the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report on medical errors. The Kaiser Family Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Harvard School of Public Health collaborated on the survey.

Survey Summary and Chartpack (.pdf)

National Survey on Consumers’ Experiences With Patient Safety and Quality Information

This survey assesses Americans’ perceptions about the quality of health care, their awareness and reported usage of information in making their health care choices, and their experiences with their health care providers five years after the Institute of Medicine’s landmark report on medical errors. The Kaiser Family Foundation, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Harvard School of Public Health collaborated on the survey.

News Release

Summary and Chartpack

Toplines

The survey was released at a November 17, 2004 briefing:

Agenda

Speaker Biographies

The 2003 Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Survey examines the public’s level of satisfaction with their insurance coverage, their expectations of health insurance, the role of costs and other factors in health insurance decision-making, and attitudes toward employer-sponsored coverage. It also explores people’s opinions about several alternative health insurance plans that are currently under consideration and explores how they might respond to these new options.

Summary and Chartpack

Toplines

The 2003 Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Survey examines the public’s level of satisfaction with their insurance coverage, their expectations of health insurance, the role of costs and other factors in health insurance decision-making, and attitudes toward employer-sponsored coverage. It also explores people’s opinions about several alternative health insurance plans that are currently under consideration and explores how they might respond to these new options.

Summary and Chartpack (.pdf)

The 2003 Kaiser Family Foundation Health Insurance Survey examines the public’s level of satisfaction with their insurance coverage, their expectations of health insurance, the role of costs and other factors in health insurance decision-making, and attitudes toward employer-sponsored coverage. It also explores people’s opinions about several alternative health insurance plans that are currently under consideration and explores how they might respond to these new options.

Survey Toplines (.pdf)

In 2000, Congress passed a landmark law that gave states the option of extending Medicaid coverage to certain low-income women with breast or cervical cancer. In California, approximately 10,000 women have been assisted by this program. This policy brief, “Hearing Their Voices: Lessons from the Breast and Cervical Caner Prevention and Treatment Act (BCCPTA),” reports on the impact of this program on low-income women in California, using focus group analysis.

The report was prepared by researchers at the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and the Kaiser Family Foundation and is one of the first to look at this program from the perspective of the women it serves.

Report (.pdf)

To get more information on Every Woman Counts: http://www.nccc.org/breast_cancer_early_detection.html

Now I’m going to read you a list of some stories covered by news organizations in the last month or so.  As I read each one, tell me if you happened to follow this news story very closely, fairly closely, not too closely, or not at all closely.  (First,) how closely did you follow this story…?

Total Closely

Very Closely

Fairly Closely

Total Not  Closely

Not too Closely

Not at all Closely

DK/ Ref.

Military action and peace keeping efforts in Iraq

88

63

26

11

6

5

*

Campaigns for the 2004 U.S. Presidential Election

78

48

29

22

13

9

*

The recent hurricanes that hit Florida and other states in the Southeast

92

65

27

8

6

2

*

An FDA study on the link between antidepressants and the risk of suicide in children

52

27

25

47

18

29

1

Reports of former President Bill Clinton’s heart bypass surgery

46

17

29

53

28

26

1

The start of a federal racketeering trial against large tobacco companies

28

12

17

71

25

46

1

A survey reporting an increase in the cost of employer-sponsored health insurance premiums

51

25

27

47

21

26

1

Stories about the 2004 U.S. presidential candidates’ proposals for making health care more available and more affordable

70

36

35

29

17

13

*

Reports on the debate over the importation of lower cost drugs from Canada and other countries

67

34

33

33

19

14

*

The withdrawal of the drug Vioxx from the market because of a study finding it increased the risk of heart attack and stroke

60

34

27

39

19

20

1

The nationwide shortage of flu vaccine

81

53

28

18

11

7

*

Survey by Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, Harvard School of Public Health. Methodology: Fieldwork conducted by Princeton Survey Research Associates, October 14-17, 2004 and based on telephone interviews with a national adult sample of 1,202.