This issue brief examines the federal, state and local policies that guide approaches to sex education today. It also examines recent research into community-level experiences and practices, as well as emerging evidence about the effectiveness of different types of sex education curricula.

• Issue Update:

Fact Sheet

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

Health Insurance Premiums and Cost-Sharing: Findings from the Research on Low-Income Populations

This policy brief reviews studies on the impact of premiums and cost-sharing, particularly on low-income populations, and finds that premiums generally depressed participation in public programs and cost-sharing affected health utilization, access and outcomes.

• Policy Brief

The fourth in a series of fact sheets on topics related to children, media and health pulls together the key facts on the prevalence of violence on television, and the results of scientific studies of the effects on children. The fact sheet also discusses the conclusions of the public health community as well as opposing viewpoints.

• Key Facts:

This fact sheet summarizes the issues surrounding premiums and cost-sharing in public coverage programs and discusses the impact of these mechanisms on participation and health outcomes, particularly for low-income populations.

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

This background report analyzes 2001 U.S. Census Bureau data on health coverage to determine the trends that led to 1.4 million people losing health coverage from 2000 to 2001.

• Report

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured co-sponsored a policy briefing today to discuss the dynamics of the uninsured population in America. In 2001, the uninsured population grew by 1.4 million people. To increase understanding of who these people are and answer the question of whether the uninsured problem was shifting to higher-income Americans, findings from two new KCMU reports were presented. You may also view background materials on the uninsured and a webcast of the policy briefing.

• Changes in Health Care Coverage 2000-2001
• The New Middle-Class of Uninsured Americans — Is it Real?
• The Uninsured and Their Access to Health Care fact sheet
• Health Insurance Coverage in America: 2001 Data Update
• Link to webcast of the Dynamics of the Uninsured policy briefing.

This issue paper discusses and answers the question are the newly uninsured in 2001 predominantly from the middle-class. The paper examines U.S. Census Bureau s data and concludes that most of the increase in the uninsured (1.3 million people) was among low-income people with incomes less than 200% of the poverty level.

• Issue Paper