Health News Index September/October, 2000

The September/October 2000 edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation/HarvardSchool of Public Health, Health News Index includes questions about how closely the public is following and how well they understand major health stories covered in the news during September, including stories about presidential candidates Al Gore and George W. Bush’s prescription drug proposals. Every two months, Kaiser/Harvard issues a new index report.

• HNI September-October 2000
• Topline/Survey

This report provides current national and state-level data on the number of persons enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. In addition to identifying recent trends in Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, this report also examines trends in the various eligibility categories within Medicaid. The report reveals that enrollment in Medicaid increased by 1.1 million individuals, or 3.6 percent, in December 1999 compared to the previous December.

Executive Summary

Report

• Link to December 2001 Data Update

SexSmarts – Decision Making

A nationally representative survey of teens on the complex issues influencing their decision making about sex and relationships, developed by the Kaiser Family Foundation and seventeen magazine.

• Survey Snapshot: seventeen, SexSmarts: Decision Making
• Toplines

With the most recent Olympics and now Major League Baseball marred by reports of the use of banned performance-enhancing drugs, a new nationwide survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation examines the influence of sports figures in kids’ lives today. Based on telephone interviews with a randomly selected national sample of 1,500 children ages 10-17 years old (and 1,950 parents), the survey found that many American kids are mirroring the behavior of famous athletes – the good and bad – both on and off the field.

• Toplines/Survey
• Summary of Findings

This is a study of the enrollment process in children’s Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) in the 50 states and Washington, DC. Prepared by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, the study is comprised of a nationwide telephone survey of state officials, a review of state CHIP plans, and interviews with state child health advocates. The focus of the study is on income eligibility guidelines, simplification of applications, enrollment and redetermination procedures as of July 2000.

• Report (.pdf)

>>All 50-State Children’s Health Coverage Reports

Young people have mixed opinions on abortion, but strong positions on comprehensive sex education, HIV/AIDS policies, and gay rights, all hot button issues that could be affected by the upcoming presidential campaign, according to a new national survey of 18-24 year-olds released today by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and MTV’s “Choose or Lose” campaign. Seventy percent of young people say that whatever their own opinion on abortion, they favor a woman having the choice to have an abortion with the advice of her doctor, and 60% favor federal funding so that poor women have the same access to abortions as other women have. On the other hand, about half (47%) say they favor policies that would make abortion illegal in all cases except rape, incest or to save the life of the mother. More than 600 18-24 year-olds were interviewed for the survey, titled Sex Laws: Youth Opinion on Sexual Health Issues in the 2000 Election

Journal Supplement

This special supplement of includes: original research tracking trends in disparities in health coverage and access to care over two decades; literature syntheses focused on medical treatment and the decision-making process; legal analysis of civil rights laws in the context of managed care; and findings from a national survey of public awareness of racial inequities in care.

The supplement is comprised of work commissioned by the Foundation for its 1999 national policy roundtable, Race, Ethnicity, and Medical Care: Improving Access in a Diverse Society, along with other independently submitted papers.

Note: This publication is no longer in circulation. However, a few copies may still exist in the Foundation’s internal library that could be xeroxed. Please email order@kff.org if you would like to pursue this option.

Prescription drugs have become an integral part of medical practice – they help keep people healthy and save lives. But rising prescription drug costs have placed a growing burden on consumers, employers, and public programs. The issue of drug coverage for seniors under Medicare has moved to center stage in the Presidential election. This Public Opinion Update summarizes key findings from several surveys conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in conjunction with other partners on topics such as Medicare prescription drug coverage proposals, opinions on importing lower-priced prescription drugs from other countries, views of pharmaceutical companies, and general information about prescription drug usage and coverage.

• Public Opinion Update

Prescription drugs have become an integral part of medical practice – they help keep people healthy and save lives. But rising prescription drug costs have placed a growing burden on consumers, employers, and public programs. The issue of drug coverage for seniors under Medicare has moved to center stage in the Presidential election. Findings from The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard School of Public Health “National Survey on Prescription Drugs,” a Public Opinion Update summarizing key findings from several surveys conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in conjunction with other partners, and several other background documents address topics such as Medicare prescription drug coverage proposals, opinions on importing lower-priced prescription drugs from other countries, views of pharmaceutical companies, and general information about prescription drug usage and coverage.