The independent source for health policy research, polling, and news.
This fourth edition of The Federal Budget Chartbook, provides the most recent spending data on federal funding for HIV/AIDS. The chartbook also includes data on spending trends between FY 1995 and FY 2001 and data on specific programs. Click here to view the three previous editions of the Federal Budget Chartbook.
It seems that almost every week the media reports on a new study about the Pill. Forty years after the first birth control pill was approved, research continues into everything from how effective oral contraceptives are to what impact they may have on risk for breast cancer, cervical cancer, or stroke. The Pill is the most widely used reversible contraceptive today and most new birth control methods also rely on hormones just like it. Yet many women remain confused about how best to weigh their pros and cons.
On June 18, at the most recent Emerging Issues in Reproductive Health Briefing a panel of researchers, clinicians, and public health experts discussed if new studies are shedding more light on the benefits and risks of the pill and other hormonal birth control options; how can a woman distinguish between established science and preliminary research; and how do today s hormonal methods stack up against each other and the alternative choices women have and what might tomorrow bring? The panel discussion featured leading experts, including Hoyt G. Wilson, PhD, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Reproductive Health; Carolyn L. Westhoff, MD, Professor, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and Professor, Department of Ob/Gyn, New York Presbyterian Hospital; Laura Castleman, MD, MPH, an ob/gyn in private practice and Adjunct Clinical Professor at University of Michigan; and Edio Zampaglione, MD, Associate Director for Contraception, Organon Pharmaceuticals.
This fact sheet reviews contraceptive use and methods in the U.S., including current attitudes about contraception, use by adolescents and young adults, various contraception options, and insurance coverage.
Fact Sheet (.pdf)
This report provides current national and state-level data on the number of persons enrolled in Medicaid. In addition to identifying recent trends in Medicaid, this report also examines trends in the various eligibility categories within Medicaid. The report reveals that enrollment in Medicaid increased by 2.2 million individuals, or 8.7 percent annualized, in the first nine months of 2001.
This report presents information on the number of children enrolled in SCHIP for each state, for specific months from 1998 to 2001. As of December 2001, the SCHIP program covered 3.5 million low-income children. An increase of 780,000 from the previous year.
This fact sheet presents the key questions and answers regarding transitional medical assistance as a part of the Medicaid program and its relationship to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the welfare program.
“the Pill”
This issue update reviews the research to date on the Pill the oldest hormonal contraceptive option as well as current medical recommendations concerning what women should know to make an informed choice about which contraceptive method to use.
This issue paper reveals that after three years of relatively slow spending growth, Medicaid spending accelerated in 1999 and 2000, and more rapid growth appears likely to continue. Medicaid spending grew by 7.1 percent ind FY 1999 and 8.6 percent in FY 2000.
This chartpack presents a brief overview of the state of prescription drug coverage among the Medicare population. It reviews the impact of lack of coverage on beneficiaries’ access to prescription drugs, as well as current levels of total and out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs.
Health News Index May/June, 2002
The Health News Index measures public attention to and knowledge about leading health stories covered in the news in April and May, including discussions in Congress about a Medicare prescription drug benefit and warnings by medical researchers about possible harmful side effects of newer prescription drugs compared to older, similarly effective drugs. The Health News Index is designed to help news media and people in the health field gain a better understanding of which health stories Americans are following and what they understand about those issues.