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.

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

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.

Medicaid for Children and CHIP Guidelines and Eligibility for Enrollment

• Report

A Comparison of Proposals

This report presents basic, nonpartisan information to help readers compare the leading presidential candidates’ proposals on health care issues, including health coverage for the uninsured, managed care and patients’ rights, Medicare reform, prescription drug coverage for seniors, and long-term care. Part of a joint effort of the League of Women Voters and the Kaiser Family Foundation to educate and engage the public on key health policy issues, this side-by-side comparison is a companion to Join The Debate: Your Guide to Health Issues in the 2000 Election, which provides basic facts about major health policy issues.

• Side-by-Side Comparison

Summarizes the coverage of outpatient prescription drugs by Medicaid. Many low-income seniors and other Medicaid recipients rely on this benefit as their only means of drug coverage. Information on the drug rebate program and utilization management procedures is included, as well as data on who uses the benefit, how much is spent per enrollee, and what the data says about future trends.

• Fact Sheet
• : An Overview

While significant efforts have been made to increase minority representation in the medical profession, very little information about minority medical school graduates and minority physicians has been available to evaluate progress towards this goal. This report, prepared by the Association of American Medical Colleges, provides both trend information in minority medical graduates, as well as the current practice characteristics of minority physicians. It is the first product from a unique database developed from the archives of medical schools, the AAMC’s own data sets, and files from the American Medical Association. They conclude that most minority groups remain underrepresented in medicine. Blacks, Hispanics and Native Americans-approximately 25% of the population-accounted for less than 15% of medical school graduates in 1998 and all minority graduates of US medical schools taken together comprise only 9% of the nation’s total physician workforce.

Free copies of this report are available from AAMC by contacting the Diversity Policy and Programs office at (202) 741-6478.

• Introductory Letter

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.

As part of a joint project with Family Circle, this national survey examines the knowledge and experiences of 806 adults with a parent 65 and older in an effort to understand their role in helping their aging parents. The survey found that half check in on their parent with regular phone calls or visits, over four in ten visit or see their parent at least once a week, and more than a quarter help their parent with medical and financial decisions. Yet, despite their role in helping with health care and financial matters, many lack basic facts and information needed to advise on these issues. For example, 43% say they feel they know next to nothing or nothing at all about health insurance to help their parent and 45% of those who say their parent has a regular doctor say they do not know who that doctor or health care provider is. The survey also found a lack of knowledge about Medicare, the primary health insurance program for those 65 and older, and about Medicaid, which is an important source of supplemental and long-term care coverage for low-income seniors.