To learn how women view abortion care, the Kaiser Family Foundation commissioned a study of more than 2,200 patients. The Picker Institute, a health care assessment and improvement research organization, interviewed a diverse group of women drawn from 12 abortion providers in a dozen states around the country. The study, the first of its kind on such a large scale, found that patients generally gave abortion providers high marks for quality of care. Women also indicated which areas were most important to them – and how abortion providers could improve upon their services.

Executive Summary

Trends in Commercial Plans’ Participation

This background paper analyzes the trends in commercial plan participation in the Medicaid market by using a database specifically designed for this purpose. It examines changes from mid-1996 to mid-1997 in the types of full-risk plans serving Medicaid Beneficiaries. It also looks at trends through mid-1998 for the 15 states with the largest number of Medicaid enrollees.

• Background Paper: : Trends in Commercial Plans’ Particpation

Employment-Based Health Insurance Coverage and its Decline:The Growing Plight of Low-Wage Workers

This background paper examines the increase in uninsured workers and the growing disparity in health insurance coverage between low- and high-wage workers. While a larger proportion of higher wage workers had health coverage in 1996 than a decade before, coverage deteriorated for low-wage and less-educated workers, especially young men. The paper explores many explanations for this widening disparity. The primary cause is that while higher wage workers have retained access to employer-sponsored coverage, lower wage workers have less health benefits available and (especially when the deterioration in their real wages is taken into account) are less able to pay for coverage when it is offered by their employer.

• Background Paper

This fact sheet provides an overview of the role of Medicare and Medicaid in serving these beneficiaries, describes the health status of dual Medicare/Medicaid beneficiaries, and discusses issues of managed care and access to care.This fact sheet is a summary of a longer Background Paper (#2132), which is also available.

• Fact Sheet

A National Survey of Women About Their Reproductive Health Care: Are Women Getting the Care Experts Say They Should?

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.

California’s Undocumented Latino Immigrants: A Report on Access to Health Care Services

This report provides the results of a survey of undocumented Latino immigrants in two California counties (Fresno and Los Angeles), including their access to health care services, insurance status, health status, and economic circumstances.

• Report

Health News Index March/April, 1999

The March/April 1999 edition of the Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard Health News Index includes questions about major health stories covered in the news, including questions about Social Security, Medicare and Medical Uses of Marijauana. The survey is based on a national random sample of 1,200 Americans conducted April 10-22, 1999 which measures public knowledge about health stories covered by news media during the previous month. The Health News Index is designed to help the news media and people in the health field gain a better understanding of which health stories in the news Americans are following and what they understand about those health issues. Every two months, Kaiser/Harvard issues a new index report.

• HNI March-April 1999
• Topline/Survey

Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University School of Public Health: Update on Americans’ Views on the Consumer Protections DebateThe Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard University School of Public Health Update on American’s Views on Consumer Protections in Managed Care is based on findings from the April 1999 Kaiser/Harvard Health News Index. The survey was designed and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation and Harvard University. Nationwide interviews were conducted by telephone with 1,200 adults, 18 years and older between April 10 to April 22, 1999.

• Topline

Medicare’s Role for Latinos

• Fact Sheet: The Medicare Program: Medicare’s Role For Latinos

Medicare’s Role for Latinos – (Spanish version)

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