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This report examines the trends in the closure of public hospitals and their conversion to private ownership. It also provides case studies of communities where major privatizations have occurred. Report (.pdf) Summary of Findings (.pdf)
03/05/10 Engaging consumers more directly in their care may improve health outcomes and help control the costs of care. This briefing, cosponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the AARP Public Policy Institute, focused on the potential for changing consumer behavior to promote the use of effective interventions and discourage unnecessary care. It addressed questions such as: How promising are consumer engagement techniques such as patient self-management, shared decision-making and value-based insurance design? What…
This policy watch provides an update on the status of abortion restrictions in states that passed a constitutional amendment protecting abortion, or where a state court previously interpreted the state constitution as protecting abortion access.
It's not known when the court will issue an order on Planned Parenthood’s request for a more extensive preliminary injunction. Meanwhile, most Planned Parenthood clinics will not be able to receive federal Medicaid funding for non-abortion services…provided to Medicaid patients.
In a few short weeks, Medicare will undergo big changes that will have a major impact on more than 3 million Hispanic seniors and younger people with permanent disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than one in three Hispanics with Medicare lack coverage for their prescription drugs for at least part of the year. Many others will need to make decisions about their existing coverage and the new Medicare benefit. Starting…
Women's Health Policy: Comparison of Candidate's Proposals Download a printable.pdf of this document Bush-Cheney1 Kerry-Edwards2 Reproductive Health Abortion Opposes all abortions except in cases of rape, incest, or to protect the woman’s life and opposes use of federal funds to support or promote abortion Supports so-called “partial birth abortion” ban, criminalizing certain abortions Supports mandatory parental consent Contraception No specific proposal outlined by campaign Sex Education Promotes abstinence-only education programs which do not include information…
A new background report sums up how multiple trends have led to a situation where safety net hospitals are feeling more financial pressure and are challenged to subsidize the unprofitable care of theuninsured. Background Paper For a more extensive discussion read our larger report from the same study.
An update to "Medicaid Budgets Under Stress: Survey Findings for State Fiscal Year 2000, 2001, and 2002." This paper was commissioned to evaluate how several states' fiscal outlooks have changed since September 11. ISSUE BRIEF Download FULL REPORT Download
Numerous studies over the past two decades have documented racial and ethnic differences in care for heart conditions. To assess the quality of the evidence and to summarize the information for a physician audience, the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation collaborated with the American College of Cardiology Foundation to review the body of research on racial/ethnic differences in cardiac care. There is credible evidence that minority patients are less likely than white patients to receive…
New NPR/Kaiser Family Foundation/Harvard Kennedy School of Government Survey on Health Care A new survey by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard s Kennedy School of Government finds that many Americans have real problems when it comes to accessing and paying for health care, and even if they haven't yet faced a problem, many worry about getting and paying for care in the future. The survey also shows that, while people think helping seniors…
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