Health Costs

During the 1999 legislative year, both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate passed legislation addressing patient protections under health care plans. The purpose of this brief overview is to highlight in broad terms the key similarities and differences between the bills in four general areas: scope of…

This survey of Americans by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality (AHRQ) shows that the recent attention to medical errors may have entered the public’s consciousness since it is now among the public’s leading measures of health care quality. The survey also found…

Last week we learned that health reform could cost the federal government at least a trillion dollars over ten years, and that it will be really difficult to forge bipartisan agreement on legislation and keep major interest groups on board. This obviously brought more angst to the deliberations, several Republicans…

This report highlights the severe challenges cancer patient may face in paying for life-saving care even when they have private health insurance. Jointly authored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the American Cancer Society, the report profiles 20 patients and illustrates the potential difficulties people diagnosed with cancer or other…

To broaden coverage, some health reform proposals would require employers to offer coverage or pay to help finance subsidies for those without access to affordable coverage. These types of reforms are often referred to as “pay-or-play” policies. The brief explains the concept and policy implications of employer pay-or-play proposals, which…

This report from the Kaiser Family Foundation analyzes the effect of government efforts to ensure that insurance premium increases are justifiable and provide value to consumers and small businesses. Rate review programs require insurers in the small group and individual markets to submit proposed rate increase requests to state or…

A key element in any comprehensive health reform plan is defining what health insurance is and the amount of insurance coverage people will have. There are two components to that coverage: the types of services covered (e.g., physician care, hospitalization, prescription drugs, etc.), and the cost sharing required of enrollees…

As Congress debates comprehensive national health reform, the Kaiser Family Foundation has two reports and an updated fact sheet that examine state-level health reform in Massachusetts and the lessons it offers for policymakers in Washington. Consumers’ Experience in Massachusetts: Lessons For National Health Reform and In Pursuit of Affordable Health…

Managed Care Plan Liability: An Analysis Of Texas And Missouri Legislation Patricia A. Butler, JD, DrPH November 1997 Background As increasing numbers of Americans receive health care coverage through managed care plans, public attention has been focused on some of the problems consumers have with such plans. Although most consumers…

A survey of 1,204 adults on Americans’ views on consumer protections and government regulation of managed care and the President’s “Consumer Bill of Rights.” The survey was conducted for the Foundation and Harvard University by Princeton Survey Research Associates. Additional questions were asked as part of a national omnibus telephone…