61 Million Are Either Uninsured or Underinsured

In addition to the 45 million American adults who lacked health insurance at some point during 2003, another 16 million adults were underinsured—meaning their coverage provided inadequate protection against catastrophic health care expenses—Fund researchers find. Read more »

Looking at Medicare's Performance

Since 1965, Medicare has helped ensure that America's elderly and disabled have affordable access to a range of health care services. But a new Fund chartbook is the first publication of its kind to provide a comprehensive portrait of Medicare's performance on multiple measures of quality. Read more »

Most Doctors Not Pursuing Quality Improvement

In 1917, physician and medical reformer Ernest Codman noted that "we are all in the business of continuous quality improvement." Nearly a century later, this concept has yet to permeate the culture of medicine, a new Fund study concludes. Read more »

Diminishing Coverage a Concern for Older Americans

Saving for health care in retirement is difficult for many Americans, but particularly for older workers. According to a newly released analysis of findings from the Commonwealth Fund Survey of Older Adults, nearly a quarter of Americans ages 50 to 70 fail to get health services because of cost. Read more »

Public Hospital Group Focusing on Diabetes Care

Public hospital systems face significant challenges, but they can provide comprehensive services for patients with chronic medical conditions. With Fund support, seven large public hospitals recently joined with the National Public Health and Hospital Institute to examine the quality of care they provide to chronically ill patients. Read more »

Sharing Responsibility for Uninsured Workers

When employers do not provide health coverage to their employees, those workers' medical costs are shifted elsewhere. According to a study by Fund researchers, most of the tab is picked up by other employers, who spend about $31 billion to cover these workers through dependent coverage. Read more »

Items in Brief

• To Err Is Human: What's Changed Five Years Later?
• Current Pay-for-Performance Programs Not Saving Costs
• Impact of Coverage Proposals Would Vary by State
• Top Women in Health Care Named
• New Commission Wants to Revamp Health System
• Minority Health Policy Fellowships Awarded
• Opinion Leaders Sound Off on Health Coverage, Cost
• Chartbook Examines Quality in Medicare
• Many Seniors Don't Take Their Meds as Prescribed

Recent Commonwealth Fund reports and Fund-supported studies in the professional literature

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