December 1, 1996 - A key issue in the coming debate on the future of Medicare is how much seniors should be required to pay for their health care. Proposals to increase the Medicare premium, deductibles, and copayments are likely to be on the table.
Fund Report
December 1, 1996 - The authors analyze three sets of proposals prominent in the 1995-96 budget debate for their potential effect on long-term care for the elderly and argue that either block grants or per capita spending cuts could put vulnerable beneficiaries at risk. Reduced federal dollars and increased state flexibility, the authors warn, could decrease choice and quality for Medicaid beneficiaries and their families.
Fund Report
December 1, 1996 - The sweeping reforms contained in the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1987 (OBRA-87) are now at stake as proposals to repeal or modify the Act are heard in Washington. This paper documents the difficulties encountered in enforcing state and federal nursing home standards before the enactment of OBRA-87 and suggests that a withdrawal or weakening of the new federal-state regulatory system could undermine the quality of nursing home care.
Fund Report
December 1, 1996 - A proposal to "income-relate" the Medicare Part B premium is likely to be quite controversial, say researchers Marilyn Moon and Crystal Kuntz. Even if its is limited to those with the highest incomes and raises little revenue, some policymakers will say that setting the precedent is crucial. Others will argue that lower and lower income cutoffs are sure to follow.
Fund Report
November 1, 1996 - On January 1, 1994, the state of Tennessee initiated the TennCare program, which enrolled all of the state's Medicaid recipients and a sizable portion of its uninsured population in managed care organizations. Through detailed case studies, the authors examine the impact of the program on two of Tennessee's four academic health centers.
Fund Report
October 1, 1996 - The author argues that public hospital strategies for survival should include reforming governance and management, establishing new relationships with physicians, increasing workforce flexibility, preserving Medicaid market share, and increasing public accountability.
Fund Report
August 1, 1996 - This report on the results of a nationally representative survey shows that the health care system is out of tune with the needs of today's parents—short hospital stays, little follow-up home care, and a hit-or-miss approach in providing developmental guidance to parents as part of well-baby care.
Fund Report
June 1, 1996 - Testimony by Karen Davis before the Senate Finance Committee, June 19, 1996.
Testimony
June 1, 1996 -
Fund Report
May 5, 1996 - This study provides compelling evidence of the importance of Medicaid for low-income women, particularly for those who are pregnant or have children.
Fund Report
May 1, 1996 - The Commonwealth Fund's Commission on Women's Health identified the pervasiveness of violence in the lives of many American women as a major public health problem.
Fund Report
March 1, 1996 - This report describes the nature of the uncertain but significant changes currently under consideration—changes that would affect beneficiaries, providers of health services, and taxpayers.
Fund Report
March 1, 1996 - This paper raises some of the key questions on access and quality that need to be answered to understand what works well and under what circumstances in the midst of a rapid, market-driven transformation of the nation's health care system.
Fund Report
February 1, 1996 - Even as the numbers of uninsured and underinsured persons in America are growing, the nation's health care safety net is under more stress today than it has been for 30 years, and it seems that the country has amnesia about the existence of the uninsured.
Other
February 1, 1996 - This report assesses the state of long term care, reviews potential funding sources, and makes projections for the future of long term care.
Fund Report