The Commonwealth Fund -- Health Policy, Health Reform, and Performance Improvement

Young, Uninsured, and Seeking Change

December 18, 2009 - This analysis of Commonwealth Fund survey data finds almost half of young adults, the largest uninsured population, are without insurance at some time during the year. An overwhelming majority of young adults think it is important for Congress and the President to pass health reform legislation. Provisions in the Congressional health reform bills could help young adults obtain and keep affordable, comprehensive coverage through transitions from school to work and from job to job.

Assessing the COBRA Subsidy for Laid-Off Workers

December 23, 2009 - Enrollment in COBRA continuation coverage has increased substantially thanks to the COBRA subsidy, according to this Commonwealth Fund study. Implementation has gone smoothly, and most eligible people have heard about the subsidy, but many of those who are eligible still cannot afford to purchase COBRA coverage.

Reforming Medicare Advantage

December 21, 2009 - This Commonwealth Fund issue brief compares approaches to reducing Medicare Advantage payments and other provisions in the House and Senate bills that aim to improve the value that Medicare obtains for the dollars it spends.

UPDATED Dec. 18—Analysis of Health Reform Bills Highlights Similarities, Differences, Impacts, and Costs

October 23, 2009 - This report prepared by Commonwealth Fund researchers analyzes the similarities, differences, potential impacts, and costs of the three comprehensive health reform bills passed by key U.S. congressional committees. Also see interactive tables for side-by-side comparisons of the system reform and insurance provisions.

How Germany and the Netherlands Harness Insurance Markets for the Public Interest

December 15, 2009 - In a new report, the Fund's Cathy Schoen and AcademyHealth's David Helms and Amanda Folsom describe Germany and the Netherland's use of quasi-governmental authorities to achieve the goals of better access, quality, and efficiency in health care.

The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable.

Read the 2008 Annual Report for highlights of the Fund's activities.

Health Reform

New Analysis of the Health Reform Bills

This Commonwealth Fund outlines the payment and delivery system reform provisions in the bills, as well as their potential impact on health expenditures.

International Health Policy Center

Browse Publications and Create Custom Charts

Visit the new International Health Policy Center to browse content by country or topic and create custom tables and charts using data from our international health policy surveys from 2006 to 2009.

Commission on a High Performance Health System

Making Health Reform Work for Families and Businesses

This statement from The Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System calls for a comprehensive, integrated approach to health system reform to reverse the negative trends in U.S. health system performance and provide a more secure future for U.S. families and businesses.

Featured Podcast

Health Reform in Massachusetts: Lessons for the Nation

It's been three years since Massachusetts implemented sweeping health reform. In this episode, Sandy Hausman looks at how satisfied consumers, employers, and physicians are with the new system. Key players also discuss how a good public education campaign and a general spirit of cooperation contributed to the program's success.

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Fund Blog

The Costs of Failure: Economic Consequences of Failure to Enact Nixon, Carter, and Clinton Health Reforms

This examination of trends in health spending over the past 50 years shows that if health reform measures proposed by previous presidents had been enacted and slowed the growth in spending by as little as 1 or 1.5 percentage points annually, spending trends in the U.S. would have been closer to those seen in other major industrialized countries and fewer adverse health consequences and economic burdens would have been borne by American families, businesses, and government.

State Data Center

Interactive U.S. Map Offers State Rankings and Results

Visit an interactive map to view state-specific rankings and results compared to benchmarks, and to view the number of lives and dollars each state could save by achieving benchmark levels of performance. You can also compare states and generate custom tables and bar charts.

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