The Commonwealth Fund Connection serves as a roundup of Fund publications, charts, and multimedia added to the Commonwealth Fund Web site in the last two weeks, and also offers links to other timely content.
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What's New
Despite having the most expensive health care system, the United States ranks last overall compared with six other industrialized countries—Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom—on measures of quality, efficiency, access to care, equity, and the ability to lead long, healthy, and productive lives, according to a new Commonwealth Fund report. While there is room for improvement in every country, the U.S. stands out for not getting good value for its health care dollars: it spent $7,290 per capita on health care in 2007 but ranks last among seven countries. The Netherlands, which spent $3,837 per capita on health care that year, ranks first.
Provisions in the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that could extend health insurance coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans have the potential to improve the United States's standing, according to Mirror, Mirror on the Wall: How the Performance of the U.S. Health Care System Compares Internationally, 2010 Update, by Commonwealth Fund researchers Karen Davis, Cathy Schoen, and Kristof Stremikis. In particular, the nation's low marks on measures of health care quality and efficiency demonstrate the need to quickly implement provisions in the new health reform law and stimulus legislation that realign incentives to reward quality and value, invest in preventive care, and expand the use of health information technology.
Also available: an interactive Web feature with country ranks and scores, and a podcast on health care costs around the globe.
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Recent Releases
This publication presents overviews of the health care systems of 13 countries—Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United States. A summary table presents information on population, health care spending, number of physicians, hospital spending and utilization, use of health information technology, and number of potentially avoidable deaths. Read more »
Through a pragmatic mix of public and private financing, the new Affordable Care Act will expand health care coverage, establish health insurance market rules that protect individuals and families, and begin to transform the health care system by encouraging greater value and efficiency, says Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis in a special report on the potential impact of the new law. Davis also discusses the challenges that must be met as the law's provisions are implemented over the coming months and years, including the need for employers to maintain and expand their commitment to financing coverage for workers, the need for payers and providers to implement new delivery system models that yield better care at lower cost, and the need for adequate resources throughout the implementation period. Read more »
This Commonwealth Fund–supported study found that contrary to expectations, primary care practices serving poor and minority neighborhoods were more likely than other practices to have key components of the medical home primary care model in place. Based on a survey of primary care practices in Massachusetts, the study found these practices were more likely than others in the state to have on-site language interpreters, clinicians who speak multiple languages, and frequently used, multifunctional electronic health records—all attributes of a patient-centered medical home. Read more »
New On The Web
In recent posts, Stu Guterman, Fund assistant vice president for payment system reform, argues that Congress should not continue to postpone physician payment reform; Fund vice president and health insurance expert Sara Collins explains how recently issued regulations clarify the rules for "grandfathered" and new health plans under the health reform legislation; and Fund president Karen Davis explores how different groups of Americans will be helped by health reform's new coverage options, benefit standards, and insurance market regulations. Read more »
The latest issue offers lessons on how to build and manage accountable care organizations, and a case study of the Mount Auburn Cambridge Independent Practice Association, which forged relationships among physicians and a hospital to share in savings generated by improved quality and lower costs. Read more »
Check out two new e-forums from recent Alliance for Health Reform/Commonwealth Fund briefings: one on how health reform will help young adults and one exploring the ways in which the law will encourage innovation in health care payment. Read more »
The National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) invites all parties to comment on proposed changes to the Physician Practice Connections–Patient-Centered Medical Home (PPC-PCMH) 2011 standards until June 28. The PCMH 2011 standards build on the strengths of PPC-PCMH. They apply to the full spectrum of practice configurations, from small to large, and from electronically enabled to paper-based, in a variety of practice locations and for newly applying practices, as well as for those seeking renewal of recognition.
Go to http://www.ncqa.org/tabid/1196/Default.aspx to comment on the PCMH 2011 update.
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Fellowships
Applications close July 9 for the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) Media Fellowships on Health Performance, a 10-month program enabling mid-career journalists to pursue a significant reporting project examining health care systems. With Commonwealth Fund support, reporters attend seminars on health system performance and consult with AHCJ fellowship leaders and experts. Fellows may also receive financial support for field reporting, health data, or other research needs. To learn more about the fellowships or to apply, visit the AHCJ Web site. Read more »
The 2011–12 Harkness Fellowships are open to applicants from Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. The deadline for receipt of applications is September 13, 2010.
The Commonwealth Fund's Harkness Fellowships in Health Care Policy and Practice provide a unique opportunity for mid-career professionals—academic researchers, government policymakers, clinicians, managers, and journalists—to spend up to 12 months in the United States conducting a policy-oriented research study, working with leading U.S. health policy experts and gaining in-depth knowledge of not only the U.S. health care system, but also the health care systems in the fellows' home countries. For details and the application form, please visit
http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Fellowships/Harkness-Fellowships.aspx.
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On behalf of the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing, The Commonwealth Fund is pleased to announce the 2011–12 Australian-American Health Policy Fellowship. The deadline for receipt of applications is August 15, 2010.
The Australian-American Health Policy Fellowship offers a unique opportunity for outstanding, mid-career U.S. professionals—academics, government officials, clinical leaders, decision-makers in managed care and other private health care organizations, and journalists—to spend up to 10 months in Australia conducting research and working with leading Australian health policy experts on issues relevant to both countries. For further information and to obtain an application, please see http://www.commonwealthfund.org/Fellowships/Australian-American-Health-Policy-Fellowships.aspx. Read more »