January 23, 2009 - As unemployment rates reach the highest levels in 16 years, a new analysis from The Commonwealth Fund finds that few laid-off workers—only 9 percent—took up coverage under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) in 2006.
January 19, 2009 - Leaders in health care and health care policy feel strongly that President-elect Barack Obama should pursue an ambitious health care reform agenda that expands coverage while also improving quality and efficiency, and controlling costs.
January 16, 2009 - A new Commonwealth Fund study says that policies in the Switzerland and Netherlands that achieve near-universal coverage and low administrative costs can help inform the U.S. health care reform debate.
January 9, 2009 - With health reform high on the agenda of the incoming Congress and President, a new analysis of legislative proposals--including the plans of President-elect Barack Obama and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT)--shows that several proposals already put forth could substantially reduce the number of uninsured Americans, and would either reduce health care spending or add only modestly to annual health care expenditures.
December 17, 2008 - The Commonwealth Fund has launched a new Web site that allows health care providers to conduct side-by-side comparisons of 4,500 hospitals nationwide, track performance over time against numerous benchmarks, and download tools to improve health care quality.
December 15, 2008 - Interruptions in Medicaid coverage are associated with a higher rate of hospitalization for conditions that can often be treated in an ambulatory care setting, including asthma, diabetes, and hypertension, according to a new study in today's issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
December 15, 2008 - Despite rapid growth of retail clinics, only a tiny fraction of American families in 2007 had ever used the in-store clinics, typically located in pharmacies, supermarkets and big-box retailers, according to a national study released today by the Commonwealth Fund and conducted by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC).
November 17, 2008 - View the "Talking Health" webcast about what lies ahead for health reform.
November 13, 2008 - Compared to patients in seven other countries, chronically ill adults in the United States are far more likely to forgo care because of costs; they also experience the highest rates of medical errors, coordination problems, and high out-of-pocket costs, according to a new study from The Commonwealth Fund.
November 3, 2008 - Leaders in health care and health care policy expressed robust support for fundamentally reforming the way health care providers are paid and resounding dissatisfaction with the current payment system, known as "fee-for-service."
October 29, 2008 - A new Commonwealth Fund-supported study by Boston researchers shows that while patients are generally satisfied with their care, satisfaction levels are not as high as they could be and rise significantly when hospitals have more nurses at the bedside.
October 21, 2008 - Private fee-for-service (PFFS) Medicare Advantage plans will be paid an average 16.6 percent more in 2008 compared to what the same enrollees would have cost in the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund.
October 2, 2008 - A new report from The Commonwealth Fund examines key differences and areas of agreement in the health system reform proposals of presidential candidates Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama.
September 10, 2008 - Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania reduced hospital admissions by 20 percent and saved 7 percent in total medical costs by providing a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model of care--including around-the-clock access to primary and specialty care, and physician and patient access to electronic health records (EHRs)--according to first-year results from pilot-test sites.
September 4, 2008 - Private Medicare Advantage (MA) plans will be paid an average 12.4 percent more per enrollee in 2008 compared to what the same enrollee would have cost in the traditional Medicare fee-for-service program, according to a new report from The Commonwealth Fund.