May 2009 - The recent public exchange between the federal government and health care industry on the nature of the industry's commitment to cut costs highlights the difficulty of implementing effective measures to bend the health care cost curve.
April 2009 - Offering a "global fee" that covers a bundle of services for hospitalization and 30-day post-hospital care has great potential to improve care, reduce complications, and generate savings to finance health reform, say Karen Davis and Kristof Stremikis.
March 2009 - A look at how medical homes could ensure accessible, patient-centered, and coordinated care for all Americans.
February 2009 - Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis discusses how the reforms recommended by the Fund's Commission on High Performance Health System make a compelling case for change in our health system.
January 2009 - As President Obama and the new Congress embark on an ambitious agenda to reform the American health care system, the need to develop a national policy to encourage the spread of health information technology is resurfacing as a key issue.
December 2008 - The 90th anniversary of The Commonwealth Fund serves as an occasion to reflect on the foundation's remarkable history and its role in supporting research and innovative practices that have driven improvements in the U.S. health care system for nearly a century.
November 2008 - President-elect Obama and Congress will be juggling many competing priorities in 2009, including health reform.
October 2008 - Research shows that the U.S. is not reducing its rate of "mortality amenable to health care" as quickly as other industrialized nations. Other studies reveal declines in the U.S. in life expectancy, as well as rises in infant mortality rates. Poor performance on these measures points to flawed preventive care and other problems with the U.S. health system.
September 2008 - The presidential candidates have responded to Americans' deep-seated concern about the shortcomings of the U.S. health system with two very different health reform proposals. A new series of articles published on the Web site of the health policy journal Health Affairs provides important analyses of the health plans of Senators Obama and McCain. Yet, these articles also merit examination.
August 2008 - "Change" is on the minds of many Americans during this election cycle, and it is relevant to any discussion of the U.S. health care system as well.
July 2008 - Belief in economic and scientific progress is deeply engrained in the American way of life. Evidence that health care in this country is slipping backward is, therefore, deeply troubling.
June 2008 - The purposes of health insurance are to ensure financial access to needed care and protect against financial hardship from medical bills. Unfortunately, for many of those with health insurance, neither purpose is fulfilled.
May 2008 - The culture change movement is working to transform nursing homes from places that put institutional imperatives ahead of the needs, rights, and interests of the residents to places where residents come first.
April 2008 - Our modern health care system has spawned many specialized fields, including "patient advocacy," which offers guidance and even classes on "navigating the health care maze." But it simply shouldn't be so hard for patients to make sure that their blood test results reach the right doctor's office.
March 2008 - Do racial and ethnic disparities in health care quality occur because minority Americans are treated differently by their providers, or because minorities receive care in lower-quality facilities?