March 12, 2013 - This issue brief examines state action to select an essential health benefits benchmark plan and finds that 24 states and the District of Columbia selected a plan. All but five states will have a small-group plan as their benchmark.
Issue Brief
March 5, 2013 - In this Commonwealth Fund–supported study, researchers examine the effects of a wellness program begun in 2005 for employees and dependents of a hospital system in St. Louis, Mo.
In the Literature
March 5, 2013 - This Commonwealth Fund–supported study published in Health Affairs analyzed the effect of publicly reported ambulatory care measures for a voluntary consortium of physician groups known as the Wisconsin Collaborative for Healthcare Quality.
In the Literature
March 5, 2013 - In a Commonwealth Fund–supported study, researchers evaluated the effects of the two main methods for assigning patients to accountable care organizations: prospective attribution, or assigning patients based on their use of services in the previous year; and retrospective attribution, in which patients are assigned at the end of the performance year.
In the Literature
March 1, 2013 - Colorado, Minnesota, and Vermont are working to align incentives between health care payers and providers to improve care delivery and outcomes while controlling costs. This synthesis describes the common drivers of reform across the states and lessons learned.
Case Study
March 1, 2013 - Colorado is one of a handful of states piloting innovative health care payment and delivery reforms through Medicaid. Under the Accountable Care Collaborative Program, which began enrollment in May 2011, the state Medicaid agency contracts with seven regional organizations to create networks of primary care providers and ensure care coordination for Medicaid enrollees.
Case Study
March 1, 2013 - Vermont Medicaid is a key player as the state pioneers multipayer health care delivery and payment reforms. Under Vermont Blueprint for Health, most Medicaid beneficiaries and state residents will be served in 2013 by medical homes with community health teams, with additional support services for Medicaid enrollees with complex conditions.
Case Study
March 1, 2013 - Minnesota's Medicaid program is a leader in piloting innovative health care payment and delivery reforms. This case study is one of three in a series on innovations being undertaken by states to improve quality and efficiency in their Medicaid programs.
Case Study
February 27, 2013 - In invited testimony before the United States Senate Special Committee on Aging, Commonwealth Fund president David Blumenthal made the case for comprehensive payment and delivery system changes that produce lower costs and better value not just in Medicare, but across the entire U.S. health system.
Testimony
February 27, 2013 - In this Commonwealth Fund–supported article, researchers examine the challenges to developing lists of “low-value” services and ensuring that insurers and provider organizations put them to optimal use.
In Brief
February 25, 2013 - In this study, researchers examine the early experiences of participants in the State Action on Avoidable Rehospitalizations (STAAR) initiative, a four-year effort begun by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement in 2009 and supported by The Commonwealth Fund.
In the Literature
February 19, 2013 - This Commonwealth Fund–supported study examined the relationship between nursing home residents' well-being and the availability of lift equipment and safe-lifting policies and procedures.
In Brief
February 19, 2013 - This Commonwealth Fund–supported study examined the effect of safe-lifting programs on workers' compensation claim frequency and costs in long-term care facilities in 23 states.
In Brief
February 12, 2013 - In the Annals of Internal Medicine, David Blumenthal, M.D., former National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and current Commonwealth Fund president, weighs in on the debate over whether the federal government's investment in electronic health records has been justified.
In Brief
February 8, 2013 - In this Commonwealth Fund–supported study, researchers examine ratings of health care accessibility, care coordination, and confidence in the quality and safety of care as reported by patients served by New Orleans safety-net clinics—a majority of which have achieved PCMH recognition from the National Committee for Quality Assurance, an accrediting organization.
In Brief