October 15, 2009 - In testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives' Committee on Energy and Commerce on October 15, 2009, Commonwealth Fund vice president Sara R. Collins discussed the growing number of Americans with such high out-of-pocket costs relative to their income that are effectively underinsured.
Testimony
October 1, 2009 - In invited testimony before the Senate Special Committee on Aging on September 30, Commonwealth Fund senior vice president Cathy Schoen described some of the innovative policies enacted by other nations to improve performance, enhance value, and harness markets and competition in the public interest. Schoen says the U.S. can learn a lot from their experiences.
Testimony
September 15, 2009 - The high cost of health care in the United States--higher than anywhere else in the world and rising faster than our gross domestic product--is taking its toll on families, employers, and government. In this presentation at a U.S. House of Representatives Steering and Policy Committee forum, Commonwealth Fund President Karen Davis discusses the likely impact of proposed health reforms and suggests further policy changes for consideration.
Testimony
September 11, 2009 - This morning, the U.S. Bureau of the Census released the alarming news that the number of uninsured Americans hit 46.3 million in 2008, up from 45.7 million in 2007. In this testimony before the U.S. House of Representative's Joint Economic Committee, Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis highlights the good and bad news in the new data and how it underscorces the need for health reform.
Testimony
April 28, 2009 - In invited testimony before the National Committee on Vital and Health Statistics on April 29, 2009, Steve Schoenbaum, M.D., Ph.D., outlines the strategies recommended by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System.
Testimony
April 23, 2009 - Young adults are disproportionately represented among people who lack health insurance, accounting for nearly 30 percent of the 45 million uninsured people under age 65, even though they comprise just 15 percent of the population.
Testimony
March 11, 2009 - With the economy in crisis and health costs increasing faster than incomes, families, employers, and federal, state, and local government budgets are feeling the pressure.
Testimony
February 24, 2009 - In her invited testimony at a U.S. Senate hearing on health reform focused on the underinsured, Cathy Schoen, a Commonwealth Fund senior vice president and noted expert on the underinsured, made the case for redesigning health insurance so that it "provides affordable coverage for all in a manner that ensures access to health care and financial protection" as well as "a more secure foundation for payment and system reforms."
Testimony
January 29, 2009 - In this invited testimony before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Karen Davis reviews how the nation can simultaneously address how we organize and deliver health services to ensure the best possible health outcomes and the best value.
Testimony
October 21, 2008 - The soaring costs of health care and stagnant household incomes are leaving many working families without insurance or with medical expenses that consume a large share of their budgets.
Testimony
September 23, 2008 - In invited testimony before the House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health, Commonwealth Fund president Karen Davis said that federal action is needed "to guarantee affordable coverage that provides adequate financial protection and ensures that individuals can obtain needed care--the two essential functions of health insurance."
Testimony
September 18, 2008 - In invited testimony before a congressional subcommittee, Karen Davis said that Medicare, Medicaid, and the State Children's Health Insurance Program "warrant serious consideration as building blocks for a new system of seamless coverage for America's 46 million uninsured people."
Testimony
July 28, 2008 - Commonwealth Fund assistant vice president Melinda Abrams testified before the Special Senate Committee on Aging on the importance of the medical home for older Americans.
Testimony
June 16, 2008 - In testimony before the Senate Finance Committee, Karen Davis said that public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid "should be considered building blocks in a system of seamless coverage for America's 47 million uninsured people."
Testimony
May 15, 2008 - In invited Congressional testimony, the Fund's Mary Jane Koren explained how the Quality Improvement Organization program, in conjunction with two voluntary initiatives, are moving nursing homes to a higher level of performance.
Testimony