August 20, 2012 - This report presents six case studies of pilot shared-savings programs across the country. The cases reveal program variation in the patient populations subject to shared-savings approaches, the health care services covered, the determination of cost savings and payouts to providers, the use of performance targets, and performance measurement.
Fund Report
August 20, 2012 - As part of this Commonwealth Fund–supported study, researchers developed a bundled payment approach, called the Primary Care Activity Level model, to cover the cost of all services that primary care practitioners provide. The intent is not only to promote more efficient care but to better support the use of primary care services.
In Brief
August 17, 2012 - Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers examined how other health professionals—including doctors, physicians' assistants, and rehabilitation therapists—perceived their workplace culture, and whether those perceptions were linked to retention, job satisfaction, turnover, and care quality as measured by patient ratings and adverse medical events.
In Brief
August 15, 2012 - Massachusetts legislative leaders project the state's 2012 health care cost containment law will save up to $200 billion in health care spending over the next 15 years. The new law will serve as a test case and be closely watched by other states and the federal government.
In the Literature
August 9, 2012 - This report shares the perspectives of hospitals and health systems taking part in the Premier health care alliance's accountable care implementation collaborative. Lessons relate to the need for ACOs to have certain core structural components; the viability of different organizational models; and more.
Fund Report
August 6, 2012 - According to this Commonwealth Fund-supported study, strategies that support accountable care organization (ACO) formation in diverse settings, as well as the monitoring, measuring, and rewarding of provider performance, may help to ensure that the nation's most vulnerable patients have access to the higher-quality, lower-cost care that ACOs are designed to achieve.
In the Literature
August 6, 2012 - This Commonwealth Fund study of 150 safety-net hospitals finds that, to overcome declining government subsidies, safety-net hospitals governed by elected politicians must focus on cost control, quality improvement, and services that attract insured patients.
In the Literature
August 3, 2012 - Large numbers of Americans experience gaps in their health care coverage, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study. Eighty-nine million people—36.3 percent of Americans ages 4 to 64—were uninsured for at least one month between 2004 and 2007, including 23 million Americans who lost coverage more than once.
In the Literature
July 26, 2012 - This Commonwealth Fund–supported study reviewed the financial performance of different types of Medicaid managed care plans, finding plans that manage predominantly Medicaid members with multiproduct plans have lower costs.
In Brief
July 25, 2012 - This analysis of state exchange laws offers a glimpse into the choices being made by the 13 states that, together with the District of Columbia, as of May 2012 had begun the process of establishing an exchange, either through legislation or executive order. Also see an interactive map showing the status of state health exchange legislation and key provisions of laws and executive orders.
Issue Brief
July 20, 2012 - In a new article published online by the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers discuss findings from their survey of more than 500 U.S. hospitals that looked at the use of 10 practices associated with lower readmission rates for heart failure and heart attack.
In the Literature
July 18, 2012 - The authors of this Commonwealth Fund-supported study found that Medicare beneficiaries are more satisfied with their health coverage—and have fewer health care access and medical bill problems—than adults with private insurance.
In the Literature
July 17, 2012 - This brief outlines differences that stand out in three states' initial approaches: the numbers and types of people initially appointed to the boards governing the exchanges; the role of the board relative to the state legislature; how the exchanges interact with existing insurance markets; and the involvement of stakeholders in each state.
Issue Brief
July 13, 2012 - Twenty percent of U.S. women ages 19 to 64 were uninsured in 2010, up from 15 percent in 2000. This issue brief examines the implications of poor coverage for women in the United States by comparing their experiences to those of women in 10 other industrialized nations, all of which have universal health insurance systems.
Issue Brief
July 12, 2012 - A Commonwealth Fund-supported study of a global reimbursement pilot project in Massachusetts found the payment models achieved average two-year savings of 2.8 percent. These results indicate such programs may be effective at controlling health care spending and improving quality.
In the Literature