November 1, 1998 - This issue brief discusses the two ways in which the National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare is examining the Medicare program and making recommendations to keep it fiscally healthy into the 21st century: through the development of incremental reforms and the analysis of major restructuring.
Issue Brief
July 22, 2010 - Genesee Health Plan is a community-based nonprofit that provides primary care and other basic health care services to low-income, uninsured adults in Michigan. This case study looks at how, by increasing access to physician services and supporting patients to adopt healthy behaviors and manage chronic disease, the plan significantly reduced its enrollees' use of emergency department services and hospital admissions.
Case Study
July 22, 2010 - Genesys HealthWorks is a model of care developed by Genesys Health System in metropolitan Flint, Michigan. This case study looks at how Genesys aims to improve population health and the patient experience of care while reducing or controlling increases in the per capita cost of care.
Case Study
September 1, 2002 - This field report compares the 2002 benefit packages of Medicare+Choice plans to assess the degree of regional disparities among benefit packages. The authors find wide variations in out-of-pocket costs for Medicare+Choice enrollees depending on where beneficiaries live.
Fund Report
February 1, 2010 - Successful health reform hinges not only on improving coverage and access to care, but also on delivery system and payment reform, argue The Commonwealth Fund’s Stuart Guterman and Stephen C. Schoenbaum, M.D., in the Journal of Ambulatory Care Management.
Literature Abstract
April 9, 2010 - With a focus on delivering low-cost, high-quality care, several organizations using the group employed model—with physician groups whose primary and specialty care physicians are salaried or under contract—have been recognized for creating a culture of patient-centeredness and accountability.
Issue Brief
March 25, 2010 - The percentage of Americans facing high out-of-pocket health care expenses and insurance premiums continues to increase. In all income brackets, people with private insurance experienced an increase in their health care–related financial burden between 2004 and 2006, with the greatest increase occurring among middle- and higher-income individuals.
In the Literature
January 1, 2001 - Medicare beneficiaries will have to pay substantially more out of their own pockets for health care in the future, according to this new report. The authors find that those with low incomes and health problems will be at even greater risk than average beneficiaries for costs such as Medicare premiums, medical services, and prescription drugs.
Fund Report
May 1, 1999 - Using projections from the 1998 Medicare and Social Security Trustees' reports to examine how growth in health care spending will affect beneficiaries and taxpayers, the author explains that no easy choices exist that would both limit costs to taxpayers while protecting Medicare beneficiaries from the burdens of health care costs.
Fund Report
March 29, 2010 - Through the use of publicly available quality data, interviews with leaders of 45 multi-hospital health systems, and analysis, this report identifies three major themes, four major best practice categories, and 17 specific best practices that are associated with high performance.
Fund Report
March 1, 2000 - President's Message from 1999 Annual Report
Other
October 2, 2012 - With President Obama and Governor Romney offering fundamentally different visions for the nation's health system, the presidential election provides a stark choice for U.S. voters. This analysis contrasts the potential impact of implementing the Affordable Care Act in full with Romney’s proposals to repeal the law, eliminate many of the new requirements for insurance markets, and make changes in Medicaid and Medicare.
Fund Report
January 25, 2010 - Avoidable hospital readmissions are under close scrutiny by policymakers, providing hospitals with added impetus to reduce costs and increase quality of care. A new guide produced by the Health Research & Educational Trust, with support from The Commonwealth Fund and John A. Hartford Foundation, provides a quick, simple resource for hospital leaders to get started on developing an action plan to reduce readmissions.
Fund Manual
November 14, 2011 - Nearly nine of 10 leaders in health and health care policy say it is important for federal and state policymakers to continue efforts to implement the Affordable Care Act, according to the latest and final Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey.
Data Brief
November 2, 2009 - In the latest Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders survey, experts in health care and health policy say they favor strengthening Medicare's ability to help control program costs and support broader health system reform.
Data Brief