July 28, 2004 - African Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery were treated by lower-quality surgeons than whites, a study of cardiac patients in New York State finds. Physician referral patterns may be important determinants of where minorities received treatment, the authors say.
In the Literature
April 18, 2013 - This issue brief explores how four managed care organizations serving vulnerable populations are changing the way care is delivered by investing in a strong community presence.
Issue Brief
October 18, 2006 - In this commentary, Robyn Y. Nishimi, Ph.D., chief operating officer of the National Quality Forum, says it's time to move the cultural competency agenda forward--and that the best way to do that is through measurement and public reporting of performance on this dimension of quality.
Commentary
January 23, 2013 - Preventable hospital admissions and readmissions are indicators of health system fragmentation associated with suboptimal patient outcomes and avoidable costs of care. This synthesis report looks at three case studies that illustrate the potential of care management programs to address this problem by improving care coordination and transitions among high-risk patients.
Case Study
January 12, 2009 - A new Commonwealth Fund report examines the impact recent citizenship documentation rules have had on the stability of health insurance coverage for low-income children covered by state public programs. It finds that getting and keeping coverage has become more difficult for many families.
Fund Report
February 27, 2012 - The patient-centered medical home has been proposed as a model for transforming primary care and improving efficiency and effectiveness in the health care system. This report outlines and describes the changes that most medical practices would need to make to become patient-centered medical homes.
Fund Report
August 1, 2006 - Uninsured rates for Hispanic and African American adults are up to three times greater than the rate for white adults, according to new analysis of the Fund's Biennial Health Insurance Survey.
Issue Brief
August 8, 2011 - Virtually all leaders in health care and health care policy believe traditional safety-net institutions such as community health centers, public hospitals, and faith-based and mission-driven organizations will still fulfill critical roles in the U.S. health system after implementation of the Affordable Care Act, according to a Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders Survey.
Data Brief
May 5, 1999 - The Commonwealth Fund 1998 Survey of Women's Health reveals that while more women are receiving preventive care and taking better care of their health, they are still experiencing alarmingly high rates of violence and abuse, and many continue to have difficulties obtaining quality health care.
Fund Report
May 1, 2001 - This report suggests that expanding Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) coverage to parents as well as children may not only decrease the number of uninsured Americans but may be the best way to cover more uninsured children.
Fund Report
January 1, 2003 - This analysis of premium and benefit quotes for individual health plans offered in 25 cities finds that tax credits at the level of those in recent proposals would not be enough to make health insurance affordable to women with low incomes.
Fund Report
January 11, 2008 - Low health literacy is widespread among U.S. patients. A new Commonwealth Fund report identifies a number of practical steps that health care providers can take to combat the problem.
Fund Report
August 3, 2010 - This Commonwealth Fund-supported study found that health plan–targeted pay-for-performance incentive programs that automatically assign new Medicaid enrollees to plans that achieve higher quality scores may not lead to additional improvement in quality over that achieved by existing regulation.
In the Literature
October 12, 2003 - While diversity in the health care workforce is a crucial mechanism for improving the health system's ability to care for minority patients, we should also pay attention to diversity among physician leaders.
Testimony
December 10, 2012 - This new Commonwealth Fund analysis uses publicly reported 30-day hospital readmission rate data to examine whether safety-net hospitals are more likely to have higher readmission rates, compared with other hospitals.
Issue Brief