Piper Report
Popular health care blog. Medicare, Medicaid, pharma, reform, and more. Insights and resources on hot issues. Kip Piper, editor.
Kip Piper, Editor
Health care strategist, speaker, and writer. Expert on Medicare, Medicaid, and pharma industry. President, Health Results Group LLC. Senior Counselor, Fleishman-Hillard. Visit KipPiper.com. Or email Kip here.
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Previous Notables by Date
posted: April 11, 2008

Role of States in Shaping High Performance Health Systems (PDF)

posted: April 9, 2008

Covering Uninsured Children via the State Children's Health Insurance Program (PDF)

posted: April 4, 2008

Top 100 Academic Medical Blogs

posted: April 3, 2008

Medicaid Financing: GAO Report on State Efforts to Draw Federal Dollars (PDF)

posted: April 1, 2008

Medicaid and Outpatient Hospital Services: Primer on New Federal Rules Limiting Payments (PDF)

posted: March 28, 2008

Medicaid Financing: Primer by Congressional Research Service (PDF)

posted: March 27, 2008

Improving Care Management for High-Need, High-Cost Medicaid Beneficiaries (PDF)

Strategies to Improve Care Management for Complex Populations: National Scan of States (PDF)

posted: March 25, 2008

National Health Care Systems Around the World: How U.S. Compares on Spending, Quality, and More (PDF)

posted: March 24, 2008

Pay for Performance: Lessons for Medicare from Rewarding Results P4P Projects (PDF)

posted: March 23, 2008

Medicaid Provider Taxes: Primer on Taxes to Finance Medicaid (PDF)

Medicaid Payments for Public Providers: Primer on State Financing Policies (PDF)

posted: March 22, 2008

Access to Medicare Part D Drug Claims Data: MedPAC Report (PDF)

posted: March 21, 2008

Mystery of Patients Who Fail to Follow Physician Prescriptions

posted: March 20, 2008

Creating a Center for Evidence-Based Medicine: MedPAC Study (PDF)

posted: March 13, 2008

Health Care: Capturing the Opportunity in the Nation's Core Fiscal Challenge (PDF)

posted: March 12, 2008

Employer Sponsored Health Insurance: Increasing Stability and Coverage (PDF)

Health Insurance Costs: Variation Among Employers

posted: March 10, 2008

Federal Funding for Health Services Research: AHRQ, CMS, VA, NIH, and DoD (PDF)

posted: March 7, 2008

Hospital Quality Data: Issues and Challenges in Medicare Hospital Reporting (PDF)

posted: March 6, 2008

FDA Fast Track and Priority Review Programs for New Drugs: Primer (PDF)

posted: March 4, 2008

Changing Nursing Home Culture: Resident Centered, More Home-Like Facilities for Seniors (PDF)

Medicaid Long-Term Supports to Prevent Nursing Home Admissions: Rate Setting and Best Practices (PDF)

posted: March 2, 2008

Medicare Payment Policy: MedPAC Report to Congress for 2008 (PDF)

posted: March 1, 2008

Medicare Advantage Vs. Medicare Fee for Service: GAO Report (PDF)

posted: February 29, 2008

State E-Health Activities in 2007: Findings from 50 State Survey (PDF)

posted: February 28, 2008

Medical Device Industry and Physicians: OIG Report (PDF)

posted: February 26, 2008

Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans for Dual Eligibles: Primer (PDF)

Coordinating Care for Dual Eligibles: Options for Linking State Medicaid Programs with Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (PDF)

posted: February 24, 2008

State of the States: State Health Reforms and Coverage Expansions (PDF)

posted: February 22, 2008

Health Coverage Tax Credits: Policy Lessons (PDF)

posted: February 16, 2008

Geographic Variations in Health Care Spending: Data, Trends, Issues (PDF)

posted: February 14, 2008

Health Information Technology: GAO Assessment of HHS Strategy (PDF)

posted: February 13, 2008

Prescription Drug Utilization: Trends and Geographic Variations (PDF)

posted: February 12, 2008

Primary Care: Supply Trends, Projections, and Valuation of Services (PDF)

posted: February 10, 2008

Lessons from Massachusetts Health Reform and the Individual Mandate (PDF)

posted: February 9, 2008

State Health Reform: Recently Enacted Coverage Expansions

posted: February 7, 2008

Medicaid: Overview and Impact of New CMS Regulations (PDF)

posted: February 5, 2008

Oncology Drug Reimbursement Decisions: Use and Cost of New Biologics (PDF)

Improving Access to Drugs in Developing Countries (PDF)

posted: February 4, 2008

How Non-Group Health Coverage Varies With Income: Analysis (PDF)

posted: February 1, 2008

Health Care Costs: Historical and Future Spending Growth, Causes of Cost Increases, and Policy Options (PDF)

Technological Change and the Growth of Health Care Spending: CBO Report (PDF)

State Budget Cycles Hinder Health Care Safety Net (PDF)

posted: January 31, 2008

Pay for Performance: Policy Briefing on P4P Initiatives (PDF)

Pay for Performance: Synthesis on Physician P4P Initiatives (PDF)

posted: January 30, 2008

Current Issues in Medicaid: Discussion with Leading Medicaid Directors (PDF)

Health Coverage for Children and Families in Medicaid and SCHIP: 50-State Survey (PDF)

Values-Focused Health Benefits and Consumer Education (PDF)

posted: January 29, 2008

Pharmacogenomics: A Primer for Policymakers (PDF)

posted: January 28, 2008

Medical Devices: Challenges for FDA in Conducting Manufacturer Inspections (PDF)

posted: January 24, 2008

Federal Poverty Guidelines for CY 2008

posted: January 23, 2008

Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans: MA-SNP Market and Issues (PDF)

posted: January 22, 2008

NIH: Conflicts of Interest in Extramural Research (PDF)

posted: January 11, 2008

Medicare Financing and Fiscal Outlook: Issue Brief (PDF)

posted: January 8, 2008

Helping States Improve and Integrate Patient Safety Initiatives (PDF)

Improving Health Care Quality Through New Care Delivery Systems: Primer on Systemness (PDF)

State Adverse Event Reporting Systems: Latest on Medical Error Reporting (PDF)

posted: January 7, 2008

Community-Based Long-Term Care: Wisconsin Stays Ahead (PDF)

posted: January 4, 2008

Reducing U.S. Health Spending: Report on 15 Federal Savings Options (PDF)

Health Information Technology: Toolkit on Issues and Resources

posted: January 1, 2008

Comparative Effectiveness of Medical Treatments: Research, Issues, and Options for Expanded Federal Role (PDF)

posted: December 20, 2007

State Children's Health Insurance Program: SCHIP Structure, Enrollment, Expenditures, and Outreach Approaches (PDF)

posted: November 26, 2007

Health Policy Communications: Tutorial on Media Outreach

posted: November 23, 2007

Comparing Public and Private Health Insurance: Would a Single-Payer System Save Enough to Cover the Uninsured (PDF)

posted: November 16, 2007

Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit Policies: Survey of States (PDF)

Medicaid Long-Term Care Policies: Survey of New State Initiatives (PDF)

posted: November 15, 2007

Generic Drug Utilization in Medicare Part D: OIG Report (PDF)

posted: November 14, 2007

Outlook for Health Care Budgets: Medicare and Medicaid Spending for Next 75 Years (PDF)

posted: November 10, 2007

Quality Improvement Strategies with Cost-Saving Potential: Evidence Base for Return on Investment (PDF)

State Fiscal Conditions and Impact on Medicaid (PDF)

posted: November 9, 2007

Drug Formularies in Medicare Part D Plans: MedPAC Analysis (PDF)

Benefit Designs in Medicare Part D Drug Plans: MedPAC Analysis (PDF)

posted: November 8, 2007

Quality of Medicare Advantage Health Plans: MedPAC Analysis (PDF)

Medicare Advantage Special Needs Plans (SNPs): MedPAC Analysis (PDF)

posted: November 6, 2007

Premiums of Medicare Part D Drug Plans for 2008 (PDF)

Medicare Part D in 2006 and 2007: Data on Sponsors, Plans, Benefits, and Enrollment (PDF)

Coverage Gap in Medicare Part D Plans: Doughnut Hole in 2008 (PDF)

posted: November 1, 2007

Medicaid Financing: GAO Report on State Medicaid Practices (PDF)

FDA Inspection of Foreign Drug Manufacturers: GAO Report (PDF)

posted: October 31, 2007

Coverage and Pricing of Prescription Drugs Under Medicare Part B and Part D (PDF)

posted: October 30, 2007

Toolkit on Uninsuired: Key Facts, Background, Resources, Experts (PDF)

posted: October 23, 2007

State Medicaid Initiatives on Health Information Technology (PDF)

posted: October 20, 2007

AMCP Guide to Pharmaceutical Payment Methods: Comprehensive Edition (PDF)

AMCP Guide to Pharmaceutical Payment Methods: Executive Summary (PDF)

posted: October 18, 2007

Medicare HMOs Reduce Inpatient Hospital Utilization: Study Findings (PDF)

Medicare Advantage: Research Projects on Medicare Health Plan Issues

posted: October 16, 2007

Health Reform Proposals by Republican Candidates for President (PDF)

Health Reform Proposals by Democrat Candidates for President (PDF)

Presidential Candidates Health Reform Proposals: Side-by-Side Comparison Tool

posted: October 15, 2007

Medicare Drug Plans: House Committee Report on Admin Expenses and Drug Rebates (PDF)

posted: October 12, 2007

Medicare Part D Drug Plans: Plan Options and Premiums for 2008 (PDF)

Medicaid and Diabetes: Prevalence, Costs, and Policy Implications (PDF)

posted: October 10, 2007

Prescription Drugs: Trends in Usual and Customary Prices for Drugs Frequently Used by Medicare and Non-Medicare Patients (PDF)

Medicaid Budget Survey: 50-State Analysis of Medicaid Spending, Enrollment, and Budget Changes (PDF)

Why Did Medicaid Spending Decline in 2006? (PDF)

posted: October 9, 2007

Comparative Effectiveness and Safety: Emerging Methods and Tools (Series of Articles)

posted: October 8, 2007

Mental Health Parity: Requirements and Cost Issues (PDF)

posted: October 5, 2007

Long-Term Care: Future Role and Challenges for Medicaid (PDF)

Characteristics of Frequent Hospital Emergency Room Users (PDF)

posted: October 4, 2007

Health Care Cost and Access Challenges: A Look at 12 Metro Markets (PDF)

posted: October 3, 2007

Economic Burden of Chronic Disease: State Specific Cost Estimates (PDF)

Medicare Advantage Payment Policy: Primer and Issues (PDF)

posted: October 1, 2007

Drug Reimbursement: Comparison of Average Sales Prices to Average Manufacturer Prices (PDF)

FDA Oversight of Clinical Trials: OIG Report (PDF)

Medicare Inpatient Hospital Payments, New Technology, and CMS Use of Data (PDF)

posted: September 29, 2007

Strategies to Improve SCHIP Enrollment (PDF)

posted: September 28, 2007

Trends in Health Care Costs and Spending: Fact Sheet (PDF)

Health Coverage of Children: Role of Medicaid and SCHIP (PDF)

posted: September 24, 2007

New Value-Driven Payment Systems: Issues and Options (PDF)

posted: September 23, 2007

Evolution of State Outreach Efforts Under SCHIP (PDF)

posted: September 18, 2007

Employer-Based Health Insurance: Current and Future Role of Employers in Offering and Financing Health Coverage (PDF)

posted: September 17, 2007

Cost-Effectiveness and Comparative Effectiveness: Strategies for Maximizing the Value of Health Spending?

posted: September 14, 2007

Early Experiences with Federal Health Insurance Tax Credits (PDF)

posted: September 7, 2007

Crowd Out and SCHIP: Background Materials on Crowd Out Issue

Out-of-Pocket Health Spending Among Seniors Versus Younger Adults (PDF)

posted: September 5, 2007

Comparative Effectiveness: Potential Savings from Research (PDF)

posted: August 29, 2007

Reforming Medicare Payments to Improve Quality and Reward Efficiency (PDF)

posted: August 28, 2007

Medicare Use of Risk Adjustment to Pay Health Plans, Hospitals, and Other Providers (PDF)

posted: August 25, 2007

Medicaid and State Budgets: Recent History, Trends, Challenges (PDF)

posted: August 24, 2007

Medicaid Waivers: GAO Report on Florida and Vermont (PDF)

Seniors and Prescription Drugs: Charts on National Survey (PDF)

posted: August 17, 2007

Medicare Part D: Strengths and Weaknesses

posted: August 15, 2007

Expanding SCHIP Will Challenge State Finances: A State-by-State Analysis (PDF)

Children's Coverage: Making Sense of Recent Estimates of Eligible but Uninsured Children (PDF)

posted: August 14, 2007

State Health Reform Initiatives: NGA Report on State Activities (PDF)

posted: August 9, 2007

Drug Pricing: Differential Pricing of Pharmaceuticals (PDF)

SCHIP and Uninsured Children: Latest State-Specific Data (PDF)

posted: August 8, 2007

Health Care Cost Trends: A Primer (PDF)

Why Young Adults Become Uninsured and How New Policies Can Help (PDF)

posted: August 3, 2007

Strategies for Automatic Enrollment in State Health Programs (PDF)

posted: August 2, 2007

State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs): Role in Serving Medicare Beneficiaries (PDF)

Consumer-Oriented Strategies for Improving Health Benefit Design: AHRQ Report on CDHPs (PDF)

posted: July 27, 2007

Hospital Quality Alliance: Quality Measures and Mortality Rates (PDF)

State Health Reform: Pooling Arrangements to Increase Small Business Coverage (PDF)

State Health Reform: Benefits and Limits of Reinsurance (PDF)

Massachusetts Health Reform and Affordability (PDF)

Medicare Part D Drug Plans: Benefit Options and Enrollment by State (PDF)

posted: July 25, 2007

Number of Uninsured Children Who Are Eligible for Medicaid or SCHIP (PDF)

Medicare Advantage: Briefing Materials on Costs and Benefits (PDF)

SCHIP Reauthorization: Key Questions in the Current Debate (PDF)

posted: July 23, 2007

Pharmacy Participation in Medicare Part D Drug Plans (PDF)

posted: July 22, 2007

Searching for a Better Way to Pay Providers: Latest Innovations

Using Payment Incentives to Improve Care Delivery: Boston Case Study

Medicaid Drug Use and Costs Highlight Issues for States After Medicare Part D (PDF)

posted: July 20, 2007

Encouraging Healthy Behaviors in Medicaid: Early Lessons (PDF)

Medicaid Efforts to Incentivize Healthy Behaviors (PDF)

Consumer Direction in Medicaid: Latest State Approaches (PDF)

Retiree Health Benefits: Chartbook of Employer Survey (PDF)

posted: July 19, 2007

Impact of Medicare Payment Rates on the Volume of Skilled Nursing Home Services (PDF)

posted: July 17, 2007

Health Insurance Connectors: Guide to Creating State Health Insurance Exchanges (PDF)

posted: July 16, 2007

Comparative Effectiveness of Drugs for Type 2 Diabetes (PDF)

Economic Benefits of SCHIP Expansion (PDF)

posted: July 13, 2007

Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans: Collection of Reports and Resources (PDF)

Meeting the Future Long-Term Care Needs of Baby Boomers (PDF)

Rising Health Care Costs and the Challenge of Coverage

posted: July 12, 2007

Off-Label Use of Atypical Antipsychotic Drugs: Summary for Clinicians and Policymakers (PDF)

posted: July 6, 2007

Nursing Home Residents: Changes in Characteristics, Needs, and Payment for Care (PDF)

posted: July 5, 2007

Six Innovations to Increase Productivity, Cut Costs, and Extend Coverage

posted: July 3, 2007

Exodus of Men from Primary Care Drives Shift to Medical Specialty Practices

posted: July 1, 2007

Corporate Responsibility for Health Care Quality: OIG Briefing (PDF)

posted: June 30, 2007

Medicare Advantage Private FFS Plans: CBO Issue Brief (PDF)

posted: June 29, 2007

Massachusetts Health Reform: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (PDF)

posted: June 25, 2007

State Coverage Expansions for Children: Update on Reforms as of June 2007 (PDF)

Medicare Part D Low-Income Subsidy: GAO Advises More Outreach by Social Security (PDF)

posted: June 22, 2007

SCHIP and Crowd-Out: How Public Program Expansion Reduces Private Health Coverage (PDF)

State Health Reform: Comparison of Health Insurance Exchanges and the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (PDF)

Health Care and the Federal Budget: Issues and Challenges for Health Reform (PDF)

posted: June 21, 2007

Medicare Part D: CMS' Process and Policy for Enrolling New Dual Eligibles

Health Coverage and Access to Care for Low-Income Non-Citizens (PDF)

posted: June 20, 2007

Integrated Care Models for Dual Eligibles: Combining Medicare Advantage and Medicaid (PDF)

Approaches to Integrated Long-Term Care in Medicaid and Medicare (PDF)

Wall Street Panel on Health Insurance Market, Provider Reimbursement, and Drug Industry Trends: Transcript

Physician Payment: Is There a Better Way to Pay? (PDF)

posted: June 18, 2007

Prescription Drug Safety: Risks of Proposed FDA Legislation (PDF)

Promoting Efficiency in Medicare: MedPAC Recommendations to Congress (PDF)

posted: June 17, 2007

New Medicaid Integrity Program: Issues and Challenges (PDF)

posted: June 15, 2007

Health Care Performance: National and State Specific Scorecards on Cost, Access, and Quality (PDF)

Chronic Care Initiatives in Medicare: Detailed Briefing (PDF)

posted: June 14, 2007

Pharma 2020: Challenges Facing Pharmaceutical Industry

Medicaid Pharmacy Payments: Impact DRA and Medicaid Federal Upper Limit Program (PDF)

posted: June 13, 2007

Competition: A Prescription for Health Care Transformation (PDF)

Comparative Effectiveness of Medical Treatments: Options for Expanded Federal Role (PDF)

posted: June 12, 2007

Medicare Finances: Past, Present, and Future (PDF)

posted: June 11, 2007

Maternity Care in Consumer-Driven Health Plans (PDF)

posted: June 10, 2007

Medicare's Financial Condition: Report from American Academy of Actuaries (PDF)

posted: June 9, 2007

Medicare Spending for Physician Services: Factors Driving Spending Growth (PDF)

posted: June 7, 2007

Average Manufacturer Prices for Prescription Drugs: OIG Report on AWP Fluctuations (PDF)

posted: June 2, 2007

Medicare Part D Drug Plan and Beneficiary Characteristics: Latest State-Specific Data (PDF)

posted: May 31, 2007

Prescription Drug Trends: Briefing on Drug Spending, Coverage, and Cost Containment (PDF)

posted: May 27, 2007

Private Fee-For-Service Plans In Medicare: Rapid Growth and Future Implications (PDF)

posted: May 25, 2007

SCHIP: Using Premium Assistance to Expand Health Coverage (PDF)

posted: May 22, 2007

Prescription Drug Safety Net: Access to Pharmaceuticals for the Uninsured (PDF)

Pediatric Drug Research: Study and Labeling of Drugs for Pediatric Use (PDF)

posted: May 20, 2007

Understanding State Public Health (PDF)

posted: May 17, 2007

Pharmacogenomics: Assessment of Market Conditions and Competition in Genetic Analysis and Diagnosis (PDF)

posted: May 15, 2007

Medicare Part D and Dual Eligibles: Drug Access Problems and Issues (PDF)

Impact of Medicare Part D on Dual Eligibles Who Spend-Down to Medicaid (PDF)

posted: May 10, 2007

Options to Improve Medicare Physician Reimbursement: MedPAC Advice (PDF)

posted: May 8, 2007

Medicare Advantage Chartpack: Medicare Plans, Enrollment, and Other Data (PDF)

posted: May 6, 2007

High-Performance Health Plan Networks: Early Experiences with Physician Incentives (PDF)

posted: May 5, 2007

States' Use of New Drug Pricing Data in the Medicaid Program (PDF)

posted: May 4, 2007

State Health Reform: Series of Webcasts on Design and Implementation of Medicaid Reforms and Coverage Expansions

posted: May 2, 2007

Fact Sheets on Bush Budget Proposals on Medicaid, SCHIP, and Health Coverage

posted: May 1, 2007

Medicare: Wide Physician Practice Patterns, Opportunities for Savings (PDF)

Medicaid Financing: CMS Oversight Initiative Needs Greater Transparency (PDF)

posted: April 25, 2007

Health Plan Care Management Activities: Impact on Cost, Quality, and Outcomes (PDF)

Use of Educational Grants by Pharmaceutical Industry: Senate Report (PDF)

posted: April 23, 2007

Fundamentals of Health Savings Accounts and High-Deductible Health Plans (PDF)

Health Care Price Transparency and Price Competition: Briefing (PDF)

posted: April 21, 2007

Biogenerics: Federal and Payor Savings from Follow-On Biologics (PDF)

posted: April 20, 2007

Reducing the Need to Hospitalize Nursing Home Residents

posted: April 16, 2007

Building the Case for Product Reimbursement: Podcast

posted: April 15, 2007

Drug Price Negotiation in Medicare: CBO Answers Congress' Questions on Savings (PDF)

Medicare Advantage Program: Enrollment Trends and Budget Issues (PDF)

posted: April 13, 2007

Prescription Drug User Fee Act: How are PDUFA, the FDA Budget, and Drug Safety Related? (PDF)

posted: April 12, 2007

Health Coverage Expansion: Primer on the Issues and Proposed Solutions (PDF)

Medicare Coordinated Care Demonstration: Evaluation of First Two Years (PDF)

posted: April 11, 2007

Pay for Performance in Medicaid: PFP Survey of State Medicaid Directors and Medicaid Programs

posted: April 4, 2007

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D Drug Plans: Latest Figures on Enrollment and Contracts

posted: April 3, 2007

Cancer Biomarkers: Promises and Challenges of Improving Cancer Detection and Treatment (PDF)

Hospital Performance Improvement: Trends in Quality and Efficiency (PDF)

Hospital Quality Improvement: Strategies and Lessons from U.S. Hospitals (PDF)

posted: April 2, 2007

Health Care Data Collection and Reporting: Issues, Ideas, Advice from AHRQ Conference (PDF)

posted: March 28, 2007

Physician Pay-for-Performance in Medicaid: P4P Guide for States (PDF)

Improving Chronic Disease Care at Community Health Centers (PDF)

posted: March 24, 2007

Uninsured Children: State-by-State Estimates (PDF)

Dangers of VA-Style Health Care

posted: March 22, 2007

Medicare Advantage: Trends and Options for Medicare Health Plans (PDF)

posted: March 21, 2007

Effects of Health Reform Proposals: Employer Mandates, Medicaid Expansions, and Tax Credits (PDF)

Reducing Health Care Costs Through Electronic Claims and Payment Processing (PDF)

posted: March 20, 2007

GAO: Thousands of Physicians Abuse Federal Tax System (PDF)

posted: March 19, 2007

Medicare: Detailed Primer on Medicare Services, Spending, Population, and Managed Care (PDF)

Medicaid: Comprehensive Primer on Medicaid Spending, Financing, Eligibility, Benefits, and Policy (PDF)

posted: March 18, 2007

Congressional Health Care Bills on Coverage Expansion (PDF)

posted: March 16, 2007

Medication Therapy Management Programs in Medicare Part D (PDF)

posted: March 15, 2007

Medicare Consumer-Directed Health Plan: Medicare MSAs and HSA-like Plans in 2007 (PDF)

Medicare Payments and Beneficiary Costs for Prescription Drug Coverage (PDF)

Medicare Private Fee-for-Service Plans: History, Key Features, Market Trends, Policy Issues (PDF)

posted: March 13, 2007

Effects of Disclosing Price Rebates on the Medicare Drug Benefit (PDF)

posted: March 12, 2007

Provider Quality and Safety: Understanding State Variation in Health Care Performance (PDF)

Impact of State Tort Reforms on Physician Malpractice Payments

posted: March 10, 2007

DirigoChoice: Lessons Learned from Maine's Health Reform

posted: March 8, 2007

Biogenerics: Study on Savings from Generic Versions of Biologics (PDF)

How Changes in Medical Technology Affect Health Care Costs

posted: March 5, 2007

Challenges Encountered by Injured Servicemembers During Their Recovery Process: GAO Report on Care by VA and DoD (PDF)

posted: March 1, 2007

Medicare Payment Policy: MedPAC Recommendations to Congress (PDF)

Medicare's Mental Health Benefits: Primer (PDF)

Medicare Physician Payments: MedPAC on Alternatives to Paying Physicians (PDF)

posted: February 28, 2007

Medicare's Physician Payment System Offers Lessons Against Drug Price Negotiation

ERISA and Maryland's Fair Share Act: Impact of Appeals Court Ruling on Maryland's Mandate on Large Employers (PDF)

posted: February 27, 2007

Budget Options for Medicare, Medicaid, and Other Federal Programs: Menu of Options from CBO (PDF)

posted: February 23, 2007

Is Medicaid Sustainable: Medicaid Spending and State Tax Revenue Projections for Next 40 Years (PDF)

posted: February 22, 2007

Pharmaceutical Industry Profile for 2006: Latest on Products, R&D, Issues (PDF)

posted: February 21, 2007

National Health Care Spending Projections Through 2016 (PDF)

Benefit Design Innovations: Implications for Consumer-Directed Health Care (PDF)

posted: February 17, 2007

Medicare Fact Sheet: Overview of Financing, Eligibility, Benefits, and Costs (PDF)

Medicare Advantage: Fact Sheet on Medicare Managed Care (PDF)

Uninsured in America: Problems and Possible Solutions (PDF)

posted: February 15, 2007

Health Care Spending: Public Payers Face Burden of Entitlement Growth, While All Payers Face Rising Prices and Increasing Use of Services (PDF)

Future Medical Spending by the Department of Veterans Affairs (PDF)

posted: February 14, 2007

Drug Benefits for Low-Income Seniors: Lessons from State Pharmacy Assistance Programs (PDF)

Regional PPOs in Medicare: Do They Contain Costs? (PDF)

posted: February 13, 2007

Basics of Medicare: Short Primer (PDF)

Basics of SCHIP: Short Primer (PDF)

Basics of Medicaid: Short Primer (PDF)

posted: February 9, 2007

Prescription Drugs: Oversight of Drug Pricing in Medicare, Medicaid, 340B, and VA (PDF)

Pharmaceutical Pricing: Alleged Watse, Fraud, and Abuse in Federal Drug Pricing (PDF)

posted: February 8, 2007

State Children's Health Insurance Program: Options for SCHIP Reauthorization (PDF)

posted: February 7, 2007

State Strategies in Expanding Health Insurance Coverage: Trends and Lessons Learned (PDF)

posted: February 3, 2007

Enhancing Value in Medicare: Demos and Other Initiatives to Improve Medicare Program (PDF)

posted: February 2, 2007

Children's Health Insurance: State Experiences in Implementing SCHIP and Considerations for Reauthorization (PDF)

posted: February 1, 2007

Reducing Barriers to Health Care: Practical Strategies for Local Organizations (PDF)

Transparency in Health Care: What Consumers Need to Know (PDF)

posted: January 25, 2007

Medicaid Pay-for-Performance: Ongoing Challenges, New Opportunities in Medicaid P4P (PDF)

posted: January 22, 2007

Medicaid Drug Reimbursement: New Federal Upper Limits Compared with Retail Pharmacy Acquisition Costs (PDF)

posted: January 19, 2007

Medicaid Pharmacy Policies and Practices: Latest on State Medicaid Drug Benefits (PDF)

posted: January 17, 2007

Pennsylvania Health Reform: Details of Governor Ed Rendell's Initiative (Large PDF)

State of the States 2007: State Health Reform Initiatives Around the U.S. (PDF)

posted: January 11, 2007

Prescription Drugs: Approaches to Negotiate Drug Prices Used by Other Countries, U.S. Private Payers, and Federal Programs (PDF)

posted: January 10, 2007

Medicaid and SCHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, and Cost-Sharing Practices: Details on All 50 States for 2006 (PDF)

Enrolling Uninsured Low-Income Children in Medicaid and SCHIP: Fact Sheet (PDF)

posted: January 7, 2007

Medicaid and Long-Term Care: Fact Sheet (PDF)

National Spending for Long-Term Care: Fact Sheet (PDF)

posted: January 4, 2007

Medicare Part B Drugs and ASP: Impact of Average Sales Price on Medicare Part B Drugs (PDF)

posted: January 3, 2007

Prescription Drug Pricing in the Private Sector: Comprehensive CBO Report (PDF)

posted: December 30, 2006

Medicaid Enrollment in 50 States: Latest Medicaid Stats (PDF)

State Children's Health Insurance Program: Latest State-by-State SCHIP Enrollment (PDF)

Effective Use of Health Research in State Policymaking and Health Reform (PDF)

posted: December 23, 2006

Consumer-Directed Health Plans: Effects on Health Care Spending, Prices, and Outcomes (PDF)

posted: December 22, 2006

Reforming Medicare Financing: Designing a Premium Support System for Medicare (PDF)

posted: December 20, 2006

High-Cost Medicaid Populations: Detailed Background on Six High-Cost Patient Groups (PDF)

posted: December 19, 2006

Promising Medicaid Reform Strategies: Improving Care for High-Cost Populations (PDF)

New Drug Development: Science, Business, Regulatory, and Intellectual Property Issues are Hampering Drug Development Efforts (PDF)

posted: December 16, 2006

Impact of Massachusetts Medicaid Reform throughout the Nation (PDF)

posted: December 15, 2006

Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services: Latest Trends in HCBS Spending, Enrollment, and More (PDF)

posted: December 14, 2006

A Real Analysis on Medicare Policy of Drug Price Negotiations

posted: December 13, 2006

The Urgent Need to Reform Medicare's Physician Payment System (PDF)

posted: December 11, 2006

Caring for Medicare-Medicaid Dual Eligibles: Ideas and Resources

States and the Medicare Drug Benefit: Complexity, Coordination, and Compromise (PDF)

posted: December 7, 2006

Seeking Higher Value in Medicaid: A National Scan of State Medicaid Managed Care (PDF)

Early Experience with High-Deductible and Consumer-Driven Health Plans: Latest Data (PDF)

posted: December 2, 2006

Why the New Congress Should Not Fix Drug Prices

posted: November 30, 2006

Personal Health Records: Primer on PHR Issues and Technology (PDF)

Evidenced-Based Health Care Coverage: Lessons from Different Approaches in U.S. and U.K. (PDF)

posted: November 29, 2006

Do Physicians in Group Practices Have Discretion in Accepting New Medicaid Patients? (PDF)

posted: November 28, 2006

Medicare and Mental Health Coverage: Primer and Issues (PDF)

posted: November 20, 2006

EPSDT: Medicaid's Critical but Controversial Benefits Program for Children (PDF)

posted: November 19, 2006

Benefit Design and Formularies of Medicare Drug Plans: A Comparison of 2006 and 2007 Offerings (PDF)

Latest Data about Medicare Drug Benefit: Standard Benefit for 2007, Updates on Low-Income Assistance, and Latest 2006 Enrollment Figures (PDF)

Medicare Part D Plans for 2007: State-by-State Summary of Medicare Drug Benefit Options (PDF)

posted: November 16, 2006

Employers View Health Benefits as an Important Recruitment and Retention Tool

Hospital-Physician Portals: Role of Competition in Driving Clinical Data Exchange

posted: November 13, 2006

Lessons from NCQA's State of Health Care Quality Report for 2006 (PDF)

posted: November 10, 2006

Developing a Center for Comparative Effectiveness Information: Comparing Treatments, Procedures Could Slow Health Care Spending (PDF)

Clinical Information Technology Gaps Persist Among Physicians (PDF)

posted: November 4, 2006

State Fiscal Conditions and Medicaid Budgets: Fact Sheet (PDF)

posted: October 31, 2006

Role of Consumer Co-Payments for Health Care: Lessons from the RAND Health Insurance Experiment and Beyond (PDF)

posted: October 26, 2006

Building on the Successes of Health Savings Accounts (PDF)

Democrats' Proposals on Medicare Part D and Federal Drug Price Negotiations (PDF)

posted: October 20, 2006

Changes in Employees' Health Insurance Coverage, 2001-2005: Reasons Underlying Drop in Employer Sponsored Coverage (PDF)

Why Did the Number of Uninsured Continue to Increase in 2005?: Issue Brief (PDF)

The Uninsured and Their Access to Health Care: Fact Sheet (PDF)

Primer on the Uninsured: Profile of Uninsured Population, How They Receive Care, Trends in Coverage, and Options for Increasing Coverage (PDF)

posted: October 15, 2006

Medicare Physician Payments and Spending: Understanding Part B Physician Reimbursement (PDF)

posted: October 13, 2006

States in Action: A Quarterly Look at Innovations in State Health Policy, Fall 2006

Rationing Health Care: Is the United States Willing to Ration Health Care?

posted: October 11, 2006

What States Can Do to Reform Health Care: A Primer on Market-Based Approaches (PDF)

Health Savings Accounts and High Deductibles Health Plans for Low-Income Families: Issues and Obstacles (PDF)

posted: October 10, 2006

Basics of Medicaid Financing (PDF)

Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey: Low Medicaid Spending Growth Amid Higher State Revenues (PDF)

posted: October 9, 2006

Rationale for a Statewide Health Insurance Exchange (PDF)

What to Expect from a Single-Payer Health Care System (PDF)

posted: October 7, 2006

Deficit Reduction Act of 2005: Overview of Key Medicaid Provisions in DRA (PDF)

posted: October 6, 2006

Sources of Health Insurance Coverage and Characteristics of the Uninsured (PDF)

Tax Treatment of Health Insurance and Employment-Based Health Benefits (PDF)

posted: October 3, 2006

Research and Development in the Pharmaceutical Industry: CBO Report (PDF)

Health Care Spending Growth in 2005: High but Stable Rate of Growth (PDF)

posted: October 1, 2006

State Coverage Expansions Since 2004: State Progress in Expanding Health Insurance Coverage and Latest Innovations in State-based Reforms (PDF)

State Premium Assistance Programs: Innovations in State Premium Subsidies to Help Expand Private Health Coverage (PDF)

posted: September 29, 2006

Trends in Employer Sponsored Health Insurance Coverage: Detailed Report for 2006 (PDF)

Key Resources on Health Coverage for the Uninsured: Various Fact Sheets and Issue Briefs

posted: September 24, 2006

Medicare Pay for Performance: Institute of Medicine Recommendations for Rewarding Physician Performance (PDF)

FDA and Drug Safety: Institute of Medicine Recommendations for Drug Safety, from Preapproval through Postmarket (PDF)

Medicare Pay for Performance: Update on Medicare P4P Efforts

posted: September 22, 2006

Oversight of Medicare Part D Drug Plans: Federal Role and Responsibilities (PDF)

posted: September 21, 2006

Medicare Part D Appeals Process To Obtain Medically Necessary Drugs (PDF)

posted: September 16, 2006

Health Plan Pay for Performance Strategies

posted: September 11, 2006

Medicare Part D Problems and Successes: National Surveys of Pharmacists and Physicians

Consumer-Directed Health Plans: Early Experiences with Health Savings Accounts (PDF)

posted: August 29, 2006

Wide Variation in Drug Coverage and Access in Medicare Part D Plans (PDF)

posted: August 24, 2006

Medicare Part D Low-Income Benchmark Premium: How Low Can It Go? (PDF)

posted: August 18, 2006

Nuts and Bolts of Medicaid Policy Making (PDF)

Physician Participation in Medicaid: Latest Figures and Trends (PDF)

posted: August 15, 2006

State Behavioral Health Innovations: Promising Practices (PDF)

posted: August 7, 2006

Health Care in the Express Lane: The Emergence of Retail Clinics (PDF)

posted: August 6, 2006

Medicaid Makeover: Medicaid Reform Concepts by Tommy G. Thompson (PDF)

posted: August 5, 2006

Massachusetts Health Plan: Lessons for Other States (PDF)

posted: August 3, 2006

Medicare Part D Coverage of AIDS / HIV Drugs: Cost and Cover