Policy & Reform

This Health Affairs article by Newhouse finds that while federal health care reform promises to overhaul the U.S. health care system, it does not adequately address growing Medicare spending.

HealthVote.org provides an easy-to-use, nonpartisan resource on health-related measures. It features facts and analysis, supporters and opponents, campaign contributions, statewide poll results, and news.

Signed into law in March, the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA) will transform the way Californians obtain and pay for health insurance. CHCF has published a variety of materials assessing the legislation's impact on the state and individual consumers.

Dr. Mark Smith makes five recommendations about how to proceed with implementing health care reform legislation in California. Read the complete version of Dr. Smith's opinion piece that appeared in The Sacramento Bee on June 2, 2010.

A UC Irvine Web site provides streaming video and slide presentations of the sessions from this annual conference on health care issues, sponsored by CHCF.

CHCF considers the promise of the moment and the challenges that remain. If the legislative package is passed and implemented as envisioned, it has the potential to have a meaningful impact on the lives of millions of Californians.

With the recent Anthem Blue Cross rate hikes as a backdrop, Marian Mulkey testified on medical costs and insurance premiums before the California Assembly Committee on Health.

As national health reform hangs by a thread, the journal Health Affairs explores challenges facing the care delivery system, and features an interview with CHCF President and CEO Mark D. Smith about CHCF's accomplishments and goals.

This issue brief looks at research on public and industry acceptance of cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) in coverage decisions. CEA is a method for weighing the value of different health care interventions in terms of finding the "best bang for the buck."

This issue brief reviews California's experience with capitation payments and explores the implications for policymakers seeking to ensure affordability and quality as they pursue health care reform on a national scale.

Rising costs are forcing purchasers, plans, and regulators to use resources more efficiently. This Health Affairs article by Schur et al. ranks the types of data leaders need to make policy decisions.

An insurance exchange is a key element of most health reform proposals now being debated in Washington, D.C. This issue brief offers lessons from California's attempt to establish such an exchange at the state level.

Californians who buy their own health insurance on the individual market often face higher costs and less comprehensive coverage than those who are insured through an employer. Individuals also encounter difficulties understanding and comparing the many policy options that are available.

This paper examines the phenomenon of providers billing managed care patients for unreimbursed charges. It describes how states have responded and offers guidance for policymakers considering balance billing regulation in California and elsewhere.

This issue brief describes the major American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 health care provisions and their funding, and highlights actions required by the state or other stakeholders.