This CHCF-funded issue brief describes the introduction of "high-performance" networks that encourage enrollees to use providers who score well on efficiency and quality measures.

The November/December 2006 issue of Health Affairs explores the future of employer coverage and trends in private health insurance. The six articles include a national survey that finds Americans have difficulty making trade-offs to reform the health system.

This package of Health Affairs articles led by Buntin, Yegian et al., focuses on the effects of consumer-directed health plans. It includes results from a 2005 roundtable and expert perspectives.

These four facts sheets describe how medical care is provided to injured workers under workers’ compensation in California, examine the costs and quality of that care, describe potential improvements, and present resource information.

This report examines the rising cost of providing retiree health benefits to California's public employees and analyzes characteristics of retirees and their coverage.

This issue brief examines California's declining mid-size employer insurance market, including a review of market characteristics, existing challenges, and options for expanding affordable coverage.

This snapshot provides an overview of current costs for California's employer-based health coverage system, which covers almost two-thirds of workers.

This Health Affairs study by Marquis et al. examines the impact that cutting premiums would have on the individual market for health insurance. The analysis finds price subsidies have only modest effects on increasing overall participation and reducing the number of uninsured people.

This paper examines six quality-based benefit design strategies and assesses their potential to improve the quality of health care, positively affect employee health and productivity, and boost the value of benefit dollars.

This snapshot highlights key findings from a study of consumer decision-making in the individual insurance market in California, examining a range of issues and exploring the potential effect of public policies on the individual market.

This issue brief examines health insurance pools, including how they work, the risks they face, and the conditions necessary for pools to succeed in providing access to coverage options and favorable premium rates.

This issue brief examines the potential for reducing California's uninsured population by increasing the number of small businesses that offer health coverage. It concludes that any gains from such an approach are likely to be both limited in scope and difficult to achieve.

This CHCF-funded analysis, published in the journal Health Affairs, calculates the total administrative costs and costs specific to billing and insurance-related functions for private insurers, hospitals, and physician offices.

Responding to demand for products with lower monthly premiums, insurers continue to introduce products with higher consumer cost-sharing requirements. This issue brief shows that consumers with individual coverage can find themselves paying thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket costs.

Reforms signed into law in 2004 created significant changes to the workers' compensation program in California. This report profiles the state-run program and how it has evolved since then.