February 12, 2014 - The participation of young adults may not be as critical to the success of the Affordable Care Act's health insurance marketplaces as is widely believed, according to this report based on the perspectives of prominent actuaries, insurers selling plans in the marketplaces, policy researchers, and federal officials.
Fund Report
February 10, 2014 - Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers compared patients' experiences in a primary care clinic that implemented the PCMH model, along with lean process changes (which seek to maximize value and reduce waste) and a new approach to physician reimbursement, with patients' experiences in a similar clinic that did not make such changes.
In the Literature
February 5, 2014 - Results from a new Commonwealth Fund–supported study in Health Affairs led by Harvard Medical School's David C. Grabowski confirm that telemedicine can be a cost-effective alternative to a trip to the hospital.
In the Literature
February 4, 2014 - U.S. hospitals have made great strides over the past decade in instituting practices to improve medication safety, according to results of the most recent Medication Safety Self Assessment.
In the Literature
January 31, 2014 - Although their approaches may vary, most states have taken steps to prepare for the Affordable Care Act's health insurance market reforms, marketplaces, and Medicaid expansion, a new Commonwealth Fund report finds.
Fund Report
January 31, 2014 - In the first two years of the Alternative Quality Contract, an incentive-based provider payment program implemented by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, there was a significant, albeit modest, improvement in the quality of children’s preventive care, but no change in health care spending.
In the Literature
January 31, 2014 - In this study, Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers examined Blue Cross Blue Shield's experiment with a global payment system in Massachusetts and its impact on emergency department use.
In Brief
January 31, 2014 - This Commonwealth Fund-supported study found evidence that, over the first two years of Blue Cross Blue Shield's experiment with a global payment system in Massachusetts, overused medical services were successfully targeted.
In Brief
January 24, 2014 - Commonwealth Fund researchers analyzed data from surveys of primary care physicians conducted in 2009 and 2012 to check on the progress of health IT adoption and to see how certain factors—like being part of an integrated health system or using shared technical assistance programs—can influence technology take-up.
In the Literature
January 21, 2014 - Hospitals serving larger proportions of Medicaid and uninsured patients than other hospitals were found to have significantly higher "failure-to-rescue" rates for surgical patients experiencing postoperative complications. This disparity in mortality could not be explained by hospitals' differing access to sophisticated clinical technology or other resources.
In the Literature
January 17, 2014 - In this chartbook, we use data collected by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to compare health care systems and performance on a range of topics, including spending, hospitals, physicians, pharmaceuticals, prevention, mortality, quality and safety, and prices.
Chartbook
January 10, 2014 - In Milbank Quarterly, former Commonwealth Fund Harkness Fellow Philip J. Van der Wees and coauthors examine whether the Massachusetts coverage expansions resulted in better health status and increased access to preventive health services for residents.
In Brief
January 9, 2014 - A new Commonwealth Fund survey finds that 24 percent of Americans who are potentially eligible for health insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act had visited one of the new insurance marketplaces by the end of December to find a health plan.
Data Brief
January 6, 2014 - There is strong enthusiasm for ACOs among policymakers and some health industry leaders, but there is little information available about the early entrants in these still very young programs. This study identified ACOs that had joined the Medicare programs as of fall 2012 to collect baseline information about their patient populations, quality, hospitals, and costs.
In the Literature
December 25, 2013 - The recent slowdown in health care spending may be the result of the economic recession, or it may reflect public and private efforts to control spending. Continued efforts at cost control—including continued implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s reforms—will be necessary to bring spending more in line with the rest of the economy and to avoid rationing care.
In the Literature