June 14, 2013 - In this Commonwealth Fund–supported Perspective, researchers examined two strategies for containing health care costs: Germany's bundled payments and Japan's volume-driven pricing.
In Brief
June 12, 2013 - Touching on some of the critical concepts in health care reform, this brief explains why primary care is so important to patients and also to the country's bottom line.
Health Reform and You
June 7, 2013 - In a new series of publications, The Commonwealth Fund explores these and other changes in U.S. health care. Geared toward the non-expert, the briefs provide readers with easy-to-digest information on what the reforms mean and how they will affect patients, providers, and purchasers.
Issue Brief
June 6, 2013 - This report examines six Medicaid programs that support innovative ways of delivering specialty care and help ensure specialty referrals for Medicaid patients are appropriate and efficient.
Fund Report
June 6, 2013 - Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers examined the change in readmission rates over a two-year period and the relationship between these rates and other commonly used measures of hospital quality.
In Brief
June 4, 2013 - In a Commonwealth Fund–supported study, researchers surveyed physicians to learn how many are using electronic health records and the trends and challenges in meeting meaningful-use requirements.
In the Literature
May 28, 2013 - Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers illustrate the potential gains in health and efficiency if decision-makers at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services were to take into account cost-effectiveness when making Medicare coverage decisions.
In Brief
May 28, 2013 - Commonwealth Fund–supported researchers sought to measure patients' experiences over time in practices that have adopted the patient-centered medical home model.
In Brief
May 24, 2013 - Overuse of health care services accounted for up to $226 billion in unnecessary spending in 2011, but no particular system of care has been more effective than another in minimizing overuse of health care services.
In Brief
May 21, 2013 - To provide more effective and efficient care for beneficiaries with complex health needs, Medicaid programs in some states have turned to local community health teams to augment the capacity of physician practices. A new report examines multidisciplinary community health team programs in eight states.
Fund Report
May 16, 2013 - An editorial by The Commonwealth Fund's David Blumenthal and Melinda Abrams explores one approach to addressing the primary care workforce shortage: using nurse practitioners to provide a wide range of primary care services.
In Brief
May 7, 2013 - Under the Affordable Care Act, overpayments to Medicare Advantage plans are gradually being pared back. But will private plans be able to cope with the reduced payments? Using newly available government data, this brief examines average costs among Medicare Advantage plans and variation in costs among plan types.
Issue Brief
May 6, 2013 - Combining Medicare's hospital, physician, and prescription drug coverage with commonly purchased private supplemental coverage into one health plan could produce national savings of $180 billion over a decade while improving care for beneficiaries, a new Health Affairs study finds.
In the Literature
April 26, 2013 - Eighty-four million people―nearly half of all working-age U.S. adults―went without health insurance for a time last year or were underinsured because of high out-of-pocket costs relative to income, according to a new study based on findings from the Commonwealth Fund's 2012 Biennial Health Insurance Survey.
Fund Report
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