Census Data Released: A Few Data Notes

By Martha Heberlein As I’m sure you’ve all heard by now, the Current Population Survey (CPS)  was released today. (Not a whole lot of happy news in there – check out Joan’s statement for details.) Before you start digging in too deeply, we wanted to flag a few things about the data: State-by-State Data – Everyone […]

Rising Health Care Costs, Rising Underinsurance

By Martha Heberlein Two studies just out in the September issue of Health Affairs highlight the troubles many face in affording health care coverage. The first study by researchers at the Commonwealth Fund found that over the past 7 years the number of people who had coverage year-round, but were considered “underinsured” rose by 80%. (The authors […]

A Team Approach to Care

As policymakers across the country look to balance their budgets, some are turning to Medicaid, recycling the same harmful policies they’ve used year-after-year: eliminating coverage for vulnerable Americans, restricting critical benefits like prescription drug coverage, imposing premiums on those who can’t afford them, and slashing already-low provider reimbursement rates. Community Catalyst and Georgetown University Health […]

Momentum Builds as Diverse Group of States Receive Exchange Establishment Grants

By Joe Touschner In addition to the package of proposed rules it released on August 12, HHS also announced the award of more than $185 million in grants to help states develop their exchanges.  The federal funds will support state efforts to strengthen information technology systems, analyze insurance markets, develop consumer assistance capacity, and design […]