News and Headlines - 2005 Archive

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Report Offers Options for Lowering Financial Burden of Medical Costs
A new Urban Institute policy brief provides options for increasing access to and affordability of health insurance for those facing high health care costs. The report offers evidence that many of these adults and families are contending with considerable financial burdens, even when enrolled in health insurance
December 19, 2005
Source: Urban Institute
Survey of Large Businesses Finds Total Retiree Health Costs Rose 10% in 2005
Four in five businesses (79 percent) that now provide retiree health benefits will accept government subsidies for continuing to provide retiree drug coverage at least as good as Medicare's new drug benefit, according to a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Hewitt Associates.
When asked about their retiree health benefits overall, surveyed firms report an average increase of 10 percent in total retiree health costs between 2004 and 2005, including both Medicare-eligible retirees and early retirees (under age 65) who do not qualify for Medicare benefits. About one in eight surveyed firms (12 percent) say that they had stopped offering subsidized retiree health benefits in 2005 for future retirees, mainly newly hired workers.
Firms have several prescription drug strategies available to them for this year. They could continue to provide coverage that is at least as generous as the standard Medicare drug benefit and receive tax-free subsidies equal to 28 percent of allowable drug costs between $250 and $5,000 per retiree in 2006. Firms also could choose to provide drug coverage that supplements Medicare's coverage and not receive the subsidy; they could become a Medicare prescription drug plan; or they could terminate drug and/or other medical retiree health benefits altogether.
December 7, 2005
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Report: Charity care up at area hospitals
More low-income uninsured people are getting free care at area hospitals, according to the Virginia Health Information's 2005 Industry Report, which looks at hospital performance for the previous year.
December 2, 2005
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch
American’s health continues to improve; obesity, uninsured remain concerns
The health of the American people has improved 18.4% since 1990 based on 18 measures analyzed in a new report by the United Health Foundation, American Public Health Association and Partnership for Prevention. Improvements nationally include a 40% decrease in the incidence of infectious disease, 34% decrease in the infant mortality rate, 30% decline in the prevalence of smoking, and 18% decline in the death rate for cardiovascular disease. While all states showed some positive change in overall health score since 1990, 21 states exceeded the national improvement rate, with Oregon, Vermont, California, Alaska and New York improving more than 25%. Since 2004, 23 states increased their overall score, with Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, New Jersey and Oregon showing the greatest improvement. However, national increases in the prevalence of obesity and the uninsured are slowing improvement, the report notes. The 16th annual report was released at the APHA’s annual meeting in Philadelphia.
December 2005
Source: United Health Foundation
Business group issues behavioral health guide for employers
The National Business Group on Health today released a guide to help employers develop benefit plans that provide “affordable and effective” behavioral health care services for their employees. Developed by an expert panel convened by the organization in January 2004 with funding by the Department of Health and Human Services, the guide seeks to help employers maximize the quality, effectiveness and appropriateness of their behavioral health benefits, noting that depression and other mental illness and substance abuse disorders are a major cause of lost productivity and absenteeism. “These recommendations will help employers and employees receive much higher quality and value for their substantial investment in behavioral health benefits,” said Helen Darling, president of the organization, which represents 240 mostly large employers.
December 2005
Source: National Business Group on Health
Survey: consumer-driven health plans less favored than traditional plans
Americans enrolled in medical coverage plans designed to make them more aware of healthcare costs are less satisfied and more likely to put off medical care than those enrolled in traditional plans, a survey released last week said. The survey offers a look at consumer-driven health plans, which U.S. insurers are embracing as part of their growth strategies. These plans combine high deductibles with tax-preferred savings accounts or employer-funded accounts, which consumers use to pay for their medical care. According to the survey, more than 70 percent of those enrolled in consumer-driven programs said their plans made them consider costs when deciding to see a doctor or fill a prescription compared with fewer than 40 percent of those enrolled in traditional plans, which had lower deductibles.
December 2005
Source: The Commonwealth Fund
Only one-fifth of ‘non-standard’ workers have health insurance through jobs
Just 21% of the estimated 34 million U.S. workers in part-time, temporary or contract jobs have health insurance through their employer, according to a study issued today by the Commonwealth Fund. More than 40% of these so-called “non-standard” workers reported being uninsured currently or at some point in the previous 12 months, while 18% of their children and 16% of their spouses were uninsured. About 5% of non-standard workers are covered by Medicaid or Medicare, and 10% of their children and 6% of their spouses rely on public health insurance for coverage, the study indicates.
December 2005
Source: The Commonwealth Fund
Maryland Health Care Commission Approves Change to Standard Health Benefits Package Small Businesses Must Offer, Removing Requirement To Cover Brand-Name Prescription Drugs
The Maryland Health Care Commission on Tuesday approved a plan to remove most prescription drug coverage from the required-benefits package for small companies that offer group health insurance, "with the expectation" that most employers will offer additional drug benefits, the Baltimore Sun reports.
November 23, 2005
Source: Kaisernetwork.org
Health Savings Accounts Growing in Popularity
It's open enrollment season and more people than ever are being offered the chance to sign up for a Health Savings Account (HSA) in conjunction with a high deductible health plan. Research has identified factors that influence take-up; including wages, premiums, health status, and education level. Findings raise questions about adverse selection, decision-making ability, and usefulness as a savings tool.
November 18, 2005
Source: Health Care Financing & Organization
Growth In Uninsured Americans Outpacing Federal Spending On The Health Care Safety Net
At a policy briefing examining the latest health coverage trends and the implications for the nation’s health care safety net, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) highlighted five reports that profile the growing uninsured population and portray the health care safety net as increasingly straining to meet uninsured people’s needs.
November 4, 2005
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Survey says U.S. patients pay more, get less than those in other Western nations (free registration req'd)
Americans pay more when they get sick than people in other Western nations and get more confused, error-prone treatment, according to the largest survey to compare U.S. healthcare with other nations. The survey of nearly 7,000 sick adults in the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Britain and Germany found Americans were the most likely to pay at least $1,000 in out-of-pocket expenses. More than half went without needed care because of cost and more than one-third endured mistakes and disorganized care when they did get treated. Although patients in every nation sometimes run into obstacles to getting care and deficiencies when they do get treated, the United States stood out for having the highest error rates, most disorganized care and highest costs, the survey found.
November 4, 2005
Source: Washington Post
Study examines impact of economic changes on health coverage over time
The number of uninsured Americans rose by 6 million people between 2000 and 2004, driven by a decline in employer-based coverage at a time when the nation lost 2.6 million jobs, according to a study published online today by Health Affairs. About two-thirds of the increase in uninsurance occurred among people below 200% of the federal poverty level, and about half was among those aged 19-34. Although children experienced declines in employer-based coverage comparable to those for adults, their loss of coverage was more than offset by increases in public health coverage for children, the study notes.
November 1, 2005
Source: Health Affairs
Study finds lack of insurance, not preferences, keep uninsured people from getting care
According to a study released by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), insured and uninsured people share similar perceptions about the need to see a medical provider when they experience a serious new medical symptom. However, among individuals who recognized they needed care, the uninsured were less than half as likely to seek treatment. "The study underscores that lack of insurance—not different perceptions or preferences—is the major factor that keeps people from getting care when they develop a serious new symptom," said Paul B. Ginsburg, Ph.D., president of HSC.
October 2005
Source: Center for Studying Health System Change
Poll finds broad voter support for reducing nation’s uninsured
Ensuring access to health care is a top priority for American voters, according to a survey released today by Ceasefire on Health Care, a campaign spearheaded by former Sen. John Breaux that promotes bipartisan and incremental change to reduce the nation's uninsured. Ensuring all children have access to basic health care was the top health care priority identified by Republicans, Independents and Democrats in the national survey conducted Sept. 29-Oct. 2. Independents and Democrats ranked guaranteeing health care for all Americans the second most important issue, while Republicans ranked better preventive care second.
October 10, 2005
Source: Ceasefire on Health Care
KCMU Brief Examines Whether Medicaid/SCHIP Premium Assistance Programs Are Cost-Effective
A new Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) issue brief examines the structure and cost-effectiveness of premium assistance programs (use of Medicaid/SCHIP funds to subsidize private insurance coverage) implemented under section 1115 waivers in Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Utah.
October 6, 2005
Source: Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
Companies collaborate to enroll uninsured workers in coverage program
Seventeen employers recently began enrolling uninsured workers and their families in a new health insurance program announced early this year by the HR Policy Association, which represents human resource executives at large U.S. companies. The National Health Access program offers six levels of health insurance coverage through UnitedHealthGroup, Humana and CIGNA HealthCare to part-time, temporary and contract workers, spouses and dependents ineligible for company-subsidized plans. Monthly premiums vary depending on level of coverage. The association estimates up to 1.25 million workers and dependents are eligible to participate in the initial program, which organizers expect will grow as more companies join the initiative.
October 4, 2005
Source: HR Policy Association
Program Offers Health Care for Some Part-Time Workers (free registration required)
Dozens of part-time workers at six large companies have begun to sign up for low-cost, limited health benefits in a new national program for uninsured employees.
October 4, 2005
Source: New York Times
Downsizing health coverage
"Firms in highly competitive product markets with mainly low-income workers are likely to be soon priced out of health insurance altogether," says Princeton health care economist Uwe Reinhardt. "Wal-Mart is an example of this type of business, or fast-food outlets, etc." Under current cost trends, the lower one-third of U.S. wage-earners are likely to lose coverage within a decade, says Reinhardt, who has served on commissions overseeing Medicare and Medicaid. Many of those who retain coverage will be unable to afford co-payments, making doctors and hospitals the insurers of last resort for an ever-growing segment of the population. Reinhardt is not alone in his assessment.
September 2005
Source: Hospitals & Health Networks
The uninsured won't stay hidden
The need for a universal health plan grows stronger with each policy cancellation by employers.
September 25, 2005
Source: The Roanoke Times
Business leaders troubled by health insurance costs
Rising health insurance costs are forcing businesses of all sizes to pass a growing portion of premiums, co-payments or deductibles on to their employees, according to a new poll of business leaders, nearly 80% of which said they fear their employees won’t be able to afford it. The poll of 600 business owners and benefit managers, released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, found that companies expect health insurance costs to jump an additional 12% over the next year, and that business owners will ask their employees to pay an average of 21% of this increase.
September 14, 2005
Source: Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
Study: Dollars drive access to health care in U.S.
After being treated in a emergency room for an urgent condition, Americans with private health insurance are much more likely to secure a timely follow-up appointment with a community doctor than those with Medicaid or no health insurance, a study shows.
September 14, 2005
Source: Reuters
Survey Finds Steady Decline In Businesses Offering Health Benefits To Workers Since 2000
The percentage of businesses offering health insurance to their workers has declined steadily over the last five years as the cost of providing coverage continues to outpace inflation and wage growth, according to the 2005 Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and Health Research and Educational Trust. The survey found that three in five firms (60%) offered coverage to workers in 2005, down significantly from 69% in 2000 and 66% in 2003. The drop stems almost entirely from fewer small businesses offering health benefits, as nearly all businesses (98%) with 200 or more workers offer such benefits.
September 14, 2005
Source: The Kaiser Familiy Foundation
For Healthier Workers and a Healthier Nation
Sensible options exist to transform a ruinously expensive and inadequate medical insurance system into efficient, universal coverage.
September 5, 2005
Source: The Roanoake Times
The Healthcare Crunch: How Americans Pay Medical Bills
A three-day series in USA Today based on the results of The Health Care Costs Survey based on a nationally representative sample of 1,531 adults ages 18 years and older, conducted between April 25 and June 9, 2005.
August 30 - September 1, 2005
Source: USA Today
Uninsured total up, even as government rolls also grow (subscription required)
The number of uninsured Americans rose to 45.8 million in 2004 from 45 million in 2003, while the percentage held at 15.7%, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
August 31, 2005
Source: ModernHealthcare.com
WSJ health care poll reveals insured trends
A Wall Street Journal Online/Harris Interactive poll says nearly one in every six people with health insurance goes to medical providers who don't take their coverage. More than half of insured people who were surveyed say they would consider going to a provider not covered by their plan, if that provider got high marks from a trusted reference. (subscription required)
August 30, 2005
Source: Wall Street Journal
Healthcare costs and access problems expected to grow according to HSC
Many developments in local health care markets appear to be setting the stage for additional health care cost increases and access-to-care problems, according to initial findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2005 site visits to 12 nationally representative communities. Hospitals and physicians are competing more broadly and intensely for profitable specialty services, making costly investments to expand capacity and offer the latest medical technologies, especially in more affluent areas with well insured populations. Employers and health plans have launched few initiatives to control rising costs beyond increasing patient cost sharing. As rapidly rising costs continue to push private health insurance out of reach for more people, state and local governments are struggling to meet the needs of low-income people and an increasing number of uninsured people.
August 24, 2005
Source: Center for Studying Health Systems Change
Market Changes Set Stage for Growing Health Care Cost and Access Problems: Hospitals and Physicians Intensify Competition for Profitable Specialty Services
Fierce competition among hospitals and physicians for profitable specialty services is driving costly inpatient and outpatient expansions, especially in more affluent areas with well-insured populations, according to initial findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change's (HSC) 2005 site visits to 12 nationally representative communities.
August 24, 2005
Source: The Center for Studying Health System Change
In Meeting With Economic Advisers, President Bush Expresses Concern About Health Costs' Effect on Economy
President Bush on Tuesday in Texas said that increased health care costs represent one of the largest concerns for the U.S. economy, Bloomberg/Philadelphia Inquirer reports.
August 10, 2005
Source: KaiserNetwork.org
DOL reports on private health plan participation
Just over half of workers in private industry participated in employer-sponsored health plans in 2005, although seven in 10 workers had access to such plans, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Most employees were in plans requiring employee contributions, with average monthly premiums of $68.96 for single coverage and $273.03 for family coverage, according to the National Compensation Survey. Employer contributions to monthly premiums averaged $252.22 for single coverage and $575.77 for family coverage. About 63% of private establishments offered health care benefits.
August 2005
Source: U.S. Department of Labor
Seeing, at last, the problem of health care
An editorial from The Roanoake Times discussing national health insurance.
August, 2005
AHRQ issues new data on the uninsured
More than one in three Hispanics under age 65 was uninsured in 2004, according to federal survey data released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. That compares with about one in five African Americans and one in seven whites, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey indicates. Overall, 19% of working-aged adults were uninsured and 12% of children. "These results confirm the urgency of identifying effective policies to expand access to care for all Americans, particularly Hispanics," said AHRQ Director Carolyn Clancy, M.D. "The MEPS is a unique resource for evaluating the impact of proposed solutions for different populations."
August 9, 2005
Source: AHRQ
Most adults would skip a raise to maintain their health insurance benefits
U.S. adults whose employers provide them with health insurance are more likely to say that their health insurance benefits have gotten worse over the last two or three years compared to their salary or their retirement benefits. At the same time, an increasing number of adults with employer-provided health insurance say that maintaining or improving their current level of health insurance is more important to them than getting a decent pay increase and that if faced with a choice, they would choose to forego a pay increase but maintain their current health insurance benefits, according to a Harris Interactive® online survey.
August 4, 2005
Souce: Harris Interactive
New Research Finds One in Three Uninsured Children Had No Medical Care for an Entire Year
One-third (32.9 percent) of uninsured children in America went without medical care for an entire year, a new report shows. Conversely, nearly 88 percent of their insured counterparts received care during the same period. These and other findings of Going Without: America's Uninsured Children were released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) during a kick-off event for the Covering Kids & Families Back-to-School Campaign, a nationwide effort to enroll eligible children in public coverage programs during the back-to-school season.
August 2, 2005
Source: The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
AHRQ report focuses on employer-sponsored health coverage
Americans with employer-provided health insurance paid 79% more on average for that coverage in 2003 than in 1996, the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality reports. Adjusted for inflation, that’s a 51.2% increase over seven years, AHRQ said. The average employee contributed $2,283 for family coverage in 2003, up from $1,275 in 1996. Over the same period, the average employer’s contribution for a private-sector employee with family coverage increased by 89.3%, 59.9% when adjusted for inflation, to $6,966 from $3,679. The data is from the AHRQ’s annual Medical Expenditures Panel Survey.
July 2005
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
Report: Hispanic children's health lags
Hispanic children are less likely than other children to have health insurance or recommended vaccinations, disparities that a government study says will be magnified in the coming years by the nation's changing demographics.
July 20, 2005
Source: CNN
Many Large U.S. Companies Likely To Shift More Health Care Costs to Employees Next Year, Survey Finds
More than three-fourths of large U.S. companies next year likely will require employees to pay more for health insurance and about one-fourth likely will reduce wage increases for employees because of increased health care costs, according to a survey released on Monday by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports.
July 18, 2005
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Health Care Costs Slow Company Profits
Half of large U.S. companies said that increased health care costs have contributed to slower profit growth and as a result more than 75 percent may ask employees to bear an even greater share of the cost, according to a new study by PricewaterhouseCoopers released Monday. Many companies are likely to ask workers to pay more for their insurance while rising health care costs means companies may dole out lower raises.
July 18, 2005
Source: Richmond Times-Dispatch
More Than One in Four Non-elderly Women Delay or Forgo Medical Care Due to Costs
Large Percentages of Women Say Their Doctors Haven’t Talked About Diet, Exercise, Smoking, STDs, or HIV

Washington, D.C. – A new national survey of women on their health finds that a substantial percentage of women cannot afford to go to the doctor or get prescriptions filled. Although a majority of women are in good health and satisfied with their health care, many have health problems and do not get adequate levels of preventive care. For those who are sick, poor, or uninsured, the challenges are magnified. The Kaiser Family Foundation report, Women and Health Care: A National Profile, is based on a national survey of 2,766 women age 18 and older.

The report and materials from the briefing are available online at http://www.kff.org/womenshealth/whp070705pkg.cfm .
An archived webcast of the briefing will be available after 5:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, July 7 at
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/healthcast/kff/07july05 .
July 7, 2005
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Massachusetts Governor Proposes Compulsory Insurance Plan
Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) on Tuesday in a Boston Herald opinion piece detailed a proposal to make health insurance compulsory, the Herald reports. Romney said that the system would spread health care costs more evenly and argued that programs would be affordable to all. There are an estimated 532,000 Massachusetts residents who lack health insurance, or approximately 9% of the population. Massachusetts' uninsured rate is the fourth lowest in the United States
June 21, 2005
Source: Kaiser Family Foundation
Governors Offer Congress Sweeping Bipartisan Medicaid Reform Plan
The National Governors Association "offered sweeping bipartisan proposals" to Congress on how to "rein in" Medicaid growth, reports the New York Times. Democratic Governor Mark Warner of Virginia, chairman of the association, and Republican Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas said states would be allowed to charge higher copayments, design different benefit packages for different beneficiaries and receive larger discounts on drugs.
June 16, 2005
Source: Covertheuninsuredweek.org
Paying a Premium: The Added Cost of Care for the Uninsured
Premiums for employer-provided health insurance on average will cost an extra $922 for family coverage and $341 for individual coverage in 2005 to cover the unpaid expenses of health care for the uninsured, according to a study released today by Families USA. The study estimates that nearly 48 million Americans will be uninsured for the entire year in 2005, and that the cost of uncompensated care provided to the uninsured will exceed $43 billion nationally.
June 8, 2005
Source: Families USA
Consumer-Directed" Health Plans: Implications for Health Care Quality and Cost
Health care premiums comprise a growing percentage of corporate spending, leading employers – large and small – to search for new ways to contain costs. Employers are adding high-deductible health plans, personal health care spending accounts, such as Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), and tiered benefit designs to their plan offerings. This report provides an overview of trends in the adoption of these consumer-directed approaches, and a synthesis of what is known about their effectiveness.
June 2005
Source: California Health Care Foundation
Read the Executive summary
Read the Full report
Health Care Workforce Study Reveals Shortages, Fragmentation in Education and Training; New Regional Effort to Address Challenges is Recommended
A first-ever, region-wide study of workforce supply and demand in 23 health care professions documents significant health care workforce shortages. Released today by the Greater Washington Board of Trade’s Health Care Task Force, the study, entitled "Who Cares? Examining Greater Washington’s Health Care Workforce" is part of the Board of Trade’s ongoing work to manage rising health care costs and improve the quality of care for area employees.
June 2, 2005
Source: Greater Washington Board of Trade
Association Launches Web Site To Offer Information on Coverage Options
The National Association of Health Underwriters recently launched a Web site that provides information on health insurance options for low-income U.S. residents and those who change jobs or have pre-existing health problems, the Green Bay Press-Gazette reports. The Web site provides a state-by-state list of public health insurance programs, such as Medicaid and SCHIP, for low-income residents and lists 32 states that offer high-risk health insurance pools for those with pre-existing health problems.
May 23, 2005
Source: Green Bay Press-Gazzette
States in Action: A Quarterly Look at Innovations in Health Policy
This newsletter identifies and describes innovative state programs across the country. The first issue highlights strategies for purchasing care, building on employer-based coverage, and expanding county-based coverage. Future issues will examine efforts to improve the quality and efficiency of care and continue to spotlight strategies to expand coverage. Existing programs as well as new initiatives will be highlighted.
May, 2005
Source: The Commonwealth Fund
May 2005 AcademyHealth St@teside Monthly E-Newsletter
AcademyHealth is the national program office for State Coverage Initiatives, an initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
May, 2005
Source: State Coverage Initiatives
Report proposes plan for universal health coverage
A report today by the Century Foundation proposes a new national health insurance system to cover all Americans. Under the proposal, the federal government would negotiate with private insurers, set minimum benefit packages for several levels of care, and give every American an annual sum to contribute to the health plan of their choice.
May 5, 2005
Source: The Century Foundation
Young Adults Without Health Insurance Increased by More Than Two Million Over Three Years
More than 13 million young adults lacked health insurance in 2003, an increase of 2.2 million since 2000, according to a report by the Commonwealth Fund. Many of the jobs available to younger workers are low wage or temporary, which typically do not come with benefits, the report notes. Young adults from low-income families are especially likely to lack coverage, with nearly half of 19-29 year-olds in households under the poverty level uninsured.
May 4, 2005
Source: The Commonwealth Fund
Millions of uninsured adults forgo needed treatment for chronic conditions (pdf)
Nearly half of the more than 15 million uninsured U.S. adults with chronic health conditions forgo needed medical care or prescription drugs due to cost, leaving them at serious risk for increased health problems, according to a report released today by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of Cover the ninsured Week.
May 2005
Source: Cover the Uninsured Week
Working but Uninsured: Millions of Employed Americans Uninsured and Unable to Get Medical Care (pdf)
State-by-State Analysis Shows Extent of Problem; 41% of Uninsured Adults Unable to See a Doctor When Needed Due to Cost. U.S. Senators Launch ‘Cover the Uninsured Week,’ Chaired by Presidents Ford and Carter
April 27, 2005
Source: Cover the Uninsured Week
Characteristics of the Uninsured: A View from the States (pdf)
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) commissioned the State Health Access Data Assistance
Center (SHADAC), located at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, to develop a
comprehensive state-by-state analysis of Americans without health care coverage.
April 27, 2005
Source: Cover the Uninsured Week
Number of Uninsured May Be Overstated, Studies Suggest
The number of Americans without health insurance — one of the most watched and worrisome indicators of economic well-being — may be overstated by as much as 20%, according to research conducted for the government.
April 26, 2005
Source: Los Angeles Times
Survey examines consumer-directed health insurance market
A new survey conducted for the AHA and Federation of American Hospitals sheds light on the fast-growing "consumer-directed" segment of the health insurance market, including health reimbursement and health savings accounts. The representative survey of health insurers found that 95% of HSA and HRA enrollees have access to their insurer's existing provider network and negotiated rates, and that HSA enrollment tends to be concentrated in the individual and small group markets, while HRAs are more common in the large group markets.
April 20, 2005
Source: AHA
New Discount Prescription Program -- "Program Launched to Assist
Growing Number of Uninsured"
The Merck Uninsured Discount Card Program will begin on April 25, 2005. The program will offer discounts on Merck medicines, and will be available to all uninsured patients, regardless of age or income.
April 18, 2005
Source: Market Wire
Thompson prescribes solutions to nation's health coverage crisis
At a business summit on health care today in Detroit, former U.S. Health and Human Services secretary and Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson offered recommendations for addressing the escalating cost of public and private health insurance coverage. Thompson said every company must get involved in disease prevention and should receive credit from insurers for such practices, noting that chronic diseases account for a large share of health care costs.
April 15, 2005
Source: AHA News
Number of Uninsured Americans to Reach 55 Million by 2013
Researchers at the University of California, San Diego, predict that the rate of uninsured nonelderly workers will increase by 4 percent to 27.8 percent in 2013. The researchers examined several different factors influencing the number of uninsured, but they conclude that the most influential factor is the relationship of health spending to personal income.
April 5, 2005
Source: Health Affairs
More than one in four workers could be uninsured by 2013, study finds
A study published online today by Health Affairs projects that the number of uninsured Americans could increase by 11 million to total nearly 56 million people by 2013 as workers find health care coverage increasingly unaffordable. The estimate is based on federal projections of health spending, personal income and other population characteristics, which suggest the uninsurance rate among nonelderly workers could increase to 27.8%, the researchers said.
April 5, 2005
Source: Health Affairs
Researchers Propose Plan for Universal Coverage
The Center for American Progress today published a proposal for universal health coverage that would give employers and employees the option of enrolling in an insurance pool modeled on the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program, expand Medicaid coverage to more adults, and increase the federal government's contribution to state Medicaid programs. Every American would be expected to enroll in a health insurance plan through their employer, the new insurance pool or Medicaid, or pay an income-based assessment.
March 23, 2005
Source: Health Affairs
Study Points to Drop in Employer-Sponsored Health Coverage for Retirees (pdf)
Continued erosion of employer-sponsored retiree health insurance means that few American workers will receive health benefits from their private employer when they retire, according to an analysis released today by the Employee Benefit Research Institute. The report predicts effects of the trend will become noticeable when the baby boom generation starts to retire and will pose a major public policy challenge given the fiscal pressures facing the Medicare program.
March 2005
Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute
Governors Meeting Ends in Stalemate with Administration over Medicaid
Bush wants quick consensus, but governors say agreement will take time. Medicaid "has taken on a greater sense of urgency" as the Bush administration looks to it as a way to cut the federal budget, while governors worry that cuts will further strain their budgets.
February 28, 2005
Source: Covertheuninsuredweek

SCI Releases States of the States 2005
State Coverage Intiatives is pleased to announce the release of State of the States: Finding Alternate Routes. This annual report tells the story of state health coverage activities from the previous year. Despite continued state financial pressure, rising insurance premiums, and increasing numbers of uninsured, states continued to develop strategies to expand health insurance coverage in 2004.
February 16, 2005
Source: State Coverage Initiatives

Employer-Based Coverage Declines among Low-Income Groups
Health insurance rates changed little among non-elderly black, Latino, and white Americans between 2001 and 2003, but sources of coverage shifted among these groups, according to a 2004 Center for Studying Health System Change Community Tracking Study, a nationally representative survey that includes data on 47,000 people.
February 16, 2005
Source: State Coverage Initiatives

Middle-Class Families Opting for Public Health Insurance Plans for Children
SCHIP burdens are increasing as employer-based coverage becomes unaffordable. Faced with paying more for their own coverage, more middle-class Americans are enrolling their children in public health insurance programs rather than the more expensive plans offered by their employers in a trend that "ultimately will cost publicly funded state and federal programs billions of dollars," and could lead to higher premiums for private health insurance, reports the Wall Street Journal.
February 15, 2005
Source: The Wall Street Journal

More Public Colleges Mandating That Students Have Health Coverage
Up to 30 percent of students are uninsured and at risk of unaffordable bills. Though most public universities do not require students to have health insurance, a growing number are mandating coverage to save the uninsured from "huge bills and college hospitals from getting stuck with the cost," reports the Associated Press.
February 14, 2005
Source: The Associated Press

MarketWatch: Illness And Injury As Contributors To Bankruptcy
According to this study, medical problems contributed to about half of all bankruptcies in 2001. Most of those bankrupted by medical problems had health insurance, although one-third of those with private insurance had lost coverage at least temporarily by the time they filed for bankruptcy.
February 2, 2005
Source: Health Affairs

60 Companies Plan to Sponsor Health Coverage for Uninsured
(Registration to New York Times online is Required to View this Article - Registration is Free of Charge)
Sixty large employers, including General Motors, IBM, McDonald's and Sears, Roebuck, are joining together to sponsor array of low-cost health insurance options intended to cover part-time and temporary workers, contractors, consultants and early retirees, who typically are not eligible for employer health plans.
January 27, 2005
Source: The New York Times

Dates for Cover The Uninsured Week 2005 Announced!
Final Medicare Prescription Drug Rules Announced
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson today announced the final regulations establishing the new Medicare prescription drug benefit and improved access to health care services through Medicare.
Jan 21, 2005
Source: HHS Press office
Drug Discounts for Uninsured
Ten drug manufacturers announced a new discount program Tuesday that they say could help low-income uninsured Americans save as much as 25 - 40 percent on some brand-name prescription medications.
January 12, 2005
Source: CBS News
Together RX Access Card
Statement by Tommy G. Thompson Secretary of Health and Human Services In Support of the Together Rx Access Card Announcement
January 11, 2005
Source: HHS Press Office

Employers Focusing on Healthcare Cost and Quality Transparency
A survey of more than 500 major U.S. employers shows that shifting costs to the consumer, while still a growing trend, is no longer seen as adequate to address rising healthcare costs. As a result, employers are turning to employee education, management and wellness programs, and improving the amount and quality of data available on healthcare costs and quality.
January 10, 2005
Source: Hewitt Associates

VHI Publishes Virginia HMO Quality and Performance Information
The VHI information covers a broad range of HMO performance in six areas and includes almost seventy separate measures. Key areas of HMO performance are compared including access to care, effectiveness of care, disease prevention, member satisfaction and financial performance.
January 4, 2005
Source: Virginia Health Information