Health Issues
This page offers an easy way for policymakers to access health research and analysis that is relevant to current Congressional agendas. For more in-depth information, visit the Health Research Area. For additional information, to request documents, or to arrange a briefing, contact the RAND Office of Congressional Relations at ocr@rand.org or (703) 413-1100 x5395.
Downloadable PDF fact sheets, publication profiles, and newsletters require free Adobe Acrobat Reader version 5.0 or higher to view.
Newsletters
RAND regularly sends newsletters to update Congress on highlights of recent work about health.
To view the topics of each newsletter, place your cursor over the month to see a list of work featured in that issue (requires Javascript).
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Health Newsletter 2009: 2008: 2007: 2006: 2005: 2004 (PDF): 2003 (PDF): |
Testimony
October 28, 2009: Legalizing Marijuana: Issues to Consider Before Reforming California State Law
By Rosalie Liccardo Pacula
Testimony presented before the California State Assembly Public Safety Committee.
October 27, 2009: Issues in "Meaningful Use" of Health Information Technology for Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
By Harold Alan Pincus
Testimony presented before the Health Information Technology Policy Committee of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology.
April 29, 2009: Gauging Future Demand for Veterans' Health Care: Does the VA Have the Forecasting Tools It Needs?
By Katherine M. Harris
Testimony presented before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee.
March 24, 2009: Assessing Combat Exposure and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Troops and Estimating the Costs to Society: Implications from the RAND Invisible Wounds of War Study
By Terri Tanielian
Testimony presented before the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs.
September 23, 2008: Health Insurance Market Rating Practices
By John Bertko
Testimony presented before the Senate Finance Committee.
July 17, 2008: The Potential Benefits and Costs of Increased Adoption of Health Information Technology
By Richard Hillestad
Testimony presented before the Senate Finance Committee.
June 30, 2008: Assessing Health and Health Care in the District of Columbia
By Carole Gresenz
Testimony presented before the DC City Council Committee on Health.
Testimony unavailable - oral remarks only.
June 12, 2008: Invisible Wounds of War: Quantifying the Societal Costs of Psychological and Cognitive Injuries
By Christine Eibner
Testimony presented before the Joint Economic Committee.
June 11, 2008: Invisible Wounds of War: Recommendations for Addressing Psychological and Cognitive Injuries
By Terri Tanielian
Testimony presented before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
June 11, 2008: Invisible Wounds of War: Summary of Key Findings on Psychological and Cognitive Injuries
By Lisa H. Jaycox
Testimony presented before the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
June 3, 2008: The Case for Keeping Quality on the Health Reform Agenda
By Elizabeth A. McGlynn
Testimony presented before the Senate Committee on Finance.
April 2, 2008: Availability of Drinking Water in California Public Schools
By Mark A. Schuster
Testimony presented before the California State Assembly Subcommittee on Education.
March 12, 2008: What Research Tells Us About the Reasonableness of the Current Priorities of National Drug Control
By Rosalie Liccardo Pacula
Testimony presented before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Subcommittee on Domestic Policy.
September 12, 2007: Protecting Emergency Responders at Large-Scale Incidents: Lessons Learned from the Response to the Attacks on the World Trade Center
By Brian A. Jackson
Testimony presented before the House Education and Labor Committee.
June 20, 2007: Perspective on B17-076
By Nicole Lurie
Written testimony submitted to the Council of the District of Columbia, Committee on Health.
March 28, 2006: Public Health Preparedness in the 21st Century
By Nicole Lurie
Testimony presented before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Subcommittee on Bioterrorism and Public Health Preparedness.
September 20, 2005: Consumer-Directed Health Plans: Research on Implications for Health Care Quality and Cost
By Cheryl M. Damberg
Testimony presented to the California Department of Insurance.
April 21, 2005: Initiatives to Control Military Health Costs
By S. D. Hosek
Testimony presented to the Senate Committee on Armed Services, Subcommittee on Personnel.
February 28, 2005: Public Health Preparedness in California: Lessons from Seven Jurisdiction
By Jeffrey Wasserman
Testimony presented to the California State Assembly Budget Committee, Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
Briefings
For more information on these and other Congressional briefings, please contact the Office of Congressional Relations.
The H1N1 Pandemic: Lessons Learned from the Cities Readiness Initiative
Presented by Christopher Nelson and Edward Chan
September 14, 2009
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
View the Video 
Listen to the Audio
Health Care Cost Growth and the Economic Performance of U.S. Industries
Presented by Neeraj Sood
August 24, 2009
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
210 Cannon House Building
Options for Controlling Health Care Spending in Massachusetts
Presented by Christine Eibner
August 17, 2009
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
210 Cannon House Building
View the Video Listen to the Audio
Assessing Disparities Faced by Boys and Men of Color
Presented by M. Rebecca Kilburn
August 10, 2009
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
268 Capitol Visitor Center, North Congressional Meeting Room
Korea's Experience in Harmonizing Public and Private Health Insurance Systems for Universal Coverage
Panelists: Michael Rich, RAND Corporation
Jae Hee Jeon, Minister for Health, Welfare, and Family Affairs, Republic of Korea
Woojin Chung, Health Insurance Policy Research Institute
Yo Han In, Medical Center for the Foreign Patients, Yonsei Hospital
Melinda Beeuwkes Buntin, RAND Health
Moderators: Tom McNaugher and Chaibong Hahm, RAND Center for Asia Pacific Policy
July 15, 2009
2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
212 Capitol Visitors Center
The Economic Cost of Methamphetamine Use in the United States
Presented by Rosalie Liccardo Pacula
July 13, 2009
1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
2247 Rayburn House Office Building
Invisible Wounds of War: Psychological and Cognitive Injuries, Their Consequences, and Services to Assist Recovery
Presented by Terri Tanielian
April 28, 2008
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
The Lyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Room
S-211, The United States Capitol
Better Understanding the Health Insurance Issues that Small Firms Face
Presented by Susan Gates and Christine Eibner
April 4, 2008
1:00 A.M. – Noon
304 Cannon House Office Building
Healthy Passages: Racial/Ethnic Disparities in the Health Behaviors and Experiences of 5th Graders
Presented by Marc N. Elliott and Mark A. Schuster
March 18, 2008
1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
304 Cannon House Office Building
Pandemic Influenza Preparedness in Southeast Asia and the Middle East
Presented by Melinda Moore
March 10, 2008
1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Pay for Performance: What You Need to Know Before Making Policy
Presented by Cheryl Damberg
December 3, 2007
1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.
304 Cannon House Office Building
Measuring State and Local Public Health Preparedness
Presented by Christopher Nelson
September 10, 2007
1:00 P.M. — 2:00 P.M.
430 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Gender Disparities in Cardiovascular Care
Presented by Dr. Chloe Bird
May 21, 2007
12:00 P.M.
902 Hart Senate Office Building
Learning from Natural Disasters: Public Health Responses to Hurricane Katrina and International Disaster Management Successes
Presented by Dr. Jeanne Ringel and Dr. Melinda Moore
May 18, 2007
10:00 A.M. — 11:00 A.M.
Mansfield Room
S-207, the U.S. Capitol
What Does Pandemic Flu Teach Us About Public Health Preparedness?
Presented by Nicole Lurie
April 20, 2007
10:00 A.M. — 11:00 A.M.
1539 Longworth House Office Building
How Does State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Coverage Affect Children's Quality of Life?
Presented by Michael Seid
March 12, 2007
3:00 P.M. — 4:00 P.M.
2257 Rayburn House Office Building
How The Children Of The Gulf Hurricanes Are Faring: Their Mental And Academic Health
Presented by John Pane and Lisa Jaycox
June 23, 2006
10:00 A.M.
HC-7 in the Capitol Building
Who Is At Greatest Risk for Receiving Poor Quality Health Care?
Presented by Dr. Elizabeth McGlynn
May 8, 2006
12:00 P.M. — 1:30 P.M.
2253 Rayburn House Office Building
Budgeting for an AIDS-Free Nation: An Examination of the Federal AIDS Prevention Budget
Hosted by The AIDS Institute, amFAR AIDS Research, the National Alliance of State and Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), and HIV Prevention Action Committee of the Federal AIDS Policy Partnership, featuring Deborah Cohen
March 1, 2006
9:30 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.
485 Russell Senate Office Building
Fact Sheets
The following PDF fact sheets encapsulate selected RAND publications, creating quick and easy references on a variety of health policy issues.
South Los Angeles Ban on Fast-Food Chains Misses the Mark — Nov. 10, 2009
Electronic Health Records are Associated with Higher Quality in Primary Care Practices — Oct. 29, 2009
Hold the Salt: Lowering Sodium Intake Would Improve Health and Save Money — Oct. 15, 2009
Rural Hospitals Struggle to Attract Patients and Remain Viable — Oct. 14, 2009
Using Civilian Facilities to Maintain Military Medical Skills — Sep. 1, 2009
Risk Communication in the Early Stages of the H1N1 (Swine Flu) Alert: How Effective Were State and Local Public Health Departments? — Aug. 13, 2009
Health Care Cost Growth and the Economic Performance of U.S. Industries — Aug. 5, 2009
Expanding Access to Mental Health Counselors Under TRICARE — Jul. 27, 2009
When Drug Cost-Sharing Increases, Patients Newly Diagnosed with a Chronic Illness Delay Starting Medication — Jul. 2, 2009
Enhancing Interoperability Among Enlisted Medical Personnel in the U.S. Military: A Case Study of Military Surgical Technologists — Jun. 3, 2009
Improving Mental Health Care for Returning Veterans — May 14, 2009
The Department of Defense Can Improve Its Response to and Management of Anthrax Incidents — Apr. 20, 2009
Improving Mass Delivery of Antiretroviral Therapy in Sub-Saharan Africa — Apr. 14, 2009
A Step Forward in Accountability for Public Health Emergency Preparedness: Developing Standards for Mass Antibiotic Dispensing — Nov. 13, 2008
Exposure to Sex on TV May Increase the Chance of Teen Pregnancy — Nov. 3, 2008
A National Health Information Network -- What Are the Real Privacy Issues? — Aug. 27, 2008
Do Neighborhood Economic Conditions Influence the Consumption of Fruits and Vegetables? — Aug. 13, 2008
The Behavioral Health Care System Is Poised for Change — Aug. 13, 2008
Life Expectancy Is Better Than Age as a General Predictor of Health Care Expenditures — Jul. 17, 2008
Validating the Link Between Good Physician Process of Care and Better Health-Related Quality of Life for Patients — Jul. 10, 2008
Insurance Companies' Fears of Covering Acupuncture Appear Unfounded — Jul. 10, 2008
Pathways to Obesity: Are People "Hardwired" to Overeat? — Jun. 17, 2008
Constrained Choice: Why Are Some Women and Men Able To Create and Maintain Healthy Lifestyles, While Others Are Not? — Apr. 17, 2008
Delivery of Genomic Medicine for Common Chronic Adult Diseases — Apr. 16, 2008
Why People Overeat: Rethinking the Causes of Obesity — Feb. 14, 2008
Immigrants and Health Care: A Complex Picture — Jan. 21, 2008
Teens Who Work Are More Likely to Smoke — Jan. 14, 2008
How Schools Responded to Student Mental Health Needs Following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita — Oct. 18, 2007
A Systematic Review of the Adverse Effects of Prescription Drug Cost Sharing — Sep. 14, 2007
Do Policies That Target Physicians Who Make Medical Malpractice Payments Reduce Negligent Injuries? — Sep. 10, 2007
Promoting Accountability in Public Health Emergency Preparedness — Sep. 7, 2007
Bioterrorism with Zoonotic Disease: Public Health Preparedness Lessons from a Multiagency Exercise — Aug. 10, 2007
Behavioral Health Parity: Consequences for Federal Employee Health Plans — Apr. 20, 2007
How Schools Can Help Children Recover from Traumatic Experiences — Dec. 13, 2006
Vaccinating Residents and Staff Can Reduce Influenza Outbreaks in Nursing Homes — Nov. 14, 2006
Quality Improvement Methods Can Be Used to Improve Public Health Emergency Preparedness — Sep. 15, 2006
Emergency Preparedness Is Stimulating Changes in Public Health Practice — Sep. 15, 2006
Meeting the Health Care Needs of Adults with Severe Mental Illness — Jul. 17, 2006
Three Steps for Improving the Quality of Mental Health Care in the United States — Jul. 14, 2006
Integrating Treatment for People with Co-Occurring Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders in Public Systems of Care — Jul. 14, 2006
Getting To Outcomes™: Improving Community-Based Substance-Use Prevention — Feb. 14, 2006
Anxiety Disorders Can Have Broad, Negative Health Effects — Feb. 14, 2006
Project ALERT Plus May Leverage the Effect of the National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign — Jan. 24, 2006
Cutting Drug Co-Payments for Sicker Patients on Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs Could Save a Billion Dollars Every Year — Jan. 17, 2006
Quality Primary Care Requires More Than Insurance — Jan. 17, 2006
Publication Profiles
The following PDF publication profiles list relevant research studies in various areas of public policy interest, creating a quick and easy reference guide of research in that area.
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