The likely effects of an individual health insurance mandate

Using RAND's COMPARE, this microsimulation analysis found that an individual mandate implemented nationally would increase the number of people with coverage by 9 to 34 million, depending on the policy's design; it would have no effect on spending, consumer financial risk, the reliability of receiving recommended care, or system capacity.

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Findings from the Teen Depression Awareness Project

This study explored how depression affects teens, including the factors that facilitate and form barriers to teens' readiness to seek treatment.

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Likely effects of "bundled payment" financing

A microsimulation analysis conducted using RAND's COMPARE found that bundled payment (paying for episodes of care rather than individual services) has the potential to reduce spending, consumer financial risk, and waste. Evidence is mixed regarding how these approaches would affect health; bundled payment approaches would require fundamental changes in the way that health care providers bill and are paid for services.

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The effectiveness of emotional disclosure interventions

Individuals with a propensity to pay attention to negative information showed greater improvement in mood following an intervention known as emotional disclosure (in which individuals write or talk about emotionally stressful material) than did those with a propensity to avoid such information.

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The likely effects of expanding Medicaid/SCHIP nationally

A microsimulation analysis conducted using RAND's COMPARE found that expansion would substantially reduce financial risk for those newly insured and increase coverage by 6 to 26 percent and should improve the health of some groups, as measured by life expectancy. Expansion would have no discernible effect on overall health care spending but would increase government spending.

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State liquor sales policies may affect drinking and risk behavior among HIV-positive individuals

This study of national survey and state policy data found that restrictive alcohol sales policies may reduce drinking and transmission risk in HIV-positive populations.

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The likely effects of a refundable tax credit on health system performance

A microsimulation analysis conducted using RAND's COMPARE found that a refundable tax credit for individuals would produce a slight gain in health as measured by life expectancy; 2.3 to 10 million people would become newly insured; and a credit would have no discernible effect on total health care spending, overall consumer financial risk, reliability of care, or health system capacity.

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Effectiveness of anti-smoking public service announcements

This study found that messages in anti-smoking public service announcements that were delivered explicitly (directly with concrete statements) were more effective among teens than those delivered implicitly (indirectly via metaphor).

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A new tool to help school children cope with exposure to trauma

Based on the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), this new toolkit—Supporting Students Exposed to Trauma (SSET)—is intended to assist school-based mental health professionals, child welfare social workers, and school personnel who work with students affected by trauma.

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Likely effects of requiring employers to offer health insurance

A microsimulation analysis conducted using RAND's COMPARE found that an employer mandate would increase the number of people nationally with coverage by 1.8 to 3.4 million; the newly insured would have better health, as measured by life expectancy; and it would have no effect on spending, consumer financial risk, waste, the reliability of receiving recommended care, or system capacity.

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