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Health Care Financing

Health care systems may be financed in various ways, including through government funding, taxation, out-of-pocket payments, private insurance, and donations or voluntary aid. RAND research explores the effects of corporate and government health care financing policies on such groups as patients, businesses, hospitals, and physician-providers.

Research conducted by: RAND Health

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The Public Option: Sorting Rhetoric from Reality

President Obama and several Congressional leaders have recently expressed support for the idea of allowing citizens to buy into a public insurance program as part of any health reform legislation. The intensity of the ensuing debate has been fascinating given the lack of specifics that have been offered by either side, writes Elizabeth A. McGlynn.

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Options for Controlling Health Care Spending in Massachusetts — Aug 17, 2009

In this Congressional Briefing held on August 17, 2009, economist Christine Eibner presents findings about which strategies to reduce health care spending in Massachusetts are most (and least) promising. Lessons learned in this Massachusetts study are broadly applicable and could help Congress navigate cost containment proposals in the ongoing health reform debate.