The debate within the U.S. government about reforming the health care system centers on ways to control rising costs and assure high-quality, affordable care. RAND Health and its health care reform initiative--RAND COMPARE (Comprehensive Assessment of Reform Efforts)--provide objective research and analysis on topics that can inform the health care reform debate, including financing; increasing access, insurance coverage, and quality; decreasing costs; and promoting wellness and prevention.
When enacting, implementing, and evaluating health care reform, policymakers should consider potential spillover effects on workers' compensation insurance. The experience of Massachusetts's heath care reform suggests that reform may reduce medical costs.
A substantial body of RAND research has focused on evaluating policies to lower health care costs; promoting health and preventing disease; and improving health system value and quality of care.
This report examines incentives for small firms to self-insure resulting from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as amended by the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (ACA) and considers the consequences of self-insurance for health plan enrollees. The study also uses the COMPARE microsimulation model to estimate how ACA will influence decisions to self-insure.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains substantial new requirements aimed at increasing rates of health insurance coverage. This report provides estimates, based on the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model, of how the law will affect health insurance coverage and state government spending on health care in Illinois through 2020.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains substantial new requirements aimed at increasing rates of health insurance coverage. This report provides estimates, based on the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model, of how the law will affect health insurance coverage and state government spending on health care in Texas through 2020.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains substantial new requirements aimed at increasing rates of health insurance coverage. This report provides estimates, based on the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model, of how the law will affect health insurance coverage and state government spending on health care in California through 2020.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains substantial new requirements aimed at increasing rates of health insurance coverage. This report provides estimates, based on the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model, of how the law will affect health insurance coverage and state government spending on health care in Montana through 2020.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains substantial new requirements aimed at increasing rates of health insurance coverage. This report provides estimates, based on the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model, of how the law will affect health insurance coverage and state government spending on health care in Connecticut through 2020.
As the health care industry, employers, and government officials seek to control the growth of health spending, new efforts are needed to develop and refine quality-of-care and other performance measures that can assure changes will improve medical care and do not harm patients.
The Affordable Care Act builds on the employer-based health insurance system by developing exchanges through which small employers can offer coverage and by penalizing large employers that do not offer coverage. The exchanges could alleviate some of the difficulties faced by small firms that want to offer insurance.
To avoid changes in current health coverage, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act exempts existing plans from some regulations. These exemptions may lead to higher employer-sponsored insurance enrollment and lower government spending.
This document explores how increased use of bundled payment approaches would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how requiring employers to offer health insurance (an employer mandate) would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how requiring individuals to obtain health insurance (an individual mandate) would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how expanding Medicaid/SCHIP eligibility would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how a refundable tax credit to offset the cost of health insurance premiums would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how changing medical liability laws to reduce the frequency and severity of claims would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how increased cost participation by employees would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how increased health information technology (HIT) adoption and connectivity would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
This document explores how creating or expanding access to purchasing pools would affect health system performance along nine dimensions.
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