RAND Research Topic: Health Economics 2012-05-24T20:42:17Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/health-economics.html Expanding Consumer-Directed Health Plans Could Help Cut Overall Health Care Spending http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201200104.html May 7, 2012 May 7, 2012 If consumer-directed health plans grow to account for half of all employer-sponsored insurance in the United States, health costs could drop by $57 billion annually&mdash;about 4 percent of all health care spending among the nonelderly. Rising Health Care Costs and the Middle Class http://www.rand.org/blog/2012/04/rising-health-care-costs-and-the-middle-class.html Apr 13, 2012 Apr 13, 2012 A new RAND study finds that rising health care costs reduce the availability of and enrollment in employment-based private health insurance, and the financial protection provided by it, especially for middle class families. Consumers' and Providers' Responses to Public Cost Reports, and How to Raise the Likelihood of Achieving Desired Results http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120080.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012 Public reporting of health care costs is intended to motivate consumers to choose lower cost providers, and motivate providers to lower costs to retain market share. Measures should be chosen based on which pathway policymakers intend to influence. An Analysis of Whether Higher Health Care Spending in the United States Versus Europe Is 'Worth It' in the Case of Cancer http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120091.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012 The higher-cost US system of cancer care delivery may be worth it, although further research is required to determine what specific tools or treatments are driving improved cancer survival in the United States. The Real Cost of Healthcare http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/03/29/LAT.html Mar 29, 2012 Mar 29, 2012 What do we have to show for all of this spending? Lots of testing and treatment, but not enough health, writes Art Kellermann. What Happens Without the Individual Mandate? http://www.rand.org/commentary/2012/03/21/USAT.html Mar 21, 2012 Mar 21, 2012 If the individual mandate were ruled unconstitutional, subsidies and the age structure of premiums should keep enough healthy people in the insurance exchanges to prevent huge spikes in premiums, write Carter C. Price and Christine Eibner. Ending Individual Mandate Would Cut Health Coverage, but Not Dramatically Hike Insurance Price http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1221.html Feb 15, 2012 Feb 15, 2012 Eliminating a key part of health care reform that requires all Americans to have health insurance would sharply lower the number of people gaining coverage, but would not dramatically increase the cost of buying policies through new insurance exchanges. How Would Eliminating the Individual Mandate Affect Health Coverage and Premium Costs? http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9646.html Feb 15, 2012 Feb 15, 2012 An analysis of the effects of implementing the Affordable Care Act without an individual mandate found that over 12 million people who would have otherwise signed up for coverage will be uninsured and premium prices will increase by 2.4 percent. Ending Individual Mandate Would Cut Health Coverage, but Not Dramatically Hike Insurance Price http://www.rand.org/news/press/2012/02/16.html Feb 15, 2012 Feb 15, 2012 Eliminating a key part of health care reform that requires all Americans to have health insurance would sharply lower the number of people gaining coverage, but would not dramatically increase the cost of buying policies through new insurance exchanges. Take-up of Public Insurance and Crowd-Out of Private Insurance Under Recent CHIP Expansions to Higher Income Children http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120099.html Jan 1, 2012 Jan 1, 2012 The CHIP expansions to children in higher income families were associated with limited uptake of public coverage. Global HIV Programs at the Crossroads: How Can Donor Funding Be Optimized? http://www.rand.org/multimedia/video/2011/12/15/global-hiv-programs-crossroads.html Dec 15, 2011 Dec 15, 2011 In this December 2011 Congressional Briefing, Gery Ryan discusses policy options and recommendations on how to most effectively fund HIV treatment initiatives throughout the world. More Transparency, Efficiency Needed to Improve Impact of HIV Funding in Developing Countries http://www.rand.org/news/press/2011/12/14/index1.html Dec 14, 2011 Dec 14, 2011 With the need for HIV services in developing countries rising and the availability of funding flat or declining, existing resources should be better leveraged to help provide life-saving services to more people in need. Improving Value for Money in Funding HIV Services in Developing Countries http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9636.html Dec 12, 2011 Dec 12, 2011 This brief summarizes options for improving value for money in HIV funding by using a case study that focuses on the two largest funders, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief and the Global Fund, and antiretroviral therapy. Conference Addresses Relationship Between Health, Aging, and Human Capital http://www.rand.org/multimedia/video/2011/12/02/health-aging-and-human-capital-conference.html Dec 5, 2011 Dec 5, 2011 The RAND Bing Center for Health Economics, RAND Labor and Population, and the <em>Journal of Human Capital</em> held a two-day Conference on Health, Aging, and Human Capital. Speakers included RAND's Nicole Maestas, NYU's Michael Grossman, and Harvard's David Wise; all conference videos are available online. Bundling Payments to Curb Health Care Costs Proves Difficult to Realize http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100242.html Nov 7, 2011 Nov 7, 2011 Under bundled payments, doctors, hospitals, and other providers share one fee for treating all aspects of a procedure such as a hip replacement or a chronic disease like diabetes. The approach should eliminate unnecessary care and improve quality, but putting it into practice is proving to be more difficult than anticipated. More Transparency, Efficiency Needed to Improve Impact of HIV Funding in Developing Countries http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1158.html Dec 14, 2011 Dec 14, 2011 With the need for HIV services in developing countries rising and the availability of funding flat or declining, existing resources should be better leveraged to help provide life-saving services to more people in need. Challenges to Value-Enhancing Innovation in Health Care Delivery: Commonalities and Contrasts with Innovation in Drugs and Devices http://www.rand.org/pubs/occasional_papers/OP341.html Oct 4, 2011 Oct 4, 2011 Limiting the growth of health care costs while improving population health poses important and difficult challenges for policymakers. The paper considers innovation in drugs, devices, and methods of delivering health care, with an emphasis on delivery. The authors argue that policymakers should try to encourage innovative activities that are worth their social costs and discourage activities that are not worth their social costs. Policy Options for Addressing Medicare Payment Differentials Across Ambulatory Settings http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR979.html Sep 30, 2011 Sep 30, 2011 Under Medicare, many health care services can be provided in a range of ambulatory settings, but payment differentials exist for the facility-related components of care. Building on prior RAND analyses, this report presents options for modifying Medicare payment policies to improve the value of services and to address cost and payment differentials for similar services provided in various ambulatory settings. RAND Health Quarterly, Vol. 1 No. 1 http://www.rand.org/pubs/periodicals/health-quarterly.html Sep 9, 2011 Sep 9, 2011 RAND Health Quarterly is an online journal sharing the results of recent RAND research areas across a broad spectrum of health-related issues. Why Are Many Emergency Departments in the United States Closing? http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_briefs/RB9607.html Sep 9, 2011 Sep 9, 2011 Between 1990 and 2009, the number of emergency rooms (ERs) in nonrural U.S. hospitals declined by 27 percent (from 2,446 to 1,779). Economic factors play a central role in an ER's ability to remain open.