RAND Research Topic: Health Insurance 2012-05-24T20:42:52Z Copyright (c) 2012, The RAND Corporation RAND Corporation http://www.rand.org/topics/health-insurance.html Henu Zhao http://www.rand.org/about/people/z/zhao_henu.html <em>Assistant Policy Analyst</em><br>Ph.D. candidate in policy analysis, Pardee Rand Graduate School; M.A. in public affairs, Tsinghua University; B.A. in information resources management, Renmin University of China Eliminating Individual Mandate Would Decrease Coverage, Increase Spending http://www.rand.org/publications/randreview/issues/2012/spring/news2.html May 11, 2012 May 11, 2012 If the individual mandate requiring all Americans to have health insurance were eliminated, it would sharply reduce the number of people gaining coverage and slightly increase the cost for those who do buy policies through the new insurance exchanges. 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. Expanding Consumer-Directed Health Plans Could Help Cut Overall Health Care Spending http://www.rand.org/news/press/2012/05/07/index1.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. Would the Affordable Care Act Lead to Reductions in Employer-Sponsored Coverage? http://www.rand.org/blog/2012/05/would-the-affordable-care-act-lead-to-reductions-in.html May 4, 2012 May 4, 2012 As the U.S. Supreme Court considers the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) individual mandate, one of the questions being debated is what effect the mandate would have on employer-sponsored health insurance coverage. A factor to consider in this is the effect the ACA would have on small businesses, which employ the majority of America's private-sector workforce. What is the Impact of Health Care Reform on Workers' Compensation Medical Care? http://www.rand.org/pubs/technical_reports/TR1216.html Apr 23, 2012 Apr 23, 2012 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. Planning for an Aging Nation: New Estimates to Inform Policy Analysis for Senior Health http://www.rand.org/pubs/rgs_dissertations/RGSD293.html Apr 12, 2012 Apr 12, 2012 Provides insights into the costs and challenges of providing health care to the elderly population. 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. Survey Results Show That Adults Are Willing to Pay Higher Insurance Premiums for Generous Coverage of Specialty Drugs http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120092.html Apr 1, 2012 Apr 1, 2012 This study estimated how healthy people value insurance coverage of specialty drugs, defined as high-cost drugs that treat cancer and other serious health conditions like multiple sclerosis, by quantifying willingness to pay via a survey. 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. Can Employer Accommodation Reduce Disability-Related Retirement? http://www.rand.org/labor/centers/cdr/projects/disability-to-retirement.html Mar 14, 2012 Mar 14, 2012 Employment trajectories following the onset of disability are poorly understood. Employer-focused policy interventions may reduce uptake in public disability insurance and disability-induced early retirement. Will Health Care Reform Impact Applications for Disability Benefits? http://www.rand.org/labor/centers/cdr/projects/health-care-reform-and-disability-insurance.html Mar 12, 2012 Mar 12, 2012 As the Affordable Care Act expands health insurance coverage in the U.S., the "cost" of applying for SSDI will decline for many. Studying the effect of Massachusetts health care reform in 2006 may provide insights into the impact the ACA may have on SSDI applications and awards. Do Small-Group Health Insurance Regulations Influence Small Business Size? http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120043.html Mar 1, 2012 Mar 1, 2012 State small-group health insurance reforms, implemented in the 1990s, aimed at controlling the variability of health insurance premiums and to improve access to health insurance. These reforms only affected firms within a specific size range, and as a result, they may have affected the size of small firms around the legislative threshold and may also have affected the propensity of small firms to offer health insurance. What Would Removing the Individual Mandate from the ACA Mean For Costs and Coverage? http://www.rand.org/multimedia/video/2012/02/16/effect-affordable-care-act.html Feb 22, 2012 Feb 22, 2012 New RAND research finds that eliminating the requirement that all Americans 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. RAND Economist Christine Eibner discusses the ramifications. 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. Rules Allowing Small Businesses to Opt Out of Health Reform Should Have Minor Impact on Insurance Cost http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP201100293.html Feb 8, 2012 Feb 8, 2012 Rules that allow some small employers to avoid regulation under the federal Affordable Care Act are unlikely to have a major impact on the future cost of health insurance unless those rules are relaxed to allow more businesses to opt out. Financial Burden of Prescription Drugs Is Dropping, but Costs Remain a Challenge for Many Families http://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP20120039.html Feb 8, 2012 Feb 8, 2012 The financial burden Americans face paying out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs has declined, although prescription costs remain a significant challenge for people with lower incomes and those with public insurance. Rules Allowing Small Businesses to Opt Out of Health Reform Should Have Minor Impact on Insurance Cost http://www.rand.org/news/press/2012/02/08/index2.html Feb 8, 2012 Feb 8, 2012 Rules that allow some small employers to avoid regulation under the federal Affordable Care Act are unlikely to have a major impact on the future cost of health insurance unless those rules are relaxed to allow more businesses to opt out.