Financing the efficient delivery of medical services while reducing costs for consumers as well as health care providers is among the most challenging domestic policy problems many countries face. RAND addresses health economics issues through innovative, high-profile research in an effort to improve the efficiency of health care organizations, reduce costs for providers and consumers, and improve financing in health care markets.
Details the benefits that would accrue from reducing sodium consumption among Americans, including a reduced prevalence of high blood pressure, lower medical costs, and improved quality of life.
Examines how California's ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) compare with hospital outpatient surgery departments and how the state compares with other states in regulating ASCs.
In 2006, Massachusetts passed landmark legislation ensuring near-universal health insurance coverage to its residents, but rising costs threaten the initiative; this policy brief assesses 21 options for controlling health care spending in the state.
Suggests that excess growth in health care costs has adverse economic effects and that these effects are more pronounced in industries that have a higher percentage of workers with employer-sponsored insurance.
Describes a study showing that increasing copayments for prescription drugs causes patients newly diagnosed with hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes to delay starting treatment, which in turn increases their risk for heart attack and stroke.
Discusses the effects of regulating drug prices in the United States in terms of the trade-off between benefiting the current generation (with lower prices) and benefiting future generations (with greater pharmaceutical innovation).
This fact sheet summarizes a study using the 1992-1999 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey to investigate whether age directly affects health care costs, or whether life expectancy would produce more accurate estimates of future expenditures.
This fact sheet describes how patients' use of acupuncture affects use of conventional medical services and suggests that acupuncture often substitutes for other, more expensive services, thereby reducing total medical costs.
This research brief reports that, from 2000 to 2005, the economic burden of providing health insurance increased for employers, especially for the smallest firms, and that small firms offered plans of slightly lower quality than did large firms.
This research brief summarizes studies showing that medical innovations will improve health and extend life but will likely increase Medicare spending; eliminating obesity and better prevention could save Medicare money and improve health.
This research brief describes the effects of state health-insurance mandates and consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) on the access to and affordability of health insurance for small businesses.
Children newly enrolled in a public health insurance program in California reported improvements such as doing better in school, feeling better physically, and getting along better with their peers.
This fact sheet summarizes a systematic review of published studies to analyze how the cost-sharing features of prescription drug benefits may affect access to prescription drugs and, consequently, health outcomes.
This research brief examines the likely effects of the gap in the Medicare Part D standard drug benefit after $2,400 in pharmaceutical spending, using data from a private employer.
This fact sheet describes a study that found that policies targeting physicians' medical malpractice payment histories as a way to deter medical malpractice are ineffective, mainly because paying physicians are not the negligent ones.
This research brief summarizes the results of a 2006 pilot survey of military retirees, providing information on retirees' enrollment in civilian health care plans and reliance on TRICARE, the Department of Defense-sponsored health insurance.
This research brief assesses the effects of the government-required Federal Employees Health Benefits Program's provision of behavioral health benefits equal to its general health benefits on insurers and consumers' use of services and spending.
The proportion of Americans who are severely obese — about 100 pounds or more overweight — increased by 50 percent from 2000 to 2005, twice as fast as the growth seen in moderate obesity.
This research brief summarizes research on the effect of enrollment in consumer-directed health care (involving plans with high deductibles -- $1,000 or more annually) on the use, cost, and quality of medical care.
Research charities are under increasing pressure to improve the translation of new scientific knowledge into benefit for patients. This research brief outlines a novel evaluation of paybacks of research grants by the Arthritis Research Campaign.
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