Medicare and Medicaid are federally sponsored programs designed to provide health care for the elderly, disabled, and poor in the United States. RAND has examined various aspects of the implementation and development of Medicare and Medicaid, including costs, user satisfaction, and quality of service; explored the relationship between the two programs and health care reform efforts; and investigated the services provided to Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
Research Brief
This infographic presents findings from a RAND analysis of the economic and other effects of the Affordable Care Act on the state of Arkansas.
Journal Article
This study examined whether Medicaid claims and other administrative data could identify high-need individuals with serious mental illness in need of outreach in a large urban setting.
Journal Article
Quality improvement efforts may be needed to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in beneficiary experience with PD coverage.
Commentary
Regardless of which candidate wins in November, and regardless of whether “Obamacare” is repealed, amended, or defended by the next Congress, the next president will have to contend with the spiraling cost of health care in the United States—a problem that is growing more acute with each passing year, writes Arthur Kellermann.
Blog
Absent from the discussion about health care during the first debate between President Barack Obama and Governor Mitt Romney was any mention of one of the main providers of care for America's uninsured: emergency rooms. What does research tell us about the use of ERs and the relevant implications on health care access and cost?
Journal Article
Although four-dollar programs ($4 per 30-day supply for selected generic drugs) have become important options for seniors to obtain affordable medications, little is known about access to these programs and the characteristics of those who use them.
Journal Article
The CAHPS CC 26-item set demonstrates adequate measurement properties and can be used as a supplemental item set to the CAHPS Clinician and Group Surveys in assessing culturally competent care from the patient's perspective.
Journal Article
Perceptions of discrimination based on race/ethnicity and Medicaid insurance are prevalent and are associated with substantially lower CAHPS reports and ratings of care. Practices must develop and implement strategies to reduce perceived discrimination among patients.
Journal Article
This study provides support for the measurement properties of the HCAHPS Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy.
Journal Article
This study provides support for reliability and validity of the CAHPS Item Set for Addressing Health Literacy.
Journal Article
ACA-mandated payment reforms need to achieve more than a one-time cost saving.
Journal Article
Policies targeting socioeconomically disadvantaged groups and those without insurance may be needed to reduce disparities in access to appropriate eye care.
Journal Article
Perioperative times were significantly shorter in freestanding ASCs than in hospital-based ASCs. It is unclear how much of the difference was the result of efficiency versus patient selection.
Commentary
The $15 co-pay a mother is expected to cover represents half of a full week's food costs under the U.S. Department of Agriculture's "thrifty" food plan for her 6-year-old, write Art Kellermann and Robin Weinick.
Blog
A patient safety event is any event or action that could lead to a worse outcome for a patient, from bedsores to post-operative respiratory failure.
Commentary
The focus on the MMA as a primary cause of prescription drug shortages is premature and may deflect attention away from identifying other potentially more important causes, write Mireille Jacobson, Abby Alpert, and Fabian Duarte.
Blog
A better solution than restricting emergency department use by Medicaid enrollees is to reverse what for many years has been a trend of shrinking access to primary care for Medicaid beneficiaries.
Commentary
The fact that many ED (emergency department) visits could be managed in primary care settings does not mean that such care is available, write Arthur L. Kellermann and Robin M. Weinick.
Report
Testimony presented before the California State Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee on May 9, 2012.
Report
Provides insights into the costs and challenges of providing health care to the elderly population.
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