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Policy Snapshots
The Center for Health Affairs' monthly policy snapshots are intended to provide a succinct look at relevant healthcare issues. These shorter and more frequent publications allow CHA to remain current with the issue of the day, and allow readers to quickly glean information on topics that are important to them. Click the links below to download the PDFs.
new! Accountable Care Organizations At-a-Glance
August 2010 A lot has been said lately regarding the success of the U.S. healthcare system, and, in particular, the bang Americans get for their healthcare buck. Many experts, policymakers and others believe we could do better in terms of the value we’re reaping from our system. In fact, they’ve argued that healthcare reform cannot be entirely effective without a mechanism that rewards providers for achieving good outcomes for patients. This is where accountable care organizations (ACOs) come in, according to their proponents.
Post-Acute and Long-Term Care: Key Federal Healthcare Reform Provisions
July 2010 The initial media storm surrounding the recently passed federal healthcare reform bills focused, to a large extent, on the individual mandate to purchase insurance and other consumer implications. More recently, media stories have chronicled the status of legal and legislative challenges to the new laws. How the reform legislation will impact post-acute and long-term care has been much less discussed.
Buying Green: How Purchasing Programs Can Help Heal the Planet
May 2010 Each year, often coinciding with Earth Day on April 22, many individuals and businesses take a renewed look at how their daily lives and business practices are affecting the environment. When the impact of our actions is quantified, the results are sometimes shocking. Fortunately there are countless large and small changes we can make to drastically reduce the impact our choices have on the environment.
Going Green: Start-Up Steps to a Sustainability Initiative
April 2010 From simply remembering to grab reusable bags before heading to the store to as complex as constructing eco-friendly buildings, consumers and employers are increasingly considering the impact their choices have on the environment. Healthcare organizations are also working to minimize their carbon footprint. Green initiatives are a natural fit for them, given their focus on improving both the health of the environment and the health of the human population.
Health 2.0: How Social Media are Transforming Healthcare
March 2010 As the quantity of information accessible on the Web has grown, the public has increasingly turned to the Internet to find answers to health-related questions. A recent survey found that 61 percent of American adults now look online for health information.1
Art versus Science: The Complexities of Evidence-Based Medicine
January 2010 - Hospitals and other healthcare providers strive to provide patients with the highest quality of care. As the practice of medicine has evolved, innovations and technological advances have allowed the profession to grow in ways that were unthinkable even 20 years ago.
What’s Behind Geographic Variations in Healthcare Spending?
December 2009 - Concerns about rising healthcare spending have dominated healthcare reform conversations in the United States. Policymakers have been seeking explanations and solutions to reign in ever-rising healthcare spending while simultaneously improving the health system’s efficiency.
The Strengths & Shortcomings of Government-Administered Health Insurance Programs
October 2009 - As healthcare reform conversations continue on Capitol Hill, the tone and energy associated with them have escalated. While most agree the current system is flawed, there are widely differing opinions on how reform should be accomplished.
Hospital Trustees Navigate An Evolving Healthcare Environment
September 2009 - Organizations across the country have been working to improve their governance practices. As a result, trustees have become increasingly aware of their importance in the effective management of the institutions they serve and their responsibility to the stakeholders and shareholders who entrust them with leadership.
Some Surprises Can Be Found in the Effects of the Recession
July 2009 - The nationwide recession has sparked new habits for many of us, from paying more attention to prices at the grocery store to cutting back on non-essentials. And it seems that behaviors related to healthcare are not immune from this trend. The fallout from the economic turmoil is affecting healthcare in ways that are obvious, and in some unexpected ways.
Creating a Workplace Wellness Program That Works
May 2009 - Workplace wellness programs have been gaining in popularity in recent years, and it’s not hard to understand why. An investment in a wellness program can pay off in lower health insurance costs over the long run, and in the shorter term, these programs result in a healthier workforce that is more productive, and also more loyal to the organization.
Healthier Employees = Healthier Bottom Lines:
Why Worksite Wellness Programs Are Gaining Popularity
April 2009 - Research has shown that seven out of every 10 deaths in the United States today are attributable to largely preventable chronic illnesses such as heart disease. In fact, they account for 75 percent of America’s total health spending. Furthermore, almost two-thirds of the growth in health spending stems from Americans’ worsening health habits, with the obesity epidemic being the biggest culprit. Complicating the state of Americans’ healthcare and subsequent spending is the sobering fact that more individuals are being affected by multiple chronic diseases.
Stormy Waters: The Effects of the Economic Downturn on Hospitals
February 2009 - One might think economic slowdowns have little effect on hospitals. After all, the economy has no bearing on whether people get sick, right? But in truth, economic trends have a significant impact on hospitals, and the one that is currently reaching its tendrils around the globe is creating a whole host of challenges for hospitals across the country and right here in Northeast Ohio.
Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down and Everything in Between: The Healthcare Year in Review
January 2009 - Many exciting healthcare developments have arisen in the last year that might have been eclipsed by the historic election and drastic downturn in the economy. While not all has been cause to rejoice, this snapshot will distill the positive, the negative and the in between in healthcare this year.
Key Issues to Consider When Evaluating Healthcare Reform Model
Part 3: Quality
November 2008 - Quality is one of the buzzwords in healthcare today. With healthcare spending on the rise, everyone from consumers to payers to employers wants more information about the return they are getting on their healthcare investment.
Key Issues to Consider When Evaluating Healthcare Reform Model
Part 2: Cost
October 2008 - A day rarely passes without newspaper headlines bemoaning the fact that a growing portion of family, corporate and government budgets is being directed at healthcare. The development of new medical technologies has been pegged as the biggest factor influencing the cost of healthcare services, while an increase in overall spending on healthcare is largely attributable to the fact that we are simply consuming more healthcare services than in the past.
Key Issues to Consider When Evaluating Healthcare Reform Models
Part 1: Access
September 2008 - Recent estimates show that both the percentage and the number of people without health insurance remain high. A staggering 45.7 million people in the United States are uninsured, including 1.2 million Ohioans. As the economic outlook remains less than buoyant, even insured individuals will be hard pressed to continue purchasing – and businesses will find it more challenging to offer – health insurance.
An Increasingly Complex Healthcare Field Demands the Best Leadership
July 2008 - In recent years, Congressional committees have been calling for increased scrutiny of the nonprofit sector, and nonprofit hospitals in particular, citing the importance of keeping up with the rapidly changing healthcare industry. Meanwhile, efforts by both regulators and hospitals to make the healthcare industry more transparent have gained traction. In keeping with these trends, one aspect of nonprofit hospital business practices garnering attention has been executive compensation.
Treating Behavioral Health Illness in a Patchwork System
March 2008 - More than 20 percent of Americans aged 18 and over live with a diagnosable mental illness. Complicating treatment for these individuals is the fact that up to 50 percent of the mentally ill population also has a substance abuse problem. Given the intertwined nature of mental health problems and substance abuse issues, the healthcare community frequently uses the term "behavioral health" when referring to the combination of the mental health and substance abuse fields.
Preparing for An Emergency: Northeast Ohio Builds a Collaborative Approach
February 2008 - Since 9/11, the issue of emergency preparedness has been near the forefront of politicians’ minds and in the public eye. That day brought the realization that the response systems in place at the time could easily be overwhelmed by an incident of such magnitude. As a result, since 2002 Congress has appropriated about $7 billion to be distributed through grants to communities across the nation, including here in Northeast Ohio, to help initiate a concerted effort to ensure they would be prepared for any type of disaster.
A Healthcare Holiday Wish List
December 2007 - With healthcare topping voters' list of concerns heading into the primaries, news article after news article lamenting the problems with the current state of healthcare, and analysts continuing to offer dire predictions for the local and state economics, we felt that the time was right to infuse some holiday cheer into the healthcare debate and dream about a more perfect state of affairs.
State Budget a Dose of the Right Medicine
August 2007 - With the recently signed biennial state budget, Ohio has made significant progress in expanding access to care for vulnerable populations and protecting hospitals and other health care entities that provide essential, around-the-clock care. The final 2008-2009 state operating budget, which runs from July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2009, sends a clear message that members of the General Assembly as well as Governor Strickland are willing to make health care a top policy priority.
America's Healthcare System: Under Strain and Under Scrutiny
July 2007 - It’s no secret that the American healthcare system is under strain. The 2008 presidential candidates are talking out it. Polls show the American public thinks the system needs change. The topic has even found itself the subject of a movie that recently opened in theaters. But just what is the scale of the problem? And short of rebuilding the system from the ground up, what can be done about it?
Healthcare: The Heartbeat of Northeast Ohio
April 2007 - The economy is evolving in Northeast Ohio. Healthcare has become an increasingly larger source of economic activity, generating billions of dollars, employing thousands, and creating jobs even for those not directly employed in patient care. As the region looks to the future, the healthcare industry holds great promise for a healthy, vibrant economy.
The Importance of Reauthorizing the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
March 2007 - This edition is on SCHIP, which is in its 10th year of providing health coverage for children in low-income families in Ohio and nationwide. SCHIP is credited with dramatically reducing the number of children who lack health insurance. Congress will be making the decision this year whether to continue funding the program.
If you have any questions or feedback related to these publications or any other pertinent healthcare issue, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the CHA communications staff at 216-696-6900.
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