News & Updates
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August 12, 2019News & Updates
US of Care Summer Reading List
This month we are featuring a USofCare Summer Reading List — a curated list of articles, op-eds, studies, and podcasts.
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April 1, 2019Affordability, Dependable Coverage, News & Updates, Resources
The Burden of Health Care Costs for Working Families
Growing concern about the affordability of health care frequently appears in public debate about the next phase of health care reform. This brief, which was created between United States of Care and Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute for Health Economics, provides state-level data on the cost burden faced by working families who have employer-sponsored insurance (ESI). While not all working families have ESI, it is the most common form of health insurance in the United States. We examine how this burden varies across states, and how it has changed within states from 2010 to 2016.
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March 21, 2019Affordability, News & Updates
Top Health Care Concerns for 2019, As Decided By You
At the end of 2018, United States of Care’s Board Chair, Andy Slavitt, put out a call on Twitter for people to share the health concerns that are most common among their friends and family, and that they most want solutions to. Out of the more than 200 people that responded, more than one third of people mentioned costs as a major concern. It highlighted that we need to unite around lowering health care costs, even if we differ on which costs need to be addressed first.
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March 21, 2019News & Updates
JAMA Forum: Doing Health Reform Better: Listening to the Public
To achieve the health reforms, it is critical to pay attention to what the public is saying before jumping so conclusively to policy answers. Read this JAMA Forum article, authored by Andy Slavitt, to learn more.
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March 21, 2019News & Updates, State Efforts
Politico Pulse: FIRST IN PULSE: United States of Care rolls out ‘playbook’ on Medicaid buy-in.
United States of Care publishes ‘Medicaid buy-in’ primer. The informative 2-minute video, released today, walks through how the plan would work.
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March 20, 2019News & Updates, State Efforts
USofCare Brings Together Health Care Experts for Medicaid Buy-In Panel
On March 15th, US of Care organized a gathering of health care researchers, policy experts, and community advocates to discuss Medicaid buy-in, a state-based approach aimed at reducing health care costs and increasing market competition by enabling people ineligible for Medicaid to enroll in Medicaid-like plans. United States of Care is proud to have brought together this diverse group of people and hopes that the panel allows policymakers and patients alike to better understand the aims and nuances of this approach.
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February 8, 2019News & Updates, Public Option, State Efforts
Pew Trusts: Medicaid ‘Buy-In’ Could Be a New Health Care Option for the Uninsured
Medicaid buy-in might be an appealing and affordable option, and it could even spur competition that could lower prices for everybody. At least 10 states are exploring this option, with some having concerns. Many questions about Medicaid Buy-in also remain unanswered. Read this article from Pew to learn more about the conversation around Medicaid Buy-in.
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February 8, 2019News & Updates, State Efforts
AJMC: CMS’ Boehler, NC Health Chief Cohen Talk Strategies at United States of Care Panel
At a United States of Care Panel, Mandy K. Cohen and Adam Boehler discussed state strategies to address health care costs and improve care. Cohen and Boehler talked about federal-state collaboration in pursuit of shared goals around value-based care, alternative payment models, and the challenge of convincing managed care organizations to accept 1-sided risk models. CMS has 4 points they keep in mind when making decisions about value-based transformation: patients as consumers, providers as accountable entities, payment for outcomes, and prevention. Ultimately, CMS wants to focus on prioritizing patients over stakeholders.
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February 7, 2019Affordability, News & Updates, State Efforts
Politics Aside, Americans Agree: States Can and Should Take Action on Health Care
Despite political divisions, Americans of all political affiliations agree that states can and should take action to improve health care. USofCare identified five areas in which strategic steps can be taken to build toward improving health care access for millions of Americans. These include making insurance more affordable and improving access to mental health care. Bipartisan support for state-led solutions offers hope for progress in addressing health care challenges in the US.