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May 1, 2019Mental Health, Press Release
United States of Care Recognizes Mental Health Awareness Month
During Mental Health Awareness Month, USofCare affirms our commitment to promoting policy solutions that ensure people with behavioral health conditions can access affordable care. Mental health affects everyone, yet our health care system continues to treat behavioral health as a specialty service. We strongly encourage states to take steps to increase the affordability of mental health treatment, enforce mental health parity laws, and simplify the claims process so families will not unfairly be denied coverage.
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April 8, 2019Affordability, Dependable Coverage, Resources
Health Affairs: Measuring The Burden Of Health Care Costs For Working Families
The rising costs for individuals and families with employer-sponsored insurance (ESI) have been overlooked compared to costs in the individual market or public programs. The majority of non-elderly Americans rely on ESI for coverage, so affordability concerns for this group should be a priority. View our full brief, created jointly with Penn LDI, to learn more.
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April 1, 2019Affordability, Press Release, Research
New Analysis Shows Premiums for Employer Sponsored Health Coverage Increasing Faster Than Incomes in Most States
United States of Care’s latest issue brief, developed in collaboration with Penn LDI, delves into the state-level impact of employer-sponsored insurance on working families in relation to their income. The analysis reveals that from 2010 to 2016, healthcare premiums outpaced income growth. Across the country, a significant portion of incomes is being consumed by premiums, placing a considerable burden on working families who are now confronted with difficult choices regarding their healthcare expenses. By shedding light on the issue of healthcare costs, the issue brief aims to contribute to the ongoing national discourse and assist policymakers in comprehending the effects of these costs on the individuals they represent.
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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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March 19, 2019Press Release, State Efforts
USofCare Applauds Passage of Funding for Additional Medicaid Buy-In Study in New Mexico
US of Care applauds the New Mexico Together for Healthcare Coalition on their success in advocating for the inclusion of new funding in the state’s budget for additional analysis of Medicaid buy-in. We also commend the legislature’s directive to the Governor to seek a federal waiver in order to expand access to affordable health care for New Mexicans through a buy-in model. Together, these are promising steps to increase access to affordable health care. We will continue to support New Mexico and other states as they develop innovative solutions to address our country’s most pressing health care issues.