Policy Research & Analysis
The mission of the National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR) is to conduct high-quality, objective research and policy analyses of the organization, financing and delivery of health care in the United States. The Institute works to identify key health policy issues, identify policy options, and assess the advantages and disadvantages of policy options to help inform policy makers and other decision makers about how to expand access to high-quality, affordable health care to all Americans.
Contrary to Cost-Shifting Theory, Lower Medicare Hospital Payment Rates for Inpatient Care Lead to Lower Private Payment Rates Health Affairs , Vol. 32, No. 5 • May 2013 Contrary to the notion that hospitals charge private payers higher payment rates to offset lower Medicare rates, it turns out the opposite is true—lower Medicare payment rates lead to lower private rates for inpatient care, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) published in the May Health Affairs .
Achieving Health Care Cost Containment Through Provider Payment Reform that Engages Patients and Providers Health Affairs , Vol. 32, No. 5 • May 2013 Scaling up health care payment reform to control costs and improve quality will require both sticks to prod providers from the sidelines and carrots to guide patients to more-efficient, higher-quality doctors and hospitals, according to an article by Paul B. Ginsburg, Ph.D., president of the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC), in the May Health Affairs .
Hospital Quality Reporting: Separating the Signal from the Noise NIHCR Policy Analysis No. 11 • April 2013 Amid the proliferation of quality measures, reporting requirements and transparency efforts, purchasers often find it difficult to separate the signal from the noise when determining what hospital quality measures are important, how to interpret and use quality information in a meaningful way, and how to present useful and actionable information to consumers, according to a new Policy Analysis from the nonprofit, nonpartisan National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).
Primary Care Workforce Shortages: Nurse Practitioner Scope-of-Practice Laws and Payment Policies NIHCR Research Brief No. 13 • February 2013 While state scope-of practice laws don’t typically restrict what primary care services nurse practitioners (NPs) can provide to patients, the laws do affect practice opportunities for NPs and appear to influence payer policies, according to a new qualitative study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) for the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).
Few Americans Switch Employer Health Plans for Better Quality, Lower Costs NIHCR Research Brief No. 12 • January 2013 Less than 2.5 percent of nonelderly Americans in 2010 with employer coverage—about the same proportion as in 2003—initiated a change in health plans to reduce their health insurance costs or get a better quality plan, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) for the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).
Employer-Sponsored Insurance and Health Reform: Doing the Math NIHCR Research Brief No. 11 • December 2012 Amid concerns that health reform might hasten the ongoing decline of employer health coverage, the calculus of offering coverage will continue to make economic sense for businesses employing most workers (81%) now offered insurance, according to a new national study for the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).
After-Hours Access to Primary Care Practices Linked with Lower Emergency Department Use and Less Unmet Medical Need Health Affairs , Web First • Dec. 12, 2012 Patients with problems reaching their primary care practice after hours are more likely to report ending up in the emergency department and going without needed medical care, according to a study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) published today as a Web First by Health Affairs .
U.S. Families’ Use of Workplace Health Clinics, 2007-2010 NIHCR Research Brief No. 10 • October 2012 Despite heightened employer interest in workplace clinics as a cost-containment tool, only 4 percent of American families in 2010 reported visiting a workplace clinic in the previous year--the same proportion as in 2007, according to a new national study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) for the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).
High-Intensity Primary Care: Lessons for Physician and Patient Engagement NIHCR Research Brief No. 9 • October 2012 If fledgling efforts to improve quality and lower costs by focusing extra primary care attention on patients with complex conditions are to succeed, ensuring physicians and patients are on board will be key, according to a new qualitative study by the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) for the nonpartisan, nonprofit National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).
Adapting Tools from Other Nations to Slow U.S. Prescription Drug Spending NIHCR Policy Analysis No. 10 • August 2012 Tools commonly used in other developed nations to help slow prescription drug spending growth offer potential lessons for the U.S. health system, according to a new Policy Analysis from the nonprofit, nonpartisan National Institute for Health Care Reform (NIHCR).
The National Institute for Health Care Reform contracts with the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) to conduct health policy research and analyses to improve the organization, financing and delivery of health care in the United States.
The National Institute for Health Care Reform contracts with the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) to conduct health policy research and analyses to improve the organization, financing and delivery of health care in the United States.