Reports

Prepared by: Laura Wheaton and Elaine Sorensen With Victoria Russell and Jeff Versteeg The Urban Institute Prepared for: Department of Health and Human Services

This paper examines by state variation in drug prices and drug spending. Variation in prices are found to be minimal but variation in spending (and utilization) are more substantial. Further work will explore the underlying reasons for the spending variation and whether patterns persist when analyzed for areas other than states.

About this Research Brief This ASPE Research Brief explores the potential of newly available administrative data to answer important questions regarding employer-provided health benefits.

A discussion of the various government surveys that produce estimates of the number of people without health insurance.

ASPE ISSUE BRIEF Understanding Estimates of the Uninsured: Putting the Differences in Context U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

Contents Introduction Key Research Questions Methods Key Findings Key Study Design and Measurement Issues Alternative Research Designs

Prepared by: Garrett Moran, Rafael Semansky, Elizabeth Quinn, Rebecca Noftsinger, and Teresa Koenig Westat Executive Summary (in PDF Format)

According to the Census Bureau's 2005 Current Population Survey (CPS), 45.8 million individuals in 2004 or 15.7% of the civilian non-institutionalized population were uninsured. Those that lack insurance represent a diverse group. Understanding the uninsured population is important for policy makers looking to design solutions to the problem.

ASPE ISSUE BRIEF Overview of the Uninsured in the United States: An analysis of the 2005 Current Population Survey U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This study adds to understanding by updating information on trends in use of disability equipment and exploring how disability and other characteristics differ for equipment users and nonusers. Data are from the 1984-1999 rounds of the National Long Term Care Survey, which has been a key source of earlier information on trends in equipment use.

The purpose of this study is to better understand the relationship between disability declines and Medicare costs and what Medicare spending patterns may suggest about the relationship between disability and health.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

As part of the Medicare Part D pharmacy benefit scheduled for implementation in 2006 by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act (MMA), beneficiaries will have a choice of private plans administering the benefit.? Although plans are required to provide access to needed drugs, the law does not require plans to provide equal coverage for all drugs.?

This paper describes the work NORC did to supplement the Federal Employee Health Benefits data (FEHBP) used to develop drug risk adjustment factors for over 65 individuals with a full drug supplement to Medicare. This data needed to be supplemented because the FEHBP data did not adequately represent, low-income, disabled, or non east Coast populations.

Presented by: National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at The University of Chicago Submitted to: Steve Sheingold Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE)

This policy brief is one of six commissioned by HHS/ASPE on Medicaid eligibility policies for long-term care benefits. This brief summarizes the estate recovery mandate, discusses variations in mechanisms employed by states to implement the mandate, and presents a state-by-state analysis of collections from 2002 through 2004. [13 PDF pages]

Thomson/MEDSTAT

States increasingly are focusing on the TANF goals relating to promoting and supporting healthy marriage. To understand how state policies may affect marriage, it is useful to first examine the extent to which existing public assistance programs provide benefits to both married-parent and single-parent families.

Prepared by: National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago 1350 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 500 Washington, D.C. 20036 (202) 223-6040 Prepared for:

Contents The Rural Context Review of Existing Research on the Three Focal Topics Data Sources Available to Conduct Research on the Focal Topics Implications of Study Findings Enhancing Rural Hu

The Welfare Indicators Act of 1994 requires the Department of Health and Human Services to prepare annual reports to Congress on indicators and predictors of welfare dependence.

The Welfare Indicators Act of 1994 requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services to prepare an annual report to Congress on indicators welfare dependence. The Indicators of Welfare Dependence report is prepared within the Office of Human Services Policy and delivered to Congress each spring.

Although adult day care and adult day health care are increasingly promoted as key community-based services for older persons, little is known about their provision, utilization, or outcomes; this is largely due to a paucity of data.

Regulatory Review of Adult Day Services: Final Report SECTION 2. STATE REGULATORY PROFILES

Regulatory Review of Adult Day Services: Final Report SECTION 1. OVERVIEW OF ADULT DAY SERVICES REGULATIONS This section provides a brief overview of states' approaches to regulating ADS providers in key areas and highlights similarities and differences among them.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

This report supplements information gathered through a review of the literature with stakeholder discussions to describe: (1) the amount, duration and scope of physician (and/or non-physician) visits to nursing homes; (2) the perceived impact of these visits; and (3) policy issues/concerns related to physician practice models in nursing homes.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

Stacy Dale, Randall Brown, Barbara Phillips and Barbara Carlson Mathematica Policy Research, Inc. August 2005 This report was prepared under contract #HHS-100-95-0046 between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Office of Disability, Aging and Long-Term Care Policy (DALTCP) and the University of Maryland.

Contents Key Lessons Learned Summary of Findings Relating FBO Characteristics and Behavior to Agency Policies Areas for Further Research he welfare reform law of 1996?the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act?conta

Assessing the well-being of workers hired under consumer direction and addressing their concerns is critical, because the consumer-directed model is sustainable only if workers are satisfied with it.

This paper describes the work that will be undertaken to conform the MDS content with health information technology standards endorsed by the Federal Government through the Consolidated Health Information(CHI) Initiative. [3 PDF pages]

U.S. Department of Health and Human ServicesOffice of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation

  This Research Brief presents findings from an analysis of child abuse and neglect reports for six states that use both traditional child maltreatment investigations and some other defined action that does not require a specific finding about whether the maltreatment occurred.

  This Research Brief presents key findings from a longitudinal analysis of child abuse reporting data, derived from nine states’ submissions to the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (NCANDS) for 1998 - 2002.

Stacy Dale, Randall Brown, Barbara Phillips and Barbara Carlson

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Making MDS v.3.0 Compliant with CHI Standards: Project Summary Apelon, Inc. August 2005 PDF Version