National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology (NICHSR)

Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation - (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)) - Established by the Affordable Care Act, the Center for Innovation is a new engine for revitalizing and sustaining Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) as well as for improving the health care system for all Americans. The Innovation Center tests innovative care and payment models and encourages widespread adoption of practices that deliver better health care at lower costs.

Chronic Conditions Account For Rise In Medicare Spending From 1987 To 2006 - (Health Affairs) - This study finds Health Care Reform must reflect changing health needs. The study notes that Medicare beneficiaries increasingly receive services for chronic conditions, including mental health conditions, rather than intensive inpatient services, such as episodic onsets of heart disease.

The Commonwealth Fund Health Care Reform Resources - (Commonwealth Fund) - Links to various multi-media formats featuring information on health care reform.

Congressional Budget Office (CBO) - (Congressional Budget Office (CBO) US) - CBO provides budgetary and economic information in a variety of ways and at various points in the legislative process.

Federal Health Reform: State Legislative Tracking Database - (National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)) - This website enables one to search bills filed in response to the Affordable Care Act as well as 2011 and 2012 legislation by state, year, topic, keyword, status, and/or primary sponsor.

Health Care Opinion Leaders' Views on Health Reform, Implementation, and Post-Reform Priorities - (Commonwealth Fund) - Commonwealth Fund/Modern Healthcare Health Care Opinion Leaders survey which was fielded while the legislation was still pending in Congress also found that virtually all key features of the health reform law are supported by a large majority of opinion leaders.

Health Reform Resource Center and Timeline - (Commonwealth Fund) - Comprehensive tool for exploring and understanding the provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Visitors to the Center can view a timeline of the law's major provisions and use the "Find Health Reform Provisions" tool to search for clear, detailed summaries of specific provisions by year, category, and/or stakeholder group.

Health System Measurement Project - (Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S.) - This web tool enables the viewing of data on a given topical area from multiple sources, comparing trends across measures and national trends with those at the state and regional level. For example, an individual could use the Measurement Project to monitor the percentage of people who have a specific source of ongoing medical care or track avoidable hospitalizations for adults and children by region or ethnic group.

Health Tracking Poll: Exploring the Public's Views on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - This tool enables users to explore the public's views of the health reform law over time, including differences by party identification, race, age, income and other demographic breakdowns.

National Conference of State Legislatures - Health - (National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)) - This is the portal to NCSL's health resources which include over 30 legislative tracking pages as well as information on many state health and public health policy areas.

National Health Reform Law and Policy Project - (George Washington University, School of Public Health and Health Services) - At this site, readers will find an analysis of national health reform proposals, i.e., A user's guide to navigating project contents; A taxonomy that identifies the major themes guiding the comparative legislative analysis; Comparative legislative tables showing provisions in each analyzed proposal and viewable independently or comparatively (side by side); and Comprehensive summaries of each proposal and links to the actual legislation.

Paying Medicare Advantage by Competitive Bidding: How Much Competition Is There? - (Commonwealth Fund) - This study examines the concentration of enrollment among Medicar Advantage (MA) plans and the degree to which firms offering MA plans actually face competition.

Side-by-Side Comparison of Major Health Care Reform Proposals - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - Interactive side-by-side health reform comparison tool compares the leading comprehensive reform proposals across a number of key characteristics and plan components.

State Refor(u)m - (National Academy for State Health Policy USA, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)) - The site intends to help policymakers, state health officials and the broader health policy community across all states explore opportunities created by the ACA and tackle implementation challenges. The forum connects state health officials looking for information with experts.

Grants/Funding

Affordable Care Act State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) and Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) Options Counseling for Medicare-Medicaid Individuals in States with Approved Financial Alignment Models - (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)) - This grant was developed to help test innovative payment and service delivery models to reduce program expenditures under Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) while preserving or enhancing the quality of care furnished to individuals under such programs.

Demonstration Grant for Testing Experience and Functional Tools (TEFT) in Community-Based Long Term Services and Supports - (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)) - This grant will examine adult quality measurement activities under Section 2701 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Guidelines, Journals, Other (Publications, Webcasts, Videos, etc.)

AFL-CIO Health Care Reform - This website provides access to legislation and political information that the AFL-CIO is interested in tracking. Recently, for example, the AFL-CIO tracked healthcare reform.

American Medical Association (AMA) Health Care Reform - (American Medical Association (AMA)) - AMA's press releases, statements, and videos on health system reform.

American Nurses Association (ANA) Health Care Form Resources - The ANA is a full-service professional organization representing the interests of the nation's registered nurses. The ANA assembled resources and links related to health care reform.

Article and Policy Forum Examine Medicare, Health Reform and the Challenges Facing People With Disabilities - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - On Sept. 8, 2010, the Foundation held a policy forum examining the health care issues facing people with disabilities and the opportunities and challenges presented by the new health care reform law enacted earlier this year.

Briefing on State Medicaid Programs, the Recession and Health Reform - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - Panelists at this briefing examined the challenges facing states as they continue to struggle with the lingering impacts of the recession and begin preparing to implement health reform.

California and Texas: Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waivers Compared - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - This fact sheet compares and contrasts key provisions of the California and Texas Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waivers. The Texas waiver, approved in December 2011, is modeled, in part, on the California waiver, which has been underway in that state since November 2010. Both waivers affect hundreds of thousands of Medicaid beneficiaries, involve billions of federal Medicaid matching funds, and are designed, in part, to promote changes in the health care delivery system that will result in better care for individuals, better population health, and reductions in costs through system improvements. They have a number of key similarities and differences as summarized in the side-by-side table within this fact sheet. These 5-year demonstrations are approved under section 1115 of the Social Security Act, which authorizes the Secretary of Health and Human Services to waive certain federal Medicaid requirements to enable states to conduct demonstrations with federal Medicaid funds.

CMS Office of the Actuary Health Reform Report - (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)) - The report notes that 34 million uninsured people will gain coverage under the law, but that 23 million people, including 5 million illegal immigrants, will still be uninsured in 2019.

Controlling Health Insurance Premiums: Perspectives from the States, the Federal Government and Industry - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - The Affordable Care Act creates a process for states and the Department of Health and Human Services to review "unreasonable" premium increases and provide information to consumers about the process. The rules governing this rate review process went into effect September 1, 2011. This briefing by the Kaiser Family Foundation, held on September 22, 2011, addressed how these new rules might work and what the implications may be for the growth in health insurance premiums and the underlying cost of health care.

Filling the Information Needs for Healthcare Reform: Expert Meeting Summary and Identification of Next Steps - (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)) - To help meet the information needs of health care reform, and to inform our own work, AHRQ convened a small group of policymakers, researchers, and producers of health care data. The purpose of the meeting was to begin developing a strategy to optimize the availability of information and data for enactment and implementation of health care reform. This document provides a summary of the objectives and major conclusions from this meeting, as well as an update on early steps taken to date to put the strategy into effect.

Front and Center: Ensuring that Health Reform Puts People First - (Commonwealth Fund) - This report focuses on those who would benefit from health reform.

Grantmakers in Health: Health Reform - (Grantmakers in Health (GIH) US) - In 2010 GIH established the GIH Health Reform Resource Center Fund. The fund allows GIH to increase staff resources and programming in order to inform and connect funders sponsoring work related to health reform, and to provide sound, strategic, and actionable information to funders in a timely fashion.

Health Insurance Exchange Development: Innovation in the States - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - Under health reform, state-based health insurance exchanges are a mechanism to buy private insurance beginning in 2014. Access this webcast to view panel discussions with state leaders and stakeholders as they explored states' progress on the exchanges and identified next steps.

The Health Insurance Provisions of the 2009 Congressional Health Reform Bills: Implications for Coverage, Affordability, and Costs - (Commonwealth Fund) - This report analyzes the provisions of the health reform bills passed by the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate that seek to expand and improve health insurance coverage.

Health Reform Watch - (Seton Hall University School of Law US) - Web log of the Seton Hall University School of Law, Health Law & Policy Program. It seeks to provide an open forum for academics, medical professionals, policy makers, journalists, lawyers, students, and concerned citizens.

How Health Services Research Was Used in Health Care Reform - (AcademyHealth, Commonwealth Fund) - View the video of a panel at the June 2010 AcademyHealth Annual Research Meeting, "How Health Services Research Was Used in Health Care Reform."

Implementing the Affordable Care Act: State Action on Early Market Reforms - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - This issue brief examines new state action on a subset of these "early market reforms." The analysis finds that 49 states and the District of Columbia have passed new legislation, issued a new regulation, issued new subregulatory guidance, or are actively reviewing insurer policy forms for compliance with these protections. These findings suggest that states have required or encouraged compliance with the early market reforms, and that efforts to understand how states are responding cannot focus on legislative action alone.

Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)Videos on HSR Topics - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - Links to numerous KFF videos on health reform.

Mathematica's Briefs on Health Care Reform - (Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.) - This series is intended to help policymakers understand the research base for the critical choices they will make in implementing the federal health reform law.

Minnesota Health Reform Resources - (State Health Access Data Assistance Center (SHADAC) USA) - Collection of resources that the State Health Access Data Assistance Center(SHADAC) has for the health reform initiatives in Minnesota, including the Minnesota state health reform of 2008, the implementation issues surrounding the federal health reform legislation of 2010, and related reports and presentations.

New England Journal of Medicine Health Care Reform 2009 - Focused website where physicians contribute their ideas and concerns and keep up with important policy developments.

The New Health Reform Law and Medicaid - (Alliance for Health Reform US, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - This briefing explores the provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (HCERA). A panel of experts explain how PPACA and HCERA affect Medicaid, and answer questions about their Medicaid-specific provisions, including Medicaid eligibility, financing, and other implementation issues.

Opportunities for States to Improve Children's Care Under CHIPRA and Health Reform - (Commonwealth Fund) - Interview with Jocelyn Guyer, co-executive director of the Georgetown Center for Children and Families, about the opportunities and challenges for states to improve the quality of children's health care presented by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) and the health reform law.

Out of Options: Why So Many Workers in Small Businesses Lack Affordable Health Insurance, and How Health Care Reform Can Help - (Commonwealth Fund) - Small-business owners and employees are among those who stand to benefit the most from provisions in some of the current health reform proposals under consideration by Congress, according to a September 2009 Commonwealth Fund analysis. Currently, 39 million Americans work for companies with fewer than 50 employees, and only 25 percent of them have health insurance through their employer.

Payment Reform: Analysis of Models and Peformance Measurement Implications - (RAND Corporation USA) - The purpose of this report is to provide information about the current status of performance measurement in the context of payment reform and to identify near-term opportunities for performance measure development. The report is intended for the many stakeholders tasked with outlining a national quality strategy in the wake of health care reform legislation.

A Reporter's Guide to Supreme Court Arguments on Health Reform - (Alliance for Health Reform US, Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)) - The Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation sponsored this March, 2012, reporters-only briefing to help journalists cover the Supreme Court arguments challenging the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and their aftermath with greater depth and understanding. Panelists focus on tips, story ideas and angles that have perhaps been underreported or overlooked, as well as angles for after the court ruling comes down, expected in June.

Rural Health Webcast: Laying the Foundation for Health Reform - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - Webcast Briefing sponsored by the Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Experts answer questions about how some aspects of pending health reform proposals may have a substantial impact on rural care. What provisions in the various reform proposals affect rural health care? What particular challenges need to be overcome in order to improve care delivery in rural areas? What aspects of health reform will require special accommodation in rural areas? Are delivery systems in rural areas currently able to handle the influx of new patients coverage expansion would bring? How does HIT factor into rural reform?

Saving Billions of Dollars-and Physicians' Time-by Streamlining Billing Practices - (Commonwealth Fund) - The U.S. system of billing for health care is complex, expensive, and inefficient. Excessive administrative complexity costs physicians nearly 12 percent of their net patient service revenue, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study. Streamlining administrative processes associated with the billing and payment of medical providers could save $7 billion annually, and save four hours per week of physicians' time and five hours of support staff time.

State Health Insurance Exchange Legislation: A Progress Report - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - The Affordable Care Act requires each state to establish by 2014 a health insurance exchange where individuals and small businesses can purchase affordable health insurance plans. This document provides a progress report.

Tutorials on Health Care Reform - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - Robin Rudowitz, M.P.A., of Kaiser's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, reviews the basics of the Medicaid program and explains the program's coverage goals under the new health reform law. In the second tutorial, Alan Schlobohm, senior program administrator at the Foundation, provides a step-by-step review of how the health reform law made its way through the legislative process from the President's budget proposal through the signing of the bill into law.

UrbanInstitute Report: Premium and Cost-Sharing Subsidies under Health Reform: Implications for Coverage, Costs, and Affordability - (Urban Institute (UI)) - This analysis shows that health care cost burdens can be substantial for those with modest incomes and significant health care needs. It shows how enhanced premium and cost-sharing subsidies could reduce burdens, while increasing overall coverage and government costs.

Webinar: Health Insurance Exchanges - (Commonwealth Fund) - On 11/4/2010 this webinar focused on the state health insurance exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act. Speakers addressed the major challenges to successful implementation of the exchanges and present policy options and recommendations for federal and state officials, as well as provide an update on the status of the regulatory process and state implementation.

Key Organizations/Programs

Accelerating Change and Transformation in Organizations and Networks (ACTION): Field Partnerships for Applied Research - (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)) - ACTION is a a model of field-based research designed to promote innovation in health care delivery by accelerating the diffusion of research into practice. The ACTION network includes 15 large partnerships and collaborating organizations that provide health care to more than 100 million Americans.

Alliance for Health Reform - A nonpartisan, nonprofit group, the Alliance believes that all in the U.S. should have health coverage at a reasonable cost.

Brookings Institution - Health - (Brookings Institution US) - As noted on its website, With ongoing legal and political challenges to the sweeping health care reform legislation passed in 2010, the United States continues to struggle with the critical task of reforming its health care system to increase quality, access and efficiency. Brookings' experts deliver new ideas and offer policy solutions to improve health care both at home and globally.

Health Care Reform Educational Institute - Founded for educational purposes, the Institute's goal is to provide information so individuals can better understand how different health care systems effect the quality of the health care provided and their effect on the professionals who provide the care.

Health Care Reform Resources from the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) - (National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) US) - Find information on health care reform compliance updates.

Health Reform Source - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - This site serves as an online gateway to resources on the health reform law. For example, the key issues in the 2012 Supreme Court's ruling upholding the Affordable Care Act can be accessed on this site.

HealthReform.gov - (Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S.) - Provides information on the Administration's activities surrounding health care reform. Web site sections include reports, forums, and events.

Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) - IHI focuses on motivating and building the will for change; identifying and testing new models of care in partnership with both patients and health care professionals; and ensuring the broadest possible adoption of best practices and effective innovations.

Mathematica - Health Care Reform - Access research and data on health care reform.

National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) - (National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) US) - The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) is the U.S. standard-setting and regulatory support organization created and governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the NAIC, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer review, and coordinate their regulatory oversight. NAIC staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally. NAIC members, together with the central resources of the NAIC, form the national system of state-based insurance regulation in the U.S.

National Institute for Health Care Reform - (Center for Studying Health System Change) - Conducts objective research and policy analyses of the organization, financing and delivery of health care in the United States. Works to identify key health policy issues, explore 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.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) Health Reform - RWJF aims to be a resource for credible, neutral, timely research, and information that can help inform the national health reform debate among policy-makers and other stakeholders.

U.S. House Committee on Education and Labor - The Education and Labor Committee's purpose is to ensure that Americans' needs are addressed so that students and workers may move forward in a changing school system and a competitive global economy. Its subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions follows all matters dealing with relationships between employers and workers generally including, but not limited to, the National Labor Relations Act, Labor Management Relations Act, Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment-related retirement security, including pension, health and other employee benefits, the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); all matters related to equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment, including affirmative action.

U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce - Link to publications and updates on health care reform.

U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means - Link to bill text, markups, press releases on health care reform.

U.S. Senate Committee on Finance - The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to: taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions; bonded debt of the United States; customs, collection districts, and ports of entry and delivery; reciprocal trade agreements; tariff and import quotas, and related matters thereto; the transportation of dutiable goods; deposit of public moneys; general revenue sharing; health programs under the Social Security Act, including Medicare, Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) and other health and human services programs financed by a specific tax or trust fund; and national social security.

U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) - (U.S. Senate US) - The Committee has broad jurisdiction over the operation of the country's health care, schools, employment and retirement programs. The HELP Committee held a hearing on "The Affordable Care Act The Impact of Health Insurance Reform on Health Care Consumers."

United Health Center for Health Reform and Modernization - Serves as a focal point for UnitedHealth Group's work on health care modernization and national health reform. The Center assesses and develops innovative policies and practical solutions for the health care challenges facing the nation.

Urban Institute - Health Care Reform - (Urban Institute (UI)) - Updates on health care reform from the health policy center at the Urban Institute.

White House Issues Health Care - Updates from the White House on health care and health care reform issues.

Meetings/Conferences

Institute 2011: The Road Map for Health Care Reform Implementation Continues, June 15-17 - (America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP)) - Institute 2011 provided insight and answers at both a global and a day-to-day level.

National Healthcare Reform, October 24-26, 2012, Miami Beach - The theme of the 2012 conference is is Compliance and Preparedness for 2014.

Out of the Blocks: Where Does Health Care Improvement Go from Here - (Institute for Healthcare Advancement (IHA)) - This seminar will assemble business, political and healthcare leaders to inform participants on necessary steps to lay the groundwork for successful healthcare changes. Date: November 8, 2012. Place: The Newseum in Washington DC

World Congress Meetings - (World Congress) - World Congress events and conferences convene CEOs and senior executives in the health care industry. Conferences are held in various locations on various dates, covering a wide spectrum of topics.

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Health Economics

Data Tools and Statistics

Health Economics Resource Center - (Health Services Research and Development Service, Veterans Administration (HSR&D)) - National center located in Menlo Park, CA that assists VA researchers in assessing the cost-effectiveness of medical care, evaluating the efficiency of VA programs and providers, and conducting high-quality health economics research. Provides aggregate data and findings about veterans. This site includes socio-economic data, the demographic characteristics of veterans, the geographical distribution of the veteran population, and other statistical data and information by veteran program.

Health Services & Economics Survey Instruments - (National Cancer Institute, NIH (NCI)) - Provides access to several survey instruments for studies related to health services and economics, as well as links to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) and the California Health Interview Survey (CHIS).

Health System Measurement Project - (Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S.) - This web tool enables the viewing of data on a given topical area from multiple sources, comparing trends across measures and national trends with those at the state and regional level. For example, an individual could use the Measurement Project to monitor the percentage of people who have a specific source of ongoing medical care or track avoidable hospitalizations for adults and children by region or ethnic group.

ISPOR International Digest of Databases - (International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) US) - Electronic index (Digest) of key attributes of health care databases around the world available at the ISPOR website, which is accessible to the public. The Digest is a compendium of 194 databases. These databases list key attributes of health care data from around the world.

Key Resources in Health Economics - (National Library of Medicine, National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology) - Links to a PDF core list of materials (books, journals, websites and bibliographic databases) and a desired list of books and journals in the field of health economics. The lists are primarily geared to individuals who are new to the field or unfamiliar with the various resources on health economics and need to acquire and/or access publications, databases, and websites in the health economics domain.

Guidelines, Journals, Other Publications

Best Care at Lower Cost: The Path to Continuously Learning Health Care in America - (Institute of Medicine (IOM)) - This book, aimed at health care providers; administrators; caregivers; policy makers; health professionals; federal, state, and local government agencies; private and public health organizations; and educational institutions, looks at the barriers which hinder progress in improving health and currently threaten the nation's economic stability and global competitiveness. It also addresses the knowledge and tools available to better quality care at a lower cost.

Handbook of Health Economics - The 35 chapters of The Handbook of Health Economics provide an up-to-date survey of the burgeoning literature in health economics. Published by Elsevier.

Health Economics - Publishes articles on all aspects of health economics: theoretical contributions, empirical studies and analyses of health policy from the economic perspective. Its scope includes the determinants of health and its definition and valuation, as well as the demand for and supply of health care; planning and market mechanisms; micro-economic evaluation of individual procedures and treatments; and evaluation of the performance of health care systems.

Health Economics Core Library Recommendations, 2011 - (National Library of Medicine, National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology) - Lists of journals, books and other resources recommended for a basic library collection in health economics.

Health Insurance Premiums: Commonwealth Fund Resources - (Commonwealth Fund) - Resources from Commonwealth that provide background information on the topic of health insurance premiums.

HealthEcon-Discuss - General health economics discussion list. Membership is open to all health economists (and all those interested in health economics) worldwide. It is also the recommended discussion list for members of iHEA. The purpose of healthecon-discuss is to give a (previously unavailable) forum for general discussion on health economics matters.

Registries for Evaluating Patient Outcomes: A User's Guide: 2nd Edition - (Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)) - Originally published in 2007, the handbook has been completely updated with four new sections addressing emerging topics in registry science.

Key Organizations

Center for Health Quality, Outcomes, & Economic Research (CHQOER) - (Health Services Research and Development Service, Veterans Administration (HSR&D)) - The Center's three research priority areas are: patient-centered care, medication effectiveness, and patient safety. Across these domains, researchers develop innovative methodologies and models of care to provide the most effective, efficient and appropriate care to our nation's veterans.

Health Economics Resource Center - (Health Services Research and Development Service, Veterans Administration (HSR&D)) - National center located in Menlo Park, CA that assists VA researchers in assessing the cost-effectiveness of medical care, evaluating the efficiency of VA programs and providers, and conducting high-quality health economics research. Provides aggregate data and findings about veterans. This site includes socio-economic data, the demographic characteristics of veterans, the geographical distribution of the veteran population, and other statistical data and information by veteran program.

Health Services & Economics Branch Areas of Research - (National Cancer Institute, NIH (NCI)) - Examines the dissemination of effective cancer-related health services into community practice. Monitors demographic, social, economic, and health system factors that influence preventive, screening, diagnostic, and treatment services for cancer.

Insitute of Health Economics - (Institute of Health Economics Canada) - The IHE strives to assist decision makers in health policy and practice with the results from economic evaluations, costing and cost-effectiveness analyses, and with syntheses of findings from research in health technology assessment.

International Health Economics Association (iHEA) - Formed to increase communication among health economists, foster a high standard of debate in the application of economics to health and health care systems, and assist young researchers at the start of their careers.

International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) - ISPOR promotes the science of pharmacoeconomics (health economics) and outcomes research (the scientific discipline that evaluates the effect of health care interventions on patient well-being including clinical outcomes, economic outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes) and facilitates the translation of this research into useful information for healthcare decision-makers to ensure that society allocates scarce health care resources wisely, fairly and efficiently. ISPOR embraces all health technology assessors, government health technology regulators & payers of health care including governments, insurers, and other health care payers who use health care outcomes research information in their decisions.

National Academy of Social Insurance - Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to promote understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security and a vibrant economy.

Programs (Non-Academic)

Health Economics Program (HEP) - (Minnesota Department of Health (MDH)) - The Health Economics Program conducts research and applied policy analysis to monitor changes in the health care marketplace; to understand factors influencing health care cost, quality and access; and to provide technical assistance in the development of state health care policy.

Paying Wisely: Using Incentive Reforms to Reduce Costs and Improve Patient Outcomes - (Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.) - Mathematica's Issue Forum will look at ways in which we can simultaneously reduce escalating health care costs and still maximize good clinical outcomes. Date: Tuesday, October 23, 2012, Time: 12:00-1:30 p.m. (EDT), Location: 1100 1st Street, NE, 12th Floor, Washington, DC 20002-4221

Real Endpoints Symposium: Disruptors: Revolutionizing Drug/Dx Reimbursement - This conference examines the economic issues surrounding drug and technology spending. It is aimed at payers and risk-sharing providers, as well as biopharma, medical device, and diagnostics professionals.

The Role of Pharmaceuticals in the ACO Environment - (National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) US) - This webinar will assemble a distinguished faculty to discuss the role of medications in an ACO, to support quality patient care while still reducing costs. Date: October 16, 2012. Time: 2 - 3 p.m. ET

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Health Policy

Data Tools and Statistics

Directory of Health Organizations - (National Library of Medicine (NLM) U.S.) - This link provides access to a database containing location and descriptive information about a wide variety of information resources including organizations, research resources, projects, and databases concerned with health and biomedicine. Each record may contain information on the publications, holdings, and services provided.

Health System Measurement Project - (Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) U.S.) - This web tool enables the viewing of data on a given topical area from multiple sources, comparing trends across measures and national trends with those at the state and regional level. For example, an individual could use the Measurement Project to monitor the percentage of people who have a specific source of ongoing medical care or track avoidable hospitalizations for adults and children by region or ethnic group.

Kaiser Fast Facts - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - This is a health policy resource featuring "QuickTakes" and "Kaiser Slides"- two tools providing direct access to facts, data and slides about the nation's health care system and programs.

Medicaid.gov - (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)) - This website is devoted to the policies - and the people - of Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

RAND COMPARE - (RAND Corporation USA) - COMPARE is a transparent, evidence-based approach to providing information and tools to help policymakers, the media, and other interested parties understand, design, and evaluate health policies.

Risk Adjustment Impact Study (RAIS) - (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)) - This study seeks to answer two questions: How is health-based risk adjustment implemented; and, what is the impact of health-based risk adjustment on purchasers and on managed care organizations (MCOs)?

Tutorial on Public Opinion and Health Policy - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - In this narrated slide tutorial, Claudia Deane, associate director of Public Opinion & Survey Research for the Kaiser Family Foundation, provides an overview of American attitudes towards major health policy issues. She discusses views on personal health care, as well as the role of the federal government, Medicare and Medicaid, budget cuts and the Affordable Care Act.

U.S. Health Policy Gateway - (Center for Health Policy, Law and Management, Duke University) - A categorized list of Web links in health policy.

Guidelines, Journals, Other (Webcasts, etc.)

7th Annual National Policy Conference: Policy GPS: Directions to Delivery System Reform - (National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)) - This conference will discuss the advancing delivery system reforms that hope to improve the quality, experience and cost of care. Date: December 5, 2012 Place: Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill, Washington DC.

The Apothecary: A Blog on Healthcare, Policy, & Society - A weblog that seeks to explore the price and value of healthcare. It aims to address, using empirical analysis and third-party research, how policymakers can maximize the quality, innovation, efficiency, and accessibility of healthcare.

Center for Policy and Research Translation - (Altarum Institute US) - Altarum Institute is a nonprofit health systems research and consulting organization. This blog is published on Tuesdays and Thursdays and contains content by health policy authorities.

The Commonwealth Fund Blog - (Commonwealth Fund) - Health policy blog from Commonwealth.

The Commonwealth Fund's 2009 International Symposium on Health Care Policy - (Commonwealth Fund) - Highlights of the ministers' roundtable from The Commonwealth Fund's 2009 International Symposium on Health Care Policy, "Top Priorities for Achieving a High Performance Health Care System." Participants included Carolyn Clancy, M.D., director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; Andy Burnham MP, Secretary of State for Health, England; Thomas Björn Zeltner, M.D., former Secretary of State for Health, Switzerland; Abraham (Ab) Klink, Minister of Health, Welfare and Sport, The Netherlands; Dr. Jonathan Coleman, Associate Minister of Health, New Zealand; Karin Johansson, State Secretary for Health, Sweden; Lord Ara Darzi, KBE, M.D., Former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State, England.

Compendium of Health Services Research to Inform Health Reform - (AcademyHealth) - AcademyHealth developed this compendium of ongoing or recently-completed health services research that has been funded by federal agencies and national foundations as a resource to inform health reform activities over the next few years.

Congressional Budget Office Director's Blog - (Congressional Budget Office (CBO) US) - Since its founding in 1974, the Congressional Budget Office has produced independent, nonpartisan, timely analysis of economic and budgetary issues to support the Congressional budget process. The agency's long tradition of nonpartisanship is evident in each of the dozens of reports and hundreds of cost estimates its economists and policy analysts produce each year.

Controlling Health Insurance Premiums: Perspectives from the States, the Federal Government and Industry - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - The Affordable Care Act creates a process for states and the Department of Health and Human Services to review "unreasonable" premium increases and provide information to consumers about the process. The rules governing this rate review process went into effect September 1, 2011. This briefing by the Kaiser Family Foundation, held on September 22, 2011, addressed how these new rules might work and what the implications may be for the growth in health insurance premiums and the underlying cost of health care.

Core Health Policy Library Recommendations, 2011 - (National Library of Medicine, National Information Center on Health Services Research and Health Care Technology) - This list focuses on core (essential/indispensible) health policy materials-books (print and e-books), journals (print and online), bibliographic databases, and select electronic resources such as alerts, blogs, newsletters, and Websites.

Field of Health Policy Guide - (University of Maryland) - This guide provides links to resources on various aspects of health policy.

A First Look at the Volume and Cost of Comparative Effectiveness Research in the United States - (AcademyHealth) - This report provides an environmental scan of the volume and the range of cost of recent comparative effectiveness research.

Health Care Policy and Marketplace Review Blog - (Health Policy and Strategy Associates, LLC US) - A Health Care Blog with reviewz of the latest developments in federal health policy and marketplace activities in the health care financing business.

The Health Policy 100: The 100 Best Health Care Policy Blogs - (Radiology Technician Schools US) - To help inform individuals on the myriad health care policy issues, the Radiology Technician Schools selected what they believe to be the 100 best blogs at explaining news, viewpoints, facts, and opinion relating to health care policy.

Health Policy and Planning Online - Health Policy and Planning's aim is to improve the design and implementation of health policies in low- and middle-income countries through providing a forum for publishing high quality research and original ideas for an audience of policy and public health researchers and practitioners. HPP is published six times a year (bimonthly) by Oxford University Press.

Health Policy Monitor - (International Network Health Policy and Reform Germany) - A 20-country project initiated and sponsored by the Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2002, associated with the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies. Every six months, the experts report and comment on five or more health policy trends and developments from their countries.

Health Policy Picks - (Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)) - Monthly selection of recent publications, such as technical reports, conference proceedings, and other material produced by organizations and government agencies that conduct health care policy analysis and research.

HealthReformGPS.org - (George Washington University, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)) - This site has been designed to present unbiased information about the health reform legislation while also setting forth implementation issues that may arise from a full range of stakeholder views on any particular topic.

Implementing Comparative Effectiveness Research: Priorities, Methods and Impact - (Brookings Institution US) - Access June 9, 2009 Forum transcript, event materials, and video from this site.

Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law - (Duke University Press) - Focuses on the initiation, formulation, and implementation of health policy and analyzes the relations between government and health-past, present, and future.

Kaiser.edu Tutorials & Presentations - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - These tutorials are multimedia presentations on health policy issues, research methodology or the workings of government.

MMRR - Medicare & Medicaid Research Review - (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)) - Peer-reviewed, online journal reporting data and research that informs current and future directions of the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children's Health Insurance programs. The journal seeks to examine and evaluate health care coverage, quality and access to care for beneficiaries, and payment for health services.

National Conference of State Legislatures - Health - (National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)) - This is the portal to NCSL's health resources which include over 30 legislative tracking pages as well as information on many state health and public health policy areas.

New England Healthcare Institute (NEHI) - Link to various reports and publications on health policy produced by the NEHI.

A Reporter's Guide to U.S. Global Health Policy - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - For journalists, a basic understanding of global health is now required to cover a wide range of topics, i.e., Congressional policy debates, foreign policy and international relations, economics, food issues, military conflicts, and natural disasters. This guide provides up-to-date background information for reporters covering those issues.

SAMHSA's Financing Center of Excellence Posts - (Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)) - Newsletters on a variety of topics ranging from health care financing and health care reform to state data and state legislation.

U.S. Global Health Policy: In Focus -The Future of U.S. Multilateral Engagement on Global Health: What's the Right Balance? - (Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) US) - This Q&A webcast features an expert panel exploring the United States' global health support and the right balance between multilateral and bilateral funding as well as other aspects of the U.S. multilateral engagement including its role in governance and its participation in international treaties and other agreements.

Urban Institute's Health Policy Center Newsletter - (Urban Institute (UI)) - Electronic newsletter by the Health Policy Center at the Urban Institute.

A Web-based archive of systematic review data - (BioMed Central) - Systematic reviews have become increasingly critical to informing healthcare policy; however, they remain a time-consuming and labor-intensive activity. The extraction of data from constituent studies comprises a significant portion of this effort, an activity which is often needlessly duplicated, such as when attempting to update a previously conducted review or in reviews of overlapping topics. In order to address these inefficiencies, and to improve the speed and quality of healthcare policy- and decision-making, we have initiated the development of the Systematic Review Data Repository, an open, collaborative, Web-based repository of systematic review data.

Health Policy Key Organizations

Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research - (World Health Organization (WHO)) - The Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research is an international collaboration based in the WHO Geneva. It has its origins in the recommendations of the 1996 report of WHO's Ad Hoc Committee on Health Research which identified lack of health policy and systems research as a key problem impeding the improvement of health outcomes in low and middle income countries.

American Enterprise Institute (AEI) - Private, nonpartisan, not-for-profit institution dedicated to research and education on issues of government, politics, economics, and social welfare.

The American Health Quality Association (AHQA) - Represents Quality Improvement Organizations (QIOs) and professionals working to improve the quality of health care in communities across America. QIOs share information about best practices with physicians, hospitals, nursing homes, home health agencies, and others.

Brookings Institution - Nonprofit public policy organization that conducts independent research and provides recommendations.

CalHealthReform - (California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF)) - Site dedicated to informing policy-makers, the health care community, and the public about approaches to expanding public and private coverage.

Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) - A nonpartisan policy research organization located in Washington, D.C. HSC designs and conducts studies focused on the U.S. health care system to inform the thinking and decisions of policy makers in government and private industry.

Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC) - EPIC is a public interest research center in Washington, D.C. It was established in 1994 to focus public attention on emerging civil liberties issues and to protect privacy, the First Amendment, and constitutional values.

European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies - (World Health Organization (WHO)) - The European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies supports and promotes evidence-based health policy-making through comprehensive and rigorous analysis of the dynamics of health care systems in Europe.

Families USA - A national nonprofit working for the consumer in national and state health policy debates.

Georgetown University Health Policy Institute (HPI) - The Health Policy Institute is a multi-disciplinary group of faculty and staff dedicated to conducting research on key issues in health policy and health services research.

HCFO (Changes in Health Care Financing & Organization) - (AcademyHealth, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF)) - The Changes in Health Care Financing and Organization (HCFO) initiative, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, strives to bridge the health policy and health services research communities.

The Health Policy Group - (Council of State Governments (CSG) US) - The Health Policy Group provides policy analysis and innovative programming for state health policy leaders in the legislative and executive branches. This group also develops many publications and health forums for state leaders.

Health Policy Recommendations from the National Business Coalition on Health (NBCH) - NBCH and its members are dedicated to value-based purchasing of health care services through the collective action of public and private purchasers. NBCH provides recommendations on health policy on its website.

Lister Hill Center for Health Policy, UAB - (University of Alabama, Birmingham (UAB) USA) - Located in the School of Public Health of the University of Alabama at Birmingham, this endowed Center has a university-wide mission to facilitate the conduct of health policy research and to disseminate the findings of that research beyond the usual academic channels.

Mathematica Health Policy Research - Access data, reports, and articles from Mathematica's researchers on people who lack health insurance, efficient operation of government health insurance programs, effective care delivery, chronic disease and long-term care, health care financing, and public health.

Medical Outcomes Trust - (Medical Outcomes Trust) - Not for profit organization dedicated to improving health and health care by promoting the science of outcomes measurement, and the development, evaluation, and distribution of standardized, high quality instruments that measure health and the outcomes of medical care.

Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) - Established in 1997 by the merger of the Physician Payment Review Commission (PPRC) and the Prospective Payment Assessment Commission (ProPAC). Created by congressional mandate (Public Law 105-33), the 15-member nonpartisan Commission advises the Congress on Medicare Payment policies. MedPAC is also tasked with analyzing access to care, quality of care, and other issues affecting Medicare.

National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP) - Independent academy of state health policymakers working together to identify emerging issues, develop policy solutions, and improve state health policy and practice.

National Academy of Social Insurance - Nonprofit, nonpartisan organization made up of the nation's leading experts on social insurance. Its mission is to promote understanding of how social insurance contributes to economic security and a vibrant economy.

National Association of Health Data Organizations (NAHDO) - National, not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to improving health care through the collection, analysis, dissemination, public availability, and use of health data.

National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) - Private, not-for-profit organization dedicated to improving health care quality. NCQA helps to elevate the issue of health care quality to the top of the national agenda.

National Health Policy Forum (NHPF) - (George Washington University) - The National Health Policy Forum is a participant-driven, nonpartisan information exchange program that works to foster more informed government decision making.

National Quality Forum (NQF) - Not-for-profit membership organization created to develop and implement a national strategy for health care quality measurement and reporting.

National Senior Citizens Law Center - (National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC) US) - NSCLC seeks to ensure that low-income older adults understand and have access to affordable health care benefits and medicine and that more people receive long term care at home. To achieve its objectives, NSCLC uses advocacy and litigation as well as provides education and counseling to local advocates who work with low-income older adults. This website provides information on topics such as dual eligibles, Medicaid/Medicare, health reform law, health disparities, etc.

NEHI - (NEHI US) - A non-profit, health policy institute, NEHI is a member-based organization that brings together diverse perspectives from the health care community across the country - including patients, payers, providers, universities, hospitals and not-for-profit institutions, and for-profit companies and associations - to find mutual solutions to mutual health care problems through collaboration, research and transformation.

New America Foundation - The New America Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public policy institute that invests in new thinkers and new ideas to address the next generation of challenges facing the United States. Link to policy papers and briefs on health care reform

New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM) - (New York Academy of Medicine) - NYAM has been advancing the health of people in cities since 1847. An independent organization, NYAM addresses the health challenges facing the world's urban populations through interdisciplinary approaches to innovative research, education, community engagement and policy leadership. Drawing on the expertise of diverse partners worldwide and more than 2,000 elected Fellows from across the professions, our current priorities are to create environments in cities that support healthy aging; to strengthen systems that prevent disease and promote the public's health; and to implement interventions that eliminate health disparities. Provides New York City and New York State health and community data resources.

Public Policy Institute - (AARP) - PPI conducts objective research on public policy issues of concern to the aging.

RAND Health Research Division - RAND Health is a research division within the RAND Corporation. For 60 years, RAND has been working to improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis. RAND Health continues that tradition, advancing understanding of health and health behaviors, and examining how the organization and financing of care affect costs, quality, and access.

Rural Policy Research Institute (RUPRI) Center for Rural Health Policy Analysis - (University of Iowa College of Public Health USA) - Provides unbiased analysis and information on the challenges, needs, and opportunities facing rural America.

UCLA Center for Health Policy Research - (University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) USA) - Its mission is to improves the public's health by advancing health policy through research, public service, community partnership, and education.

Urban Institute's Health Policy Center - (Urban Institute (UI)) - Analyzes trends and underlying causes of changes in health insurance coverage, access to care, and use of health care services by the entire US population.

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