This paper examines the pathways by which individuals transition from healthy to disabled. Because of the high prevalence and costs associated with disability, understanding these pathways is critical to developing interventions to prevent or minimize disability. We compare two estimates of...

There is little empirical evidence to explain why disability declined among the elderly over the past 20 years. In this paper, we explore the role of improved medical care for cardiovascular disease on health status improvements over time. We show that the incidence of cardiovascular disease...

There is a pronounced gradient in disability across socioeconomic groups, with better educated and higher income groups reporting substantially less disability. In this paper, we consider why that is the case, focusing on impairments in basic physical and cognitive aspects of living for the...

This issue brief evaluates the effects of a permanent 10 percent increase in Medicare fees for primary care ambulatory visits on Medicare costs. Using a simulation model with real-world parameters, the study found that, in spite of raising the overall cost of primary care visits, such a fee...

In 2007, the state of Minnesota considered establishing a Health Insurance Exchange to serve small groups and individuals, facilitating access to coverage, choice among insurance products, portability of coverage, and affordability. Mathematica studied the coverage, cost, and fiscal impacts of a...

This study systematically identified and profiled the content and use of AHRQ’s grant funded research on health care costs, productivity, organization, and market forces. The report provides evidence that the research findings have had an impact on policy debates, although much of that impact...