Shows that surprisingly few beneficiaries actively examine their choices in health coverage, though choice is somewhat more relevant for subgroups of vulnerable beneficiaries.

This brief, the last of three case studies examining key operational aspects of coordinated care initiatives in Medicaid, focuses on Rhode Island's Chronic Care Sustainability Initiative. This multi-payer, patient-centered medical home initiative includes the one Medicaid health plan in the...

Elders who are frail because of disability, multiple chronic conditions, and other factors account for a growing share of the population, yet they are often poorly served by a health care system that is focused on acute care episodes. This report for the California HealthCare Foundation examines...

More than 23 million Americans have limited English proficiency, which complicates their ability to obtain quality health care. Language barriers in the health care setting can lead to miscommunications and cause medical errors, delay or denial of services, issues with medication management, and...

The role of private health plans in Medicare expanded substantially in 2004 under the Medicare Modernization Act, which builds on plan experience under Medicare+Choice, created in 1997 to offer more managed care choices for beneficiaries and recently renamed Medicare Advantage. Although sponsors...

Describes the different kinds of supplemental coverage available, including employer-based coverage, Medicaid, and the individual private Medigap and Medicare HMO markets. Also examines whom these plans attract, and what this means for beneficiary education and the design of Medicare reform.