New York State Health Foundation

Barely Hanging On: Middle-Class and Uninsured

2010-03-18T17:00:00+00:00

This Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report explores health insurance affordability among middle-income workers during tough economic times. The report shows that the number of middle-income earners who obtained health insurance from their employers dropped by 3 million people from 2000 to 2008. Just 66% of people in families earning roughly $45,000 to $85,000 are now insured through their employers—a drop of seven percentage points from 2000 to 2008.

The Big Picture Updated

2010-03-18T13:45:00+00:00

This NYSHealth-funded, United Hospital Fund report, “The Big Picture Updated,” provides an analysis of more recent activity in New York’s private markets and public health insurance programs. It follows up on a report released by the United Hospital Fund in October 2009, “The Big Picture: Private and Public Health Insurance Markets in New York,” which provided a comprehensive review of New York’s commercial, Medicare, Medicaid, and self-funded insurance markets.

James R. Knickman's Huffington Post column: "Health Care is Only Part of the Equation"

2010-03-18T13:15:00+00:00

The Cost of Failure to Enact Health Reform: 2010–2020

2010-03-18T12:15:00+00:00

This Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report analyzes the impact of failed health reform efforts at the national and individual levels over 10 years. The analysis reveals that without effective reform, employer-sponsored coverage will wane, the total number of uninsured will increase significantly, and Federal and State expenditures on public programs, along with out-of-pocket costs for individuals and families, will rise drastically.

Maximizing Enrollment in New York: Results from a Diagnostic Assessment of the State’s Enrollment and Retention Systems for Kids

2010-03-11T15:45:00+00:00

This Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report reviews the National Academy for State Health Policy’s initiative to assess the systems, policies, and processes for enrolling and retaining children in health coverage programs in New York State. With support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, eight states—including New York—were selected to participate in this effort to increase enrollment and retention of eligible children in Medicaid and CHIP. These assessments reviewed each state’s reports and policies, and conducted onsite interviews with stakeholders and administrators in the children’s health insurance programs.

Sixth World Conference on the Promotion of Mental Health and Prevention of Mental and Behavioral Disorders

2010-03-09T18:45:00+00:00

Healthcare Reform and Access to Care

2010-03-08T18:30:00+00:00

The Community Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Project: Helping Low-income Seniors Maximize Their Insurance Benefits

2010-03-08T15:30:00+00:00

Many seniors living in the South Bronx who have incomes below the poverty level are eligible for low-income benefit programs, such as the Medicare Savings Program; however, less than one-third of these eligible individuals were actually enrolled in low-income programs. The disproportionate share of poor senior residents and those affected by diabetes in this community resulted in an urgent need for direct assistance in accessing benefits programs and teaching senior residents to effectively use these benefits.

Grant Goals:

The Medicare Rights Center hoped to:

Equip SEBCO staff members with comprehensive Medicare knowledge so that all counseling and enrollment responsibilities could be transferred to, and sustained by, SEBCO staff after the grant period.
Reach 800 Southeast Bronx Community Organization (SEBCO) residents through bilingual group presentations and one-on-one counseling on Medicare low-income programs.
Enroll 250 people in Medicare low-income programs, thus saving SEBCO residents $400,000 during the course of the grant.
Train seven SEBCO residence coordinators and staff members on Medicare issues via meetings, monthly follow-up trainings, and updates via a “train-the-trainer” model
Increase senior residents’ awareness of preventive care.

Grant Outcomes:

Medicare Rights conducted more than 100 site visits and counseled approximately 400 Bronx seniors on Medicare issues.
Although Medicare Rights did not meet its outreach goal of 800 residents, it exceeded its target with respect to the number of residents enrolled in low-income programs and receiving assistance with Medicare Part D.
Medicare Rights also exceeded its goal in terms of the amount of savings secured for SEBCO residents, earning a 6:1 return on NYSHealth’s initial investment.
Medicare Rights’ caseworkers transitioned from being direct service providers to being technical assistance providers, as SEBCO residence coordinators began providing Medicare presentations and assisting residents.

Grantee Information:

Grantee Website: http://www.medicarerights.org/
Grant Amount: $110,019

Cost Sharing in New York’s Health Insurance Market

2010-03-04T19:15:00+00:00

This United Hospital Fund report outlines the intricacy of cost-sharing devices applied in New York’s insurance market. As the cost of health coverage has increased, cost sharing has become a tool health plans commonly use to reduce annual premium increases but it also raises out-of-pocket costs.

Quality Care Through Quality Jobs: Expanding Affordable Coverage to New York State’s Direct Care Workers

2010-03-04T14:15:00+00:00

In New York State, home care workers—-including home health aides, home care aides, and personal care attendants—-provide necessary home-based care and support to the elderly and disabled. Yet, because of the fluctuating nature of their work they are ineligible for Medicaid, and as many as one in three of these workers either lack health insurance or are inadequately insured.

Grant Goals:

PHI anticipated that it would:

Document the health insurance crisis faced by home care workers and employers in New York State.
Provide a blueprint for key State officials and other stakeholders that would enable them to ensure coverage and expanded coverage for New York’s home care workers on a continuum.
Evaluate the success of the initiative based on stakeholder recognition, and evidence that recommendations have been, or plan to be, implemented.
Demonstrate success in sustainable and expanded health coverage benefits for the home care workforce.

Grant Outcomes:

Staff members faced many challenges with this project including low a survey response rate and inability to demonstrate success in ensuring continued and expanded health coverage benefits for home care workers. They did, however, accomplish the following goals:

Surveyed a sample of New York’s home care agencies with a response rate of 17.8%.
Documented the health insurance issues faced by workers of these agencies, which found that 90% of employers believe health insurance is “essential” or “important” to the recruitment and retention of home care workers; and public agencies, which are primarily located upstate, are more likely than for-profit and nonprofit agencies to offer health care coverage.
Created a roadmap for policymakers using these recommendations based on data retrieved by the home care workers.

Grantee Information:

Grantee Website: http://www.paraprofessional.org/
Grant Amount: $108,810

NYAAC Annual Meeting

2010-03-02T18:30:00+00:00

The 14th Annual Kovner/Behrman Health Forum

2010-03-02T13:30:00+00:00

Measuring Cell Phone Use in the National Health Interview Survey

2010-03-02T00:30:00+00:00

National Health Legislation: Politics and Pollsters

2010-03-02T00:15:00+00:00

The Effectiveness of Worksite Nutrition and Physical Activity Interventions for Controlling Employee Overweight and Obesity: A Systematic Review

2010-03-01T16:15:00+00:00

This October 2009 American Journal of Preventive Medicine article proposes the effectiveness of “worksite nutrition and activity programs” in helping workers live healthier lifestyles.