Cornell University, Department of Policy Analysis and Management

Grant Status

Completed

Project Title

Informing Health Care Reform Policy Options for New York State

Award Amount

$252,753

Location

Ithaca

Web Site

http://www.human.cornell.edu/che/PAM/index.cfm

Date Awarded

July 1, 2007

Cornell University’s project team will obtain public opinion feedback on various proposals for reform to help gauge what is most popular with New York State residents.

The United Hospital Fund (UHF) and Commonwealth Fund developed a “Blueprint” proposal to expand coverage in New York State. Additionally, New York State Assembly Representative Richard Gottfried plans to examine various approaches to universal coverage in New York State. Cornell University will partner with Columbia University to develop alternative strategies for expanding coverage in the State and to identify the unique characteristics of New York’s health system that could affect the success of any reform proposal.

The Cornell project team will gather public opinion data through focus groups with residents from upstate New York and a survey of residents from across the State. The Columbia University project team will run several parallel focus group efforts in downstate New York. These focus groups will elicit opinions from residents who have no prior knowledge of specific reform proposals and would include both uninsured residents and residents insured through employer-sponsored programs, individually purchased coverage, and Medicare or Medicaid. Cornell will also conduct an opinion poll of a representative sample of New Yorkers to evaluate their knowledge of, and views on, possible options for increasing coverage. Both the focus group and public opinion data will be used as the “public input” necessary for designing reasonable reform options.

In the first phase of this project, the Cornell project team will collaborate with Columbia University to identify potential coverage options for New York State and develop the survey questions to be asked as part of the ongoing Cornell University Empire Poll. In the second phase of the project, Cornell will provide preliminary data from the surveys and focus groups. The Cornell project team will also provide consultation to Columbia University in the development of preliminary forecasts to assess cost and coverage implications of these proposals. In the third phase of the project, Cornell will work with Columbia researchers to identify key New York State-specific issues not addressed in standard models. Based on the findings, Columbia researchers would then commission a series of papers to explore these issues. Cornell will develop final reports of the survey and focus group data analysis. In the fourth and final phase, Cornell will collaborate with Columbia University to host a conference among micro-simulation modelers and provide a basis for a further round of research to develop and estimate New York-specific models of alternative policy options.

This project is part of the NYS Health Coverage Consortium.