The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality released two reports on emergency department visits related to back problems, and growth in Medicaid patient hospital admissions.

Vincent Mor, Ph.D., and Richard W. Besdine, M.D., published “Policy Options to Improve Discharge Planning and Reduce Rehospitalization,” January 2011, in The Journal of the American Medical Association.

Yu-Chu Shen, Ph.D., and colleagues published “Possible Geographic Barriers to Trauma Center Access for Vulnerable Patients in the United States: An Analysis of Urban and Rural Communities,” January 2011, in the Archives of Surgery.

 

John E. Kralewski, Ph.D., and colleagues published “Differences in the Cost of Health Care Provided by Group Practices in Minnesota,” February 2011, in Minnesota Medicine.

 

Stephen B. Soumerai, Sc.D., and colleagues published “Association Between Prior Authorization for Medications and Health Service Use by Medicaid Patients with Bipolar Disorder,” February 2011, in Psychiatric Services.

 

Alison A. Galbraith, M.D., and colleagues published “Nearly Half of Families in High-Deductible Health Plans Whose Members Have Chronic Conditions Face Substantial Financial Burden,” February 2011, in Health Affairs. 

 

Claudia Schur, Ph.D., and colleagues published “Local Public Health Capacities to Address the Needs of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Populations,” February 2011, in the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice.

 

James D. Reschovsky, J.D., and colleagues published “Following the Money: Factors Associated with the Cost of Treating High-Cost Medicare Beneficiaries,” February 2011, in Health Services Research. 

 

Grantees in the News

Findings from a study led by Ha T. Tu, M.P.A., senior health researcher, Center for Studying Health System Change, were highlighted on the Grantmakers in Health website.

 

Findings from a study led by Alison Galbraith, M.D., assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Institute, were highlighted on “Of Interest,” the healthcare finance blog of Modern Healthcare. 

 

The Center for Studying Health System Change issued a news release featuring the publication "Follow the Money: Factors Associated with the Cost of Treating High-Cost Medicare Beneficiaries" by James Reschovsky, Ph.D., et al., that was recently published in Health Services Research. 

RWJF Releases

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation released the content alert “Paying for Medicare’s Highest-Cost Beneficiaries” on February 15. It highlights findings from a HCFO-sponsored study led by James D. Reschovsky.  

HCFO News

Events

Call for Participation in Payment Preferences Survey 

Three European Universities are currently organizing a survey study across the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe. Healthcare policymakers, managers, researchers and physicians are invited to participate in the survey and express their preferences for health care payment systems and payment effects. Those wishing to participate can find more details here. 

 

Medicare & Medicaid Research Review (MMRR) Announces General Call for Papers 

CMS will publish MMRR’s first accepted articles online this month, and will debut their new Web site in the second quarter of 2011. The journal seeks to become an authoritative medium for disseminating high-quality and relevant research that informs current and future directions of the Medicare, Medicaid, and Children’s Health Insurance programs.