Association Health Plans Work Group issue brief examining some common questions about Association Health Plans. The issue brief also addresses some possible unintended consequences and related concerns that could arise if the creation of AHPs is not approached carefully. (
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Senior Health Fellow issue brief outlining areas in which action, beyond the addition of the Medicare Part D program, could be taken to reform the Medicare program, including addressing long- term financing problems, balancing access to care while avoiding unnecessary utilization, private sector competition strategies, and addressing the insurance needs of individuals age 55 to 64. (
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Medical Reinsurance Work Group issue brief providing a primer on the current commercial medical reinsurance market. The issue brief also outlines some of the issues policymakers should consider when designing and implementing a government-sponsored medical reinsurance program. (
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Mental Health Parity Work Group original issue brief providing a description of mental health parity requirements and how group insurance plans have responded to those requirements. (
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Medicaid Work Group issue brief identifying several provisions of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 that may have an impact on state Medicaid budgets.
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Uninsured Subgroup issue brief providing insights on the fundamental questions facing policy-makers and health coverage sponsors, such as: What is health insurance coverage? What are ways to provide health care for the uninsured? What are the roles of individuals, employers, and government in health care financing? (
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Medicare Steering Committee issue brief providing a primer on two approaches to reforming Medicare - should it retain its current defined benefit approach (similar to that used by traditional retirement plans) or should it be changed to a defined contribution approach (similar to that used by 401(k) retirement plans)? (
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Defined Contribution Health Plan Work Group issue brief providing an overview of the defined contribution approach to health coverage. After a brief discussion of trends in health plan approaches and the factors contributing to the emergence of defined contribution health plans, the issue brief describes the characteristics and types of defined contribution health plans. (
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Task Force on Genetic Testing Issues issue brief describing the nature of disability income and long-term care insurance and discussing, from the perspectives of both consumers and insurers, the implications of the newly emerging genetic technologies for these products. Strategies to effectively address this emerging dilemma of how best to respond to public concerns about the possible misuse of genetic information, while preserving the viability of the voluntary, individual disability income and long-term care insurance markets, are also explored. (
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