Health

• Home

State Health Topics

• Insurance Expansions and Reforms
• Coverage for Children
  
• Medicaid
• Health Care Cost Trends
• Health Care Safety Net
• Public Health
• Selected Publications

•  

State Health Policy

Mathematica researchers work closely with states to answer some of their most important health policy questions:

• What are the implications of state health insurance expansions and reforms?
• How can states and localities help to ensure health care coverage for children?
• How can states assess the performance of their Medicaid programs?
• What are the health care cost trends in a state?
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of a state’s health care safety net?
• What impact do state initiatives have on public health outcomes?

What are the implications of state health insurance expansions and reforms?

States have led the way in testing innovative strategies to provide health insurance to their residents and to introduce reforms such as health insurance exchanges. Governors, legislatures, and planning commissions charged with designing these initiatives need information about how reform options affect coverage, costs, and use of care, as well as other key outcomes like employment.

In helping states evaluate these outcomes, Mathematica has developed custom simulation models that are tailored to each state’s demographic, economic, and health care environment. By using these custom models, we generate estimates in familiar, state-specific terms that can be compared to other tabulations produced by the state. Recent publications include:

• "Healthy Indiana Plan: Lessons for Health Reform." Indiana Health Reform, Issue Brief #1 (January 2011)
• “Considering a Health Insurance Exchange: Lessons from the Rhode Island Experience” (June 2009)
• “State Policies to Encourage High-Deductible and Limited-Benefit Health Plans: Costs, Constituents, and Concerns” (March 2009)
•  “Analytic Support For Washington Citizens' Work Group on Health Care: Evaluation of Health Care Reform Proposals” (March 2009)
• “Analysis of Reform Models for Extending Health Care Coverage in New Mexico” (March 2008)

Back to top

How can states and localities help to ensure health care coverage for children?

Ensuring health care coverage for children has emerged as a priority at the federal, state, and local levels. Making this goal a reality may require coverage expansions, but it also requires attention to enrollment and retention barriers. Mathematica has conducted evaluations of landmark initiatives to expand coverage, such as the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and has helped states and local jurisdictions to assess the effect of outreach strategies and administrative procedures on coverage trends among eligible children. Recent publications include:

• “Three Independent Evaluations of Healthy Kids Programs Find Dramatic Gains in Well-Being of Children and Families” (November 2007)
• “Increasing Children’s Coverage and Access: A Decade of SCHIP Lessons” (September 2007)

Back to top

How can states assess the performance of their Medicaid programs?

Mathematica conducts research at all levels of the Medicaid program, from building the datasets that support program evaluation, to undertaking studies for individual states and multi-state federal programs. For more information please visit our Medicaid web page.

• "Value for the Money Spent? Exploring the Relationship Between Medicaid Costs and Quality" (August 2010)

What are the health care cost trends in a state?

Health care costs are now the greatest single budget expense in most states, creating new fiscal pressures that are forecast to grow even greater. To help state policymakers plan for strategic long-term goals, Mathematica has assessed health care cost drivers in the state marketplace, as well as the affordability, accessibility, and quality of insurance options available to residents. Related publications include:

• "Massachusetts Health Care Cost Trends: Trends in Health Expenditures" (June 2011)
• "Massachusetts Health Care Cost Trends: Price Variation in Health Care Services"  (May 2011, revised June 2011) 
• “Indiana Market Assessment and Drivers of Health Care Costs” (November 2004)

Back to top

What are the strengths and weaknesses of a state’s health care safety net?

States are interested in ensuring an adequate health care workforce for all state residents and in monitoring the stability of safety-net institutions that serve some of the most vulnerable populations. Mathematica is evaluating the impact of state health insurance expansions on the safety net and has helped assess state capacity to detect problems with these unique providers. Related publications include:

• “Analysis of Niche Hospitals in Texas and Financial Impact on General Hospitals” (December 2006)
• "Examining Access to Specialty Care for California's Uninsured" (June 2004)

Back to top

What impact do state initiatives have on public health outcomes?

As states turn to wellness and prevention programs to encourage healthier lifestyles and prevent disease, Mathematica has examined the effectiveness of these initiatives. Our researchers also help state policymakers understand disparities in public health outcomes to better plan future health care investments. Related publications include:

• “Differences in Hospitalizations for Ambulatory Care Sensitive Conditions Among Maryland Medicare Beneficiaries—2006” (December 2008)

Back to top