Society member Heather Drake, Program Associate at the Commonwealth Fund, and colleagues published the article, “Innovations in Medicare and Medicaid Will Be Central to Health Reform's Success” in the June 2010 issue of Health Affairs. The article provides recommendations for maximizing the effectiveness of CMS' Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which will be established as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. View the full article here.

Society member, Rob Lazerow, Consultant at the Advisory Board Company, was featured in a short Advisory Board video clip discussing the implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, particularly the provider payment reforms. Rob discusses how value-based purchasing, accountable care organizations, and episode-based payments may affect hospitals and the questions these reforms raise for hospital administrators. View the video at  www.advisory.com/public/expertvideos/paymentreform0310/

Society member Jenny Minott, associate at AcademyHealth, and colleagues published the Commonwealth Fund issue brief, “The Group Employed Model as a Foundation for Health Care Delivery Reform,” on April 9, 2010. This issue brief discusses the attributes that group employed model organizations have in common, and how recognition of those attributes may be helpful in the context of reforming the overall health care delivery system. The brief also examines factors that may have hindered the greater proliferation of these types of systems and presents recommendations for policymakers trying to reproduce aspects of this model. Click here to view the full brief.

Society member Nicole Kemper, M.P.H., research analyst at the National Quality Forum and formerly of the Center for Studying Health System Change, and colleagues published the February 25, 2010 Health Affairs Web Exclusive, “Unchecked Provider Clout in California Foreshadows Challenges to Health Reform.” The article examines how health care market integration has impacted provider negotiating power and prices and discusses how these findings relate to proposed health reforms. Click here to view the full article.

Society member Tom Briggs, a former research analyst at NORC at the University of Chicago, and his colleagues Jon Gabel, Jeremy Pickreign, and Roland McDevitt published the article “Taxing Cadillac Health Plans May Produce Chevy Results” in the January 2010 issue of Health Affairs. This article discusses results of an analysis that attempts to determine if so-called “Cadillac” health insurance plans are, in fact, more benefit-rich than other plans. Click here to view the abstract.

Society member, Jennifer Skillicorn, executive coordinator of the HIV/AIDS Institute at GWU Medical Center, and colleagues published the article, “Fighting HIV/AIDS in Washington, D.C.” in the November/December issue of Health Affairs. This article discusses HIV prevalence in the District as well as the public/private collaborative response to fight HIV/AIDS. Click here to view the abstract.