Congressional Research Service Reports - 65 Matching Results
Search Results
- Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 (P. L. 93-222)
- This report discusses the provisions of the Health Maintenance Organization Act of 1973 (P. L. 93-222) which provided funding to assist in the start-up of health maintenance organizations (HMO).
- Health Maintenance Organizations
- This report discusses the "health maintenance organization", which is an entity that provides specific health services to its members for a prepaid, fixed payment.
- AIDS: International Problems and Issues
- This issue brief discusses the AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) virus and its effects on the world, especially with regard to the welfare of developing nations and various facets of general international relations. Also discussed are the related issues for Congress and U.S. contributions to international AIDS relief efforts led by the World Health Organization (WHO).
- Medicare: Payments to Physicians
- This report discusses payments for physicians services under Medicare that are made on the basis of a fee schedule.
- Military Medical Care Services: Questions and Answers
- No Description Available.
- Medicaid, SCHIP, and Other Health Provisions in H.R. 5661: Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Benefits Improvement and Protection Act of 2000
- This report discusses Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The report also discusses other major health provisions provisions of H.R. 5661 are incorporated, by reference into H.R. 4577, the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2001.
- Reaching Low-Income, Uninsured Children: Are Medicaid and SCHIP Doing the Job?
- No Description Available.
- Tax Benefits for Health Insurance: Current Legislation
- No Description Available.
- Patient Protection and Managed Care: Legislation in the 106th Congress
- No Description Available.
- The Cost of Prescription Drugs for the Uninsured Elderly and Legislative Approaches
- The purpose of this report is to explain why many of those who are least able to afford high drug costs are those who are most frequently charged the most. This report describes the basic economic theory underlying price differentiation and, in the context of the pharmaceutical market, analyzes the role and behavior of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), pharmaceutical manufacturers, and retail pharmacies, respectively. It also looks at a number of the criticisms that have been made of the practice of differential pricing. Finally, this report discusses various policy approaches aimed at assisting the elderly to purchase prescription drugs.
- Long-Term Care: What Direction for Public Policy?
- No Description Available.
- Tax Subsidies for Health Insurance for the Uninsured: An Economic Analysis of Selected Policy Issues for Congress
- No Description Available.
- Patient Protection and Mandatory External Review: Amending ERISA's Claims Procedure
- No Description Available.
- Health Insurance Continuation Coverage under COBRA
- This report provides information about Health Insurance Continuation Coverage under COBRA. This report also provides background information on COBRA, on the COBRA population, and on legislation offering COBRA. Some believe that COBRA went too far in requiring employees to provide coverage.
- Health Insurance: Uninsured by State, 2000
- An estimated 14% of the U.S. populations lacked health insurance coverage in 2000, down from 14.3% in 1999. When examined by state, estimates of the percent uninsured ranged from a low of 5.9% in Rhode Island to a high of 23.8% in New Mexico. Generally, states in the Midwest and New England have lower rates of uninsured, while states in the Southwestern portion of the nation have higher shares of their populations without coverage.
- Bioterrorism: Legislation to Improve Public Health Preparedness and Response Capacity
- This report shows that while lawmakers work towards final passage of new authorizing legislation, Congress has appropriated more than $3 billion to the Dept. of Health and Human Services (HHS) to increase bioterrorism preparedness at the federal, state, and local levels. HHS anti-bioterrorism funding was included in the FY2002 Labor-HHSEducation appropriations bill and in the $20 billion emergency spending package that was attached to the FY2002 Defense appropriations bill. Until the new authorizing legislation is enacted, HHS is dispersing the funds according to existing authorities and the broad parameters set out in the appropriations bills.
- Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Premiums: Fact Sheet
- No Description Available.
- Health Insurance Continuation Coverage under COBRA
- This report provides information about Health Insurance Continuation Coverage under COBRA. This report also provides background information on COBRA, on the COBRA population, and on legislation offering COBRA. Some believe that COBRA went too far in requiring employees to provide coverage.
- Medicare+Choice Payments
- This report discusses the M+C program that established new rules for beneficiary and plan participation. This report focuses on M+C payments.
- Medicare Structural Reform: Background and Options
- THis report provides a brief overview of major issues underlying the debate about possible structural reforms or improvements to the current Medicare system. Medicare is a nationwide health insurance program for the aged and certain disabled persons.
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Medicaid
- This report begins with an overview of Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). It then discusses the distinction made in IDEA between medical services and health services. The report then summarizes the provisions in law that link Medicaid funding to IDEA. Next the report provides an overview of the complexities of Medicaid eligibility and covered services. Following that discussion, the report analyzes possible reasons why Medicaid appears to cover relatively little of IDEA health-related costs. Finally the report outlines possible legislative approaches with respect to Medicaid and IDEA.
- Social Security and Medicare Taxes and Premiums: Fact Sheet
- Financing for social security -- Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance -- and the Hospital Insurance part of Medicare is provided primarily by taxes levied on wages and net self-employment income. Financing for the Supplementary Medical Insurance portion of Medicare is provided by premiums from enrollees and payments from the government. This report describes these taxes and premiums.
- Medicaid and the Current State Fiscal Crisis
- Medicaid, a health insurance program funded jointly by the federal government and the states, is facing a period of quickly escalating costs at a time when the need (as measured by the number of uninsured) among the population it serves — the lowincome disabled, families and elderly — is rising. The pressures of quickly rising costs and increasing need are driving legislative attention both at the state and federal levels. Between FY2000 and FY2003, the annual growth rate of federal Medicaid expenditures was 11.3%.
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996: Overview and Guidance on Frequently Asked Questions
- The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 guarantees the availability and renewability of health insurance coverage for certain individuals. It permits a limited number of small businesses and self-employment individuals to establish tax-favored medical savings accounts, increases the tax deduction for health insurance for the self-employed, and amends the Internal Revenue Code to treat private long-term care policies the way health insurance policies and health care expenses are currently treated.
- Military Medical Care Services: Questions and Answers
- This report attempts to answer basic questions about the Military Health Services System (MHSS), its beneficiary population, the medical services it provides, its costs, and major changes that are underway or have been proposed. Citations are made to more detailed CRS studies where appropriate.
- Coverage of the TANF Population Under Medicaid and SCHIP
- Health insurance is an important support for individuals receiving, leaving or diverted from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) welfare or cash assistance program for low-income families. Medicaid and SCHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program) are key vehicles for providing such coverage. While there is no formal link between TANF and either Medicaid or SCHIP, some TANF-eligibles, especially children, are likely to qualify for one of these programs. But state eligibility rules can be complex and often differ for parents versus children, leaving some parents, in particular, without coverage.
- Medicare: Enrollment in Medicare Drug Plans
- This report discusses the enrollment process for private prescription drug plans (PDPs) or Medicare Advantage prescription drug (MA-PD) plans. At a minimum, these plans offer "standard coverage" or alternative coverage with actuarially equivalent benefits. Beneficiaries are required to enroll in one of these private plans in order to obtain coverage.
- U.S. and International Responses to the Global Spread of Avian Flu: Issues for Congress
- No Description Available.
- U.S. and International Responses to the Global Spread of Avian Flu: Issues for Congress
- No Description Available.
- Medicaid Expenditures, FY2003 and FY2004
- This report discusses the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP), which is the percentage of Medicaid benefit costs paid for by the federal government.
- Implications of the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit for Dual Eligibles and State Medicaid Programs
- This report discusses the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA, P.L. 108-173), which added a new Medicare prescription drug benefit, implemented in January 2006. This report focuses on MMA provisions that added a voluntary prescription drug benefit under a new Medicare Part D, and the effect of this new benefit both on individuals who are dually eligible for Medicaid and Medicare, and on state Medicaid programs.
- Military Health Care: The Issue of "Promised" Benefits
- No Description Available.
- 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes: The Public Health and Medical Response
- This report discusses the National Response Plan (NRP) and its components for public health and medical response, provides information on key response activities carried out by agencies in the Department of Health and Human Serivces (HHS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and discusses certain issues in public health and medical preparedness that have been raised by the response to the 2005 Gulf Coast hurricanes.
- Brief Facts and Statistics
- This report provides facts and statistics about Social Security that are frequently requested by Members of Congress and their staffs. It includes information about Social Security taxes and benefits, the program's impact on its recipients' incomes, federal tax receipts, federal spending and the economy, administrative information, and selected facts about Medicare.
- Health Care Spending: Context and Policy
- The United States spends a large and growing share of national income on health care. In 2005, health spending is expected to approach $1.9 trillion and account for more than 15% of gross domestic product. This report contains information on the background of the healthcare industry in the United States, key issues for Congress in this policy area, and three policy directions to consider: changing health care, changing federal programs, and changing tax policy.
- Side-by-Side Comparison of Medicare, Medicaid, and SCHIP Provisions in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005
- From the summary: "This report provides a comparison of Medicare, Medicaid and State Child Health Insurance Program provisions contained in the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (S. 1932) as amended and passed by the Senate. The report compares the bill's provisions with current law."
- Health Savings Accounts: Overview and Rules for 2006
- This report provide a summary of the principal rules governing Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), covering such matters as eligibility, qualifying health insurance, contributions, and withdrawals.
- Health Care and Markets
- Health care spending is one of the most rapidly growing portions of the federal budget. Projections suggest if the rapid growth in health care costs is not curtailed, governments at all levels will face an uncomfortable choice between significant cuts in other spending priorities or major tax increases. This report examines the economic justification for government intervention and involvement in health care markets.
- Health Insurance Coverage for Retirees
- With the retirement of the baby boom generation looming ahead, employers offering coverage to their retired workers will face a huge future financial commitment. Some employers have already reduced or eliminated their commitment to insure their retirees. Recent trends indicate that retiree health benefits are increasingly subject to higher beneficiary cost-sharing. Further, among employers who provide health insurance for current retirees, their current workers are less likely to be guaranteed these benefits upon retirement. This report discusses issues regarding health insurance coverage for retirees.
- Medicaid: A Primer
- This report describes the basic elements of Medicaid, focusing on federal rules governing who is eligible, what services are covered, how the program is financed and how beneficiaries share in the cost, how providers are paid, and the role of special waivers in expanding eligibility and modifying benefits. The recently passed Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 or DRA, as amended by the Tax Relief and Health Care Act of 2006, included many provisions affecting Medicaid. DRA provides states with opportunities to make fundamental changes in Medicaid program design, including covered benefits and beneficiary cost-sharing. These and other major DRA changes are summarized here. Lastly, basic program statistics and citations to in-depth CRS reports on specific topics are provided.
- Health and Safety Concerns Over U.S. Imports of Chinese Products: An Overview
- This report provides an overview of concerns about the health, safety, and quality of imported Chinese products, and implications for U.S.-China trade relations.
- H.R. 2: The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009
- This report summarizes changes to current law across the major provisions of H.R. 2 that would occur if The Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) were enacted.
- Military Medical Care: Questions and Answers
- This report attempts to answer basic questions about defense health care, its beneficiary population, the medical services it provides, its costs, and major changes that are underway or have been proposed.
- Noncitizen Eligibility and Verification Issues in the Health Care Reform Legislation
- This report focuses on this nexus of immigration law and health care reform in the major health care reform bills that are receiving action.
- Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America: An Overview and Selected Issues
- This report discusses the Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America (SPP), which was a trilateral initiative that was launched in March 2005 by Canada, Mexico, and the United States to increase cooperation and information sharing for the purpose of increasing and enhancing security and prosperity in North America.
- Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Provisions in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
- This report first discusses the cost and financing for long-term care (LTC) services as well as the current market for private LTC insurance. It then details those CLASS program requirements for enrollment, premiums, eligibility, benefits, administration, and oversight. The report also discusses federal budget implications, as estimated by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). Finally, the report provides a timeline of the CLASS program provisions enacted under PPACA.
- Mental Health Parity and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010
- This report provides a brief background on mental health parity and the policy discussion around parity in health insurance coverage; an overview of federal mental health parity law prior to the enactment of the ACA; and an analysis of the impact of the ACA.
- Neglected Tropical Diseases: Background, Responses, and Issues for Congress
- Over the past decade, global health has become a priority in U.S. foreign policy, more than tripling U.S. funding for such efforts. This report discusses neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), a group of 17 diseases that are found primarily among the poorest people in 149 countries and territories. NTDs are an important focus of U.S. global health assistance and may come under scrutiny as the 112th Congress debates spending levels for ongoing global health programs.
- TRICARE and VA Health Care: Impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)
- This report addresses key questions concerning how the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) affects TRICARE and VA health care.
- U.S. Response to the Global Threat of Tuberculosis: Basic Facts
- Tuberculosis (TB) is one of the most widespread infectious diseases in the world, infecting an average of 9 million people annually. Although TB is curable, more than 1 million TB-related deaths occur each year. Due in part to a growing global response to TB, progress has been made in combating the disease. Globally, new TB infection rates have begun to slowly decline and TB mortality rates have decreased significantly since 1990. At the same time, absolute numbers of people infected with TB, particularly in Asia and Africa, continue to rise. Congress has recognized TB as an important humanitarian issue and increasingly as a potential threat to global security. In its second session, the 112th Congress will likely debate the appropriate funding levels and optimum strategy for addressing the continued challenge of global TB.