State Health Policy Issue Brief Archive

The Issue Brief Archive contains more than 100 original briefs on a wide range of state health policy issues. Results of a 2005 survey about the use of Forums Institute issue briefs showed that: 67% of respondents use Forums Institute's issue briefs for policy decisions or discussions. 31% of respondents changed their perspective on an issue based on the unbiased data in Forums Institute's issue briefs. 33% of respondents use the issue briefs for teaching or research. Issue Brief Contributors All the issue briefs were written to inform the discussion at nonpartisan health policy forums conducted as part of two Forums Institute programs. The New Jersey Policy Forums on Health and Medical Care The State Forums Partnership The State Health Policy Issue Brief Archive contains issue briefs from these State Forums Partners, as well as New Jersey. Center for Health Services Research at the University of Tennessee, Memphis Center for Rural Health at the University of North Dakota Kansas Health Institute in Topeka Massachusetts Health Policy Forum at Brandeis University Resource Center for Health Policy at the University of Washington Texas Institute for Health Policy Research in Austin Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute at the University of Wisconsin in Madison All issue briefs are the property of their sponsoring institutions; they are distributed here with their permission. Please contact the institutions directly if you wish to reproduce or distribute a brief. If you don't have an Acrobat reader for the documents below, you can get one here:

Issue Briefs 2008 The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same: Fifteen Years of Issue Briefs from New Jersey Policy Forums, New Jersey Policy Forum; January, 2008 Issue Briefs 2007 The Health Policy Landscape: 2007 and Beyond, New Jersey Policy Forum; April, 2007 Issue Briefs 2006 Universal Health Care in Massachusetts: Implications for New Jersey, New Jersey Policy Forum; July 2006 Medicaid Prescription Drug Coverage Primer, Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; May 2006 Local Public Health at the Crossroads: The Structure of Health Departments in Rural Areas, Kansas Health Institute; March 2006 Issue Briefs 2005 Substance Abuse Treatment in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Gaps, Consequences and Solutions, Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; November 2005 Who's Really Paying? Options for Reducing the Costs of Uncompensated Health Care; Tennessee State Forums Partnership; December 2005 Disease Prevention: A Job for Employers?; Resource Center for Health Policy, University of Washington; November 2005 Suicide in North Dakota: A Dialogue across State and Tribal Boundaries; North Dakota State and Tribal Health Policy Forums, University of North Dakota; October 2005 Long-Term Care in New Jersey – Part II: From Medicaid Reform to Balancing Federal, State and Personal Responsibility; New Jersey Policy Forum; September 2005 In the End: Public Policy and Personal Decision Making about Death; Tennessee State Forums Partnership; July 2005 Navigating the Medical Marketplace: Do Consumers Have the Information They Need?; Resource Center for Health Policy, University of Washington; June, 2005 Financing Long-Term Care in New Jersey and Across the Nation; New Jersey Policy Forum; May, 2005 Prioritizing Prevention Investments; Wisconsin Public Health & Health Policy Institute; May, 2005 The New MassHealth Waiver: How Will it Affect Health Care in the Commonwealth?; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; April, 2005 Nurse-to-Patient Ratios: Research and Reality; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; March, 2005 The State of Health Care: A Few Indicators and Current Issues; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; March, 2005 A Hard Pill to Swallow: Options for Reducing Prescription Drug Costs ; Tennessee State Forums Partnership; March, 2005 Improving Health Care Quality While Curbing Costs: How Effective are Consumer HSAs and Pay for Performance; Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute; February, 2005 Creating Choices: Serving Older Adults and Other Adults with Disabilities in Tennessee; Tennessee State Forums Partnership; February, 2005 2005 Hot Health Policy Issues for State Policymakers; New Jersey Policy Forum; February, 2005 Issue Briefs 2004 Breaking the Logjam on Medical Liability Reform; Health Policy Analysis Program, University of Washington; December, 2004 HIV/AIDS in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts: Historical Trends and Policies for the Future; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; December, 2004 Health Care as a Post-Election Issue in 2004; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; November, 2004 North Dakota's Uninsured and Uncompensated Care: Costs and Coverage Options; Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota; November, 2004 The Indian Health Care Improvement Act: Implications for North Dakota Tribes; Center for Rural Health, University of North Dakota; November, 2004 An Overview of Charity Care in New Jersey - Past, Present and Future; New Jersey Policy Forum; September, 2004 The Changing Health Care Workforce in Texas: Resources Vs. Needs ; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; August, 2004 Funding Cuts to Public Health in Massachusetts: Losses over Gains; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; June, 2004 Public Health and Emergency Preparedness Systems and Resources: Part II; Forums Institute for Public Policy; June, 2004 Health Savings Accounts: Opportunities and Trade-Offs; Health Policy Analysis Program, University of Washington; June, 2004 Spreading the Word: Air Pollution and Health; Tennessee State Forums Partnership; June, 2004 Connecting the Dots: The Relationship Between Our Environment and Our Health; Tennessee State Forums Partnership; April, 2004 Public Health and Emergency Preparedness Systems and Resources: Issues and Status in 2004; Forums Institute for Public Policy; March, 2004 The Medicare Reform Act: What Are the Consequences for Kansas?; Kansas Health Institute; March, 2004 Building the Connection: The Link Between Malpractice Liability and Improved Health; Tennessee State Forums Partnership; February, 2004 Is the Health Care System Sustainable in Rural Kansas?; Kansas Health Institute; January, 2004 Consumer Health Literacy: Preparing for Changing Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities in Health and Health Care; Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute; 2004 Issue Briefs 2003 Quality Measurement for Health Care Purchasing; Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute; December, 2003 Childhood Nutrition and Physical Activity in the Schools: Background Briefing; Health Policy Analysis Program, University of Washington; November, 2003 Inventory of Major School Nutrition and Physical Activity Programs and Initiatives; Health Policy Analysis Program, University of Washington; November, 2003 Dirigo Health - A Universal Health Care Coverage Plan in Maine: Implications for Massachusetts; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; October, 2003 Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance Coverage Part II: Regulatory Issues; Forums Institute for Public Policy; September, 2003 The Status of New Jersey's Employer-Based Health Insurance Coverage (Full Issue Brief); Forums Institute for Public Policy; June, 2003.   Two-Page Summary An Ounce of Prevention: What Can Policymakers Do About the Obesity Epidemic?; Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute; May, 2003 Everybody in the Pool! New Strategies for Covering the Uninsured; Health Policy Analysis Program, University of Washington; May, 2003 Coverage Initiatives and Programs for New Jersey's Uninsured: Survival in the Time of Budget Deficits and Cutbacks; Forums Institute for Public Policy; February, 2003 Obesity: A Factsheet; Kansas Health Institute; February, 2003 Health Care Spending Growth and State Policy Options; Kansas Health Institute; January, 2003 State Policy Options: Health Costs and Financing; Wisconsin Public Health and Health Policy Institute; January, 2003 Issue Briefs 2002 Medicaid: Closing the Budget Gap; Health Policy Analysis Program, University of Washington; December, 2002 The Health Care Safety Net in Texas; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; December, 2002 Calming the Perfect Storm — Health Care Quality Initiatives in 2002; Forums Institute for Public Policy; December, 2002 Keeping Elders Home: New Lessons Learned About Supporting Frail Elders in Our Communities; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; December, 2002 The Uncompensated Care Pool: Saving the Safety Net; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; October, 2002 Liability Issues for Texas' Physicians and Hospitals; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; October, 2002 Texas Long Term Care Facilities and the Liability Issue; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; October, 2002 Medical Malpractice Insurance in 2002: Crisis or Opportunity for New Jersey Policymakers?; Forums Institute for Public Policy; October, 2002 Financing Long-Term Care Services for Elderly Kansans (Summary Brief); Kansas Health Institute; September, 2002 Financing Long-Term Care Services for Elderly Kansans (Full Brief); Kansas Health Institute; September, 2002 MassHealth: Dispelling Myths and Preserving Progress; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; June, 2002 Summary Points: Expanding the Role of New Jersey's Public Health System: New Collaborations in Domestic Preparedness; Forums Institute for Public Policy; May, 2002 Children's Mental Health in the Commonwealth; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; May, 2002 Domestic Preparedness in the Age of Terrorism: The Roles of Public Health and Emergency Response Systems; Forums Institute for Public Policy; April, 2002 Health Care Consolidations and Conversions: Market Trend or Market Failure?; Kansas Health Institute; March, 2002 Children's Mental Health; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; March, 2002 Hot Health Policy Issues for State Policymakers: What's New and Different for 2002; Forums Institute for Public Policy; February, 2002 Prescription Drugs: Options for Increasing Access; Kansas Health Institute; January, 2002 Issue Briefs 2001 Bioterrorism Preparedness; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; December, 2001 Professional Liability Issues in Medical Error Reporting; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; November, 2001 Emergency and Trauma Care in Texas; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; October, 2001 Limited Access and High Costs: What Can New Jersey Do About Prescription Drugs?; New Jersey Policy Forum; September, 2001 The Aging of Kansas: Implications for the Future of Long-Term Care (Part 1); Kansas Health Policy Forums; September, 2001 The Aging of Kansas: Implications for the Future of Long-Term Care (Part 2); Kansas Health Policy Forums; September, 2001 Nutrition and Fitness in Texas Schools; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; August, 2001 Emergency Department Overcrowding in Massachusetts: Making Room in Our Hospitals ; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; June, 2001 The Nursing Workforce Shortage: Impacts on Health and Medical Care; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; April, 2001 Issue Brief No.36 Summary The State of Children's Health Insurance: A Work in Progress; Kansas Health Policy Forums; March, 2001 Eliminating Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities: Opportunities and Challenges for the Commonwealth; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; February, 2001 Issue Briefs 2000 New Jersey Public Health Financing in a Changing Environment - Implications for Policymakers; Forums Institute for Public Policy; December, 2000 Issue Brief No.35 Summary Reaching Out to the Uninsured: New Jersey's Initiatives to Expand Health Insurance Coverage; Forums Institute for Public Policy; September, 2000 Issue Brief No.34 Summary Medical Errors and Patient Safety in Massachusetts ; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; September, 2000 The Uninsured in Texas; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; September, 2000 Youth in Texas; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; August, 2000 Health Care Workforce Issues in Massachusetts; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; June, 2000 Long-Term Care in Texas; Texas Institute for Health Policy Research; June, 2000 An Analysis of Initiative Petition 99-4: "An Act to Protect the Rights of Patients and to Promote Access to Quality Health Care for All Residents of the Commonwealth"; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; April, 2000 The Future of Employer-Based Health Plans; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; March, 2000 Issue Brief No.33 Summary Senior Prescription Drug Coverage: The State of the Medigap Markets in Massachusetts and New Hampshire; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; March, 2000 Issue Briefs 1999 New Jersey's Public Health Agenda for the Next Millennium: Healthy New Jersey 2010; Forums Institute for Public Policy; December, 1999 Issue Brief No.32 Summary Mental Health Care in Massachusetts; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; December, 1999 Cultural Competence and Health Care in Massachusetts; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; July, 1999 Prescription Drug Costs in Massachusetts; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; May, 1999 Public Oversight of Managed Health Care: Coverage - Consolidation - Costs; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; April 14, 1999 Issue Brief No.30 Summary Demographics, Diversity and Accountability: The Health of New Jersey's Communities in 1999; Forums Institute for Public Policy; February 24, 1999 Issue Brief No.29 Summary Issue Briefs 1998 Health Information Confidentiality: Are We Sleeping While Technology Erodes our Privacy?; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; November 18, 1998 Issue Brief No.28 Summary Will Alcohol Be the Next Tobacco?; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; November, 1998 Where Does the "Public" Fit Into "Public Policy"? Trigger Points, Access, Impact; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; September 16, 1998 Issue Brief No.27 Summary Medicare in Massachusetts: The Impact of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; July, 1998 Free Market or "Free-for-All": Competition, Regulation and Consumer Protections; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; June 10, 1998 Issue Brief No.26 Summary The State of the Medigap Market in Massachusetts; Massachusetts Health Policy Forum; April, 1998 From Policy to People: The Implementation Maze, New Jersey KidCare: A Case in Process; Forums Institute for Public Policy; February 18, 1998 Issue Brief No.25 Summary Issue Briefs 1997 Mental Health Policy In a Managed Care Environment: Implications For Access, Quality and Cost; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; December 10, 1997 Issue Brief No.24 Summary The Uninsured: An Ongoing Unresolved Problem - Funding Charity Care in New Jersey; Forums Institute for Public Policy; October 15, 1997 Issue Brief No.23 Summary Must Data Be So Deadly: How Should Information Inform Health Policy Decision-Making? New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; September 10, 1997 Issue Brief No.22 Summary Look Who's Looking at New Jersey: Why? What? How? Forums Institute for Public Policy; June 11, 1997 Issue Brief No.21 Summary THE ISSUE BRIEF REVIEW; Forums Institute for Public Policy; April 1997 Review Summary Does New Jersey Need to Renew Its Commitment to the Health of our Children and Adolescents? Part II: 10 to 18 Years of Age - Safety Net? Forums Institute for Public Policy; March 26, 1997 Issue Brief No.19 Summary Issue Briefs 1996 Will the Business and Financial Realities of the 21st Century Eliminate the Role of State Government in Health Care Decision-Making? Part II: Conversions - Process, Protection, Profit; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; December 11, 1996 Issue Brief No.18 Summary Will the Business and Financial Realities of the 21st Century Eliminate the Role of State Government in Health Care Decision-Making? Part 1: Not-For-Profits - Viable or Obsolete?; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; October 23, 1996 Issue Brief No.17 Summary Public Health at the Crossroads: Past, Present, Future. Part II: The Urban - Suburban Connection; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; July 31, 1996 Issue Brief No.16 Summary Public Health at the Crossroads: Past, Present, Future. Part 1: National, State and Local Overview; New Jersey Policy Forums, Forums Institute for Public Policy; June 26, 1996 Issue Brief No.15 Summary