Health Policy Center, independent research for better health policy: The Urban Institute

The Cost of Uncompensated Care with and without Health Reform
John Holahan and Bowen Garrett 

In this report, the authors estimate the savings in uncompensated care that would result from the implementation of comprehensive health care reform. They find that, under the Senate bill, uncompensated care costs would fall by 46-57% over the 2014-2019 period. Read more

THE BIGGEST LOSERS, HEALTH EDITION
Who Would Be Hurt the Most by a Failure to Enact Comprehensive Reforms?
Linda J. Blumberg 

This brief describes the groups with the most to lose if comprehensive health care reform is not enacted—people who either lack coverage today or who are required to pay the most for health insurance and medical care. It explains how these groups are currently disadvantaged and how the combination of reforms proposed would help them obtain affordable and meaningful health insurance coverage. Read more 

How Will Comparative Effectiveness Research Affect the Quality of Health Care?
Elizabeth Docteur and Robert A. Berenson

Performing more comparative effectiveness research to help patients, clinicians, and payers make better decisions to improve quality and reduce wasted spending would seem to be a “no-brainer.” Would that it were that simple. This brief explores what comparative effectiveness is and describes the areas of controversy that need to addressed before it becomes real. Read more

How Would States Be Affected by Health Reform?
John Holahan and Linda J. Blumberg

In this paper the authors examine various pathways through which individuals could gain coverage through the Senate and House health reform proposals. The number of individuals who would gain coverage and how they would gain coverage varies considerably across states. Read more