Resources
Contact the Engelberg Center
General Inquiries
Email: healthreform@brookings.edu
Fax: 202.238.3527
Press Inquiries
Sara Tetreault, Communications Manager
Email: stetreault@brookings.edu
Phone: 202.797.6114
Relevant Publications
Issue Brief: Aligning Public and Private Sector Timelines for Health Insurance Exchange Implementation »
Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, December 2011
Beginning in 2014, as mandated by the ACA, individuals will be able to purchase insurance coverage through health insurance exchanges (“Exchanges”) in the individual and small-group markets. If implemented effectively, these Exchanges provide the potential to increase health care value by promoting managed competition between health plans based on quality and cost. This issue brief covers barriers and challenges to implementing these Exchanges.
Discussion Paper: Promoting High Quality and Value through Health Insurance Exchanges»
Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, August 2011
In early July 2011, the Department of Health and Human Services published a Notice of Proposed Rule-Making (NPRM) to provide detailed requirements for the implementation of Exchanges. However, guidance on how Exchanges should measure and report on health care quality is only addressed very broadly in the NPRM. This paper summarizes a panel discussion, convened by the Engelberg Center, on how Exchanges can improve health care quality and value through better measurement, purchasing strategies, and providing consumers with compelling quality information to enable more informed health care decisions.
An Accelerated Pathway for Targeted Cancer Therapies »
Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, February 2011
In a recent article, Mark McClellan, Josh Benner and other experts discuss how a well-defined pathway for the accelerated development and approval of targeted cancer therapies and companion diagnostics would reduce uncertainty, improve efficiency in development and provide an effective incentive for developers.
Developing the Sentinel System – A National Resource for Evidence Development »
New England Journal of Medicine, January 2011
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now has the ability to "query" the electronic health information of more than 60 million people, posing specific questions in order to monitor the safety of approved medical products. This pilot program, called Mini-Sentinel, uses a distributed data network (rather than a centralized database) that allows participating health plans and other organizations to create data files in a standard format and to maintain possession of those files.
Achieving Better Chronic Care at Lower Costs Across the Health Care Continuum for Older Americans »
Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, October 2010
In this paper, the Engelberg Center addresses many of the challenges facing individuals with chronic conditions and functional impairments and identifies new opportunities for the integration of medical services and social supports tailored to older Americans and supported by new payment designs.
Bending the Curve Through Health Reform Implementation »
Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, October 2010
In September 2009, a group of leading health policy experts, including Engelberg Center Director Mark McClellan, released a set of concrete, feasible steps for both slowing spending growth and improving quality and value in health care. In light of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, these experts have regrouped to update their recommendations.
An Evaluation of Recent Federal Spending on Comparative Effectiveness Research »
Health Affairs, October 2010
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 included new funding for developing better evidence about health interventions, with a down payment of $1.1 billion for comparative effectiveness research. An analysis of funds allocated in the legislation concluded that priorities for future funding should include greater emphasis on experimental research; evaluation of reforms at the health system level; identification of effects on subgroups of patients; inclusion of understudied groups of patients; and dissemination of results.
Beyond the Affordable Care Act: Achieving Real Improvements in Americans' Health »
Health Affairs, August 2010
Improved access to health care is essential if we are to fill the striking gaps between how healthy Americans are and how healthy they could be, but access alone is not enough. Health and longevity are also profoundly influenced by where and how Americans live, learn, work, and play.
Insurance Exchanges Under Health Reform: Six Design Issues for the States »
Health Affairs, June 2010
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act depends on new, state-based exchanges to make health insurance readily available to certain segments of the population. One such segment is the lower-income uninsured, who can qualify for subsidized coverage only through an exchange. Visiting Scholar John Bertko outlines important design issues that states must face in structuring these new exchanges.
Using Health Information Technology to Support Better Health Care: One Infrastructure with Many Uses »
Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform, May 2010
This background paper briefly summarizes how health IT can be used to improve population health and provides examples of efforts being undertaken today to make enhanced uses of health information. It concludes with a discussion of the urgent need – and opportunities – to facilitate the enhanced use of health information on a much wider scale, particularly in light of ARRA and recently enacted health reform legislation.
A National Strategy to Put Accountable Care into Practice »
Health Affairs, May 2010
The concept of accountable care organizations (ACOs) has been set forth in recently enacted national health reform legislation as a strategy to address current shortcomings in the U.S. health care system. Mark McClellan and other experts review issues related to ACOs, looking at key principles, ACOs in context of other reforms, and emerging issues that will affect success. The authors also propose a national strategy for successful ACO implementation.