Tap the Power: Health Care Reform Proposals

Tap the Power

Knowledge
is Power

Publications available from the Theobald Legislative Library

Health Care Reform Proposals

Compiled by Eileen Snyder, April 2007

As the rate of people without insurance has increased over the last several years, state and federal governments have begun to look at new ways of making health care accessible to everyone. A variety of proposals, including tax incentives, pooling, and providing state-funded "reinsurance" for insurance companies, have come before state legislatures and the U.S. Congress. This bibliography presents resources about many of these proposals.

"Affordable Health Care" / Wisconsin Medical Society, Wisconsin Medical Journal, 2005, v.104, no.8. The focus of this issue is health care coverage in Wisconsin, and includes a discussion of the Wisconsin Health Security Act. www.wisconsinmedicalsociety.org/health_news/wmj_archive.cfm

An Analysis of Leading Congressional Health Care Bills, 2005- 2007: Part I, Insurance Coverage / The Commonwealth Fund. March 2007. www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/1010_Collins_cong_hlt_care_bills.pdf

Comprehensive Health Insurance for High-Risk Individuals: A State-by-State Analysis / Communicating for Agriculture and the Self-Employed, Inc. 18th ed., 2004/2005. (368.6/C73/ 2004-2005)

"Covering the Uninsured" / Congressional Quarterly, Inc., CQ Researcher, June 14, 2002, v.12, no.23. (368.6/C763) Provides an overview of the policy issues involved in providing health care to all U.S. citizens and includes a discussion of the pros and cons of providing universal health care.

The Economic Costs of the Uninsured: Implications for Business and Government / Employee Benefit Research Institute. 2000. (368.6/Em7) www.ebri.org/pdf/publications/books/economic_costs_of_uninsured.pdf

Employment-Based Health Benefits: Access and Coverage, 1988-2005 / Employee Benefit Research Institute. March 2007. (Issue Brief no. 303) (368.6/Em7b) A historical look at employment-based health benefits, "the most common form of health insurance for nonpoor, nonelderly (those below age 65) individuals and workers in the United States."-Executive summary. www.ebri.org/pdf/briefspdf/EBRI_IB_03-20071.pdf

An Evaluation of The Wisconsin Health Plan / Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. January 2007. (v.20, no.1) (368.6/ W752c) www.wpri.org/reports/volume%2020/vol20no1.pdf

Expanding Health Insurance Coverage to the Uninsured: Rationale, Recent Proposals, and Key Considerations / Urban Institute. March 15, 2007. Report of testimony before the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), U.S. House Education and Labor Committee. www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=901054

Health Affairs

"The Future of Insurance" / November/December 2004, v.23, no.6. (614.23/P94/2004/v.23/no.6) This issue focuses on health insurance.
"Will Employer Coverage Endure?" / November/December 2006, v.25, no.6. (614.23/P94/2006/v.25/no.6) This issue focuses on insurance coverage provided by employers.

Health Affairs Web Exclusives: A Supplement to Health Affairs

"Are Adults Benefiting from State Coverage Expansions?" / Sharon K. Long, et al., January-June 2006, p.w1-w14. (614.23/P94a/2006/Jan-June) Wisconsin is one of four states examined.
"Variations in the Impact of Health Coverage Expansion Proposals Across States" / Sherry Glied and Douglas Gould, January-June 2005, p.259-271. (614.23/P94a/ 2005/Jan-June)

Health Insurance in Wisconsin: A Survey of Public Opinion / Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. April 2004. (v.17, no.2) (368.6/W752a) www.wpri.org/reports/volume17/vol17no2.pdf

Healthy New York: Making Insurance More Affordable for Low-Income Workers / Katherine Swartz. November 2001. (368.6/ C731b) www.cmwf.org/usr_doc/swartz_healthyny_484.pdf

Healthy Wisconsin: Reducing Wisconsin's Uninsured Rate and Lowering Health Care Costs for Businesses and Families / Healthy Wisconsin Council. January 9, 2007. (368.6/W7i2) http://dhfs.wi.gov/healthywisconsin/pdf/healthyWICouncilReport2007.pdf

The History of Health Care Costs and Health Insurance: A Wisconsin Primer / Wisconsin Policy Research Institute. October 2006. (v.19, no.10) (368.6/W752b) www.wpri.org/reports/volume19/vol19no10.pdf

"How States View the President's Opening Health-Care Bid" / Raymond C. Scheppach, Stateline.org, March 5, 2007. Summarizes the states' responses to President Bush's health care proposal. Includes a description of possible state counter-proposals. www.stateline.org/live/details/story?contentId=186294

Massachusetts Health Reform Bill: A False Promise of Universal Coverage / CommonDreams.org. April 6, 2006. A critical review of the Massachusetts health reform plan.
www.commondreams.org/views06/0406-35.htm

The President's Proposed Standard Deduction for Health Insurance / Urban Institute. February 15, 2007. A critique by the Urban Institute of President Bush's plan for improving health care coverage in the U.S. www.urban.org/publications/411423.html

Reinsuring Health: Why More Middle-Class People are Uninsured and What Government Can Do / Katherine Swartz. 2006. (368.6/Sw2)

The Significance of Massachusetts Health Reform / The Heritage Foundation. April 11, 2006. (WebMemo #1035) Offers a summary and critique of Massachusetts' recent health care reform legislation. www.heritage.org/Research/HealthCare/wm1035.cfm

The Tax Treatment of Health Insurance and Employment-Based Health Benefits / Employee Benefit Research Institute. June 2006. (Issue Brief no. 294) (368.6/Em7c)
www.ebri.org/pdf/briefspdf/EBRI_IB_06-20061.pdf

Toward a Healthy Society: The Morality and Politics of American Health Care Reform / Milton Fisk. 2000. (368.6/F54)

Wisconsin Legislator Briefing Book 2007-08: Chapter I - Health Care and Health Insurance / Wisconsin Legislative Council. November 2006. (LegisCl/2007-2008/w) (library use only)
Offers an overview of current Wisconsin health care and insurance law. www.legis.wi.gov/lc/publications/briefingbook/health.pdf

Related Web Sites

Cato Institute: www.cato.org/healthcare
"Health Care." Policy papers with an emphasis on health care reform through consumer choice.

Citizen Action of Wisconsin: http://citizenactionwi.org
Provides background on the health care policy debate, including a comparison chart of three proposals introduced in the 2005 session of the Wisconsin Legislature.

Coalition for Wisconsin Health: www.wisconsinhealth.org
This group advocates single payer coverage for Wisconsin. Site includes a detailed summary of the Wisconsin Health Security Act (2005 SB 388/AB 807).

Cover the Uninsured: http://covertheuninsured.org
A coalition of groups working toward universal coverage.

Healthy New York: www.ins.state.ny.us/website2/hny/english/hny.htm
Governor Doyle's "Healthy Wisconsin" plan draws on some of the ideas used in the Healthy New York plan.

Healthy Wisconsin: http://dhfs.wi.gov/healthywisconsin
Includes links to overviews of the Wisconsin Medical Assistance (MA) and Healthy Wisconsin programs.

National Conference of State Legislatures: www.ncsl.org/programs/health/h-primary.htm
"Access to Healthcare and The Uninsured." Summarizes health care bills introduced in state legislatures and proposals suggested by governors and state commissions in 2007.

National Federation of Independent Business: www.nfib.com/page/healthcare.html
Provides the small business perspective on health care reform.

Physicians for a National Health Program: www.pnhp.org
The group advocates single-payer national health insurance.

Policy Institute for Family Impact Seminars: www.familyimpactseminars.org/fis24.html
"Affordable Strategies to Cover the Uninsured: Policy Approaches from Other States."

Univ. of California-Berkeley, Institute of Governmental Studies: www.igs.berkeley.edu/library/hottopics/2007/univhealth
"Universal Health Care in California." Summarizes Governor Schwarzenegger's plan and several legislative health care proposals. Also provides links to sources about public opinion, reports, and key websites about health care reform.

Univ. of Wisconsin, Population Health Institute: www.pophealth.wisc.edu/UWPHI/publications/forums/forums.htm
"The Evidence-Based Health Policy Project." Includes briefs about health care policy issues.

WisconsinEye: www.wiseye.org/Archive.html
View video of two August 28, 2006 presentations to the Select Committee on Health Care Reform.

Wisconsin Health Project: www.wisconsinhealthproject.org
Includes a link to information about the Wisconsin Health Plan.

Clippings: (Library use only)

Group health insurance: 331.84/W7z (WI); 331.84/Z (U.S.)
Medical insurance: 368.6/W7z (WI); 368.6/Z (U.S.)


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