Health Policy Group

We are a core unit of health policy analysts responsible for conducting health policy research and planning as part of the health policy mission of the Center for Public Health and Health Policy.  The co-directors of the CPHHP provide active leadership, direction, and input into health policy group projects.

The Health Policy Group conducts policy research in prevention and health promotion, primary care, access to care, and other areas of health policy directly related to population health and the State of Connecticut in an effort to influence health care delivery toward models of improved effectiveness, efficiency, and access.  Active collaboration with partners throughout the University and in state government provides a breadth of understanding not available as a stand-alone enterprise.

Contact:
Brian L. Benson, MPP
Center for Public Health and Health Policy
University of Connecticut Health Center
270 Farmington Avenue, Suite 262
Farmington, CT  06032
(860) 679-5424
e-mail: bbenson@uchc.edu

Links to other research-based health policy organizations

• Commonwealth Fund
  http://www.commonwealthfund.org
• Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation
  http://www.kff.org
• Mathematica Policy Research
  http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/health
• The Urban Institute
  http://www.urban.org
• Connecticut Health Policy Project
  http://www.cthealthpolicy.org
• Massachusetts Health Council
  http://www.mahealthcouncil.org

Health Reform in Connecticut and the Nation

For the latest information on HEALTH REFORM, visit

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation “Health Reform 2009” Website

The Kaiser Family Foundation “Health Reform” Website

CONNECTICUT

Charter Oak Health Plan
A health insurance benefits package available to uninsured adults of all incomes in Connecticut.  Program began July 1, 2008.

Sustinet Plan
A Proposal for Health Care Reform by Universal Health Care Foundation of Connecticut.  Passed by the Connecticut House of Representatives May 20, 2008.

MASSACHUSETTS

Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Two Years Later
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

On the Road to Universal Coverage: Impacts of Reform in Massachusetts at One Year
Long S. June 2008. Health Affairs.

NATIONAL POLICY ANALYSES

Do Individual Mandates Matter?
Blumberg L and J Holahan, Urban Institute. Jan 2008.

Expanding Health Insurance to the Uninsured: Rationale, Recent Proposals, and Key Considerations  
Blumberg L. Mar 2007.Testimony before the Subcommittee on  Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), House Education and Labor Committee.

State Strategies to Expand Health Insurance Coverage: Trends and Lesson for Policymakers
Burton A, et al, Commonwealth Fund. Jan 2007.  

Health Care Coverage in America: Understanding the Issues and Proposed Solutions
Alliance for Health Reform. March 2008.

A Roadmap to Health Insurance for All: Principles for Reform
Collins S, et al, The Commonwealth Fund. Oct 2007. 

Are We Heading toward Socialized Medicine?
Dorn S and J Holahan, Urban Institute. April 2008. 

The Uninsured: A Primer
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured. Oct 2008. 

Covering the Uninsured: How States Can Expand and Improve Health Coverage
Moffit R and N Owcharenko, The Heritage Foundation. Mar 2003.

GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS

Key Issues in Analyzing Major Health Insurance Proposals
Congressional Budget Office, December 2008. 

ACADEMIC LITERATURE

Covering the Uninsured In 2008: Current Costs, Sources of Payment, and Incremental Costs
Hadley et al. Health Affairs Web Exclusive.August 2008.