The European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights, update and implementation 2016

In this implementation phase of the European Cancer Patient’s Bill of Rights (BoR), we confirm the following three patient-centred principles that underpin this initiative: 1: The right of every European citizen to receive the most accurate information and to be proactively involved in his/her care. 2: The right of every European citizen to optimal and timely access to a diagnosis and to appropriate specialised care, underpinned by research and innovation. 3: The right of every European citizen to receive care in health systems that ensure the best possible cancer prevention, the earliest possible diagnosis of their cancer, improved outcomes, patient rehabilitation, best quality of life and affordable health care. The key aspects of working towards implementing the BoR are: - Agree our high-level goal. The vision of 70% long-term survival for patients with cancer in 2035, promoting cancer prevention and cancer control and the associated progress in ensuring good patient experience and quality of life. - Establish the major mechanisms to underpin its delivery. (1) The systematic and rigorous sharing of best practice between and across European cancer healthcare systems and (2) the active promotion of Research and Innovation focused on improving outcomes; (3) Improving access to new and established cancer care by sharing best practice in the development, approval, procurement and reimbursement of cancer diagnostic tests and treatments. - Work with other organisations to bring into being a Europe based centre that will (1) systematically identify, evaluate and validate and disseminate best practice in cancer management for the different countries and regions and (2) promote Research and Innovation and its translation to maximise its impact to improve outcomes

Private Health Plans Under the ACA: In Brief

[Excerpt] The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA, P.L. 111-148), as amended, expands federal private health insurance market requirements, and requires the creation of health insurance exchanges (marketplaces) to provide certain individuals and small employers access to private insurance, among other provisions. While some of ACA’s private insurance provisions have already become effective, full implementation begins in 2014 and beyond. Given the breadth of ACA’s reforms to the existing private insurance market and creation of new health insurance marketplaces, there is interest in understanding what types of health plans may be offered once these ACA provisions are fully implemented. This report provides short descriptions of health plans that may be offered inside and outside of exchanges, and includes information about interaction with other selected ACA provisions. The descriptions are displayed in a side-by-side format to facilitate comparison of exchange and non- exchange plans. This report does not attempt to identify all forms of health insurance coverage, but does address all plan types specified under ACA’s exchange provisions, as well as major medical plans and certain limited benefit plans offered outside of exchanges. In addition, this report indicates the applicability of ACA’s market reforms to plans offered in the private market

Integrated care pilot in north-west London: a mixed methods evaluation

Introduction: This paper provides the results of a year-long evaluation of a large-scale integrated care pilot in north-west London. The pilot aimed to integrate care across primary, acute, community, mental health and social care for people with diabetes and/or those aged 75+ through care planning, multidisciplinary case reviews, information sharing and project management support. Methods: The evaluation team conducted qualitative studies of change at organisational, clinician and patient levels (using interviews, focus groups and a survey); and quantitative analysis of change in service use and patient-level clinical outcomes (using patient-level datasets and a matched control study). Results: The pilot had successfully engaged provider organisations, created a shared strategic vision and established governance structures. However, the engagement of clinicians was variable and there was no evidence to date of significant reductions in emergency admissions. There was some evidence of changes in care processes. Conclusion: Although the pilot has demonstrated the beginnings of large-scale change, it remains in the early stages and faces significant challenges as it seeks to become sustainable for the longer term. It is critical that National Health Service managers and clinicians have realistic expectations of what can be achieved in a relatively short period of time

Explaining Health Reform: Benefits and Cost-Sharing for Adult Medicaid Beneficiaries

Outlines rules on covering "essential health benefits," premiums, deductibles, and cost-sharing for low-income childless adults who will become eligible for Medicaid in 2014. Discusses state policy implications for designing benefits packages

Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program: An Overview

[Excerpt] The Federal Employees Health Benefits (FEHB) Program provides health insurance to federal employees, retirees, and their dependents. This report provides a general overview of FEHB. It describes the structure of FEHB, including eligibility for the program and coverage options available to enrollees, as well as premiums, benefits and cost sharing, and general financing of FEHB. The report also describes the role of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) in administering the program

A Healthy Start for the Los Angeles Healthy Kids Program: Findings From the First Evaluation Site Visit

Analyzes the implementation and impact of the first two years of the Healthy Kids Program, and outlines key issues and challenges to achieving universal coverage and stable financing

The Eldercare Dialogues: A Grassroots Strategy to Transform Long-Term Care

This report is the culmination of observations of 11 Eldercare Dialogues, 15 in-depth interviews with Dialogue organizers and participants, and six focus groups, one with each participating organization. It explores the experiences of caregivers and care recipients in the movement to transform long-term care and ensure that caregivers and recipients have the support they need to age and work with dignity. The full report includes a toolkit so other communities can learn from and replicate the Dialogue process

Employment-based Health Benefits in Small and Large Private Establishments

[Excerpt] This issue of Beyond the Numbers compares health benefits data from private sector employers, showing variation between the smallest (those employing 1–49 workers) and the largest (those employing 500 workers or more) establishments in March 2012. Over 95 percent of the nearly 8.7 million private sector business establishments in the United States employed fewer than 50 workers in the first quarter of 2011; these establishments employed 47.3 million workers (45 percent of all private industry employment). In contrast, there were slightly fewer than 15,000 private establishments that employed 500 workers or more; less than half of 1 percent of all private workplaces. These largest establishments employed about 17.5 million workers