The National Health Policy Forum sought to contribute to a better-informed policymaking process by providing information and opportunities for dialogue for federal health policy staff in pursuit of a high-quality health care system that improves health and is affordable, equitable, efficient, and sustainable.

Headed by its founder, Judith Miller Jones, the Forum's staff comprised a small group of health policy analysts with a wide range of technical knowledge and experience gained by work in the public and private sectors. The Forum held a fierce commitment to independence and neutrality, and believed that giving policymakers practical and balanced information in a press-free zone would lead to better decisions. Forum operations were funded primarily by private foundations. The organization was based at the George Washington University under the Office of the Vice President for Research.

The Forum provided a learning environment for federal health policy staff in which they could explore the issues, challenges, and trade-offs of health policy decisions, without the glare of the media or the pressure of special interest groups.

Our programming offered opportunities to forge bipartisan relationships among staff of the Congress, the executive branch, and key influencers of the health policy community. We developed Forum meetings, publications, and site visits that gave participants access to experts and thought leaders and brought policy issues to life. Our content addressed the range of staff needs, from basic education on specific policies, programs, and issues, to complex analyses of the health care system, including information from important research studies, demonstrations, and innovative community efforts.

NHPF publications have been reposted with permission.

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Submissions from 2002

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Contracting for Quality: Medicare's Quality Improvement Organizations, Lisa Sprague

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Managed Care: As Good As It Gets? (Los Angeles), Lisa Sprague

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Transitions along the Continuum of Care: Elderly and Disabled Persons in New York, Lisa Sprague and Nora Super

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Hatch-Waxman, Generics, and Patents: Balancing Prescription Drug Innovation, Competition, and Affordability, Robin J. Strongin

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How Vulnerable Is the Nation's Food Supply? Linking Food Safety and Food Security, Robin J. Strongin

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U.S. Childhood Vaccine Availability: Legal, Regulatory, and Economic Complexities, Robin J. Strongin

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Medigap: Prevalence, Premiums, and Opportunities for Reform, Nora Super

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Who Will Be There to Care? The Growing Gap between Caregiver Supply and Demand, Nora Super

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The Medicare and Medicaid Intersection: Caring for Arizona's Seniors, Nora Super, Lisa Sprague, and Judith D. Moore

Submissions from 2001

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The Disappearing State Surpluses: How Come, How Long, and How Will They Affect Social Service Programs?, Randy Desonia

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Pharmacy Benefit Managers: A Model for Medicare?, Veronica V. Goff

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The Health Care Safety Net in a Time of Fiscal Pressures, Richard Hegner

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Income Support Policy and the U.S. Child Support System, Jane Koppelman

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Welfare Reform and the Well-Being of Families: Successes to Date and Challenges Ahead, Jane Koppelman

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Federal and State Perspectives on GME Reform, Karen Matherlee

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Mission Possible? Maintaining the Safety Net in Urban and Rural Colorado, Karen Matherlee

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Welfare Reform and Substance Abuse: Innovative State Strategies, Ginger P. Parra

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Youth Violence Prevention: How Does the Health Care Sector Respond?, Anthony S. Raden

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Health Insurance Family Style: Public Approaches to Reaching the Uninsured, Jennifer Ryan

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W-2 in 2001: Wisconsin Works at Welfare Reform, Jennifer Ryan and Randy Desonia

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Meeting Employees' Information Needs in an Evolving Health Care Marketplace, Lise Rybowski

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Nurse Workforce: Condition Critical, Wakina Scott

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Primary Care Case Management: Lessons for Medicare?, Lisa Sprague

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Quality in the Making: Perspectives on Programs and Progress, Lisa Sprague

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TANF and Work Support Services: On the Job in Greater Philadelphia, Lisa Sprague

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Emergency Preparedness from a Health Perspective: Preparing for Bioterrorism at the Federal, State, and Local Levels, Robin J. Strongin

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Medicare Coverage: Lessons from the Past, Questions for the Future, Robin J. Strongin

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State-Based Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs: Temporary Fix or Lessons for Medicare?, Robin J. Strongin

Submissions from 2000

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Applying Science to Public Policy: The Context of the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, Richard Hegner

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Dispelling the Myths and Stigma of Mental Illness: The Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, Richard Hegner

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The Asthma Epidemic: Prospects for Controlling an Escalating Public Health Crisis, Richard Hegner

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HCFA's Outpatient PPS: Finally Ready to Roll?, Karen Matherlee

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Reshaping AHCs' Role in Biomedical Research, Karen Matherlee

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Site Visit to Seattle — University of Washington Academic Medical Center, Karen Matherlee

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The Federal-State Medicaid Match: An Ongoing Tug-of-War over Practice and Policy, Karen Matherlee

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SCHIP in the Formative Years: An Update, Judith D. Moore

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Reinventing Medicaid: Hoosier Healthwise and Children's Health Insurance in Indiana, Judith D. Moore and Lisa Sprague

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Emerging Issues in the Use of Binding Arbitration to Resolve Disputes between Individuals and Health Plans, Karl Polzer

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ERISA Health Plan Liability: Issues and Options for Reform, Karl Polzer

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Using SCHIP to Subsidize Employment-Based Coverage: How Far Can This Strategy Go?, Karl Polzer

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Outpatient Commitment in Mental Health: Is Coercion the Price of Community Services?, Coimbra Sirica

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Improving Quality and Preventing Error in Medical Practice, Lisa Sprague

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Site Visit to Detroit — Henry Ford Health System, Lisa Sprague

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Insuring Virginia's Children: Local Outreach and Enrollment (Northern Virginia), Lisa Sprague and Judith D. Moore

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Pharmaceutical Marketplace Dynamics, Robin J. Strongin

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Physician Connectivity: Electronic Prescribing, Robin J. Strongin

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Medicare+Choice: Where to from Here?, Nora Super

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Site Visit to Richmond and Hampton Roads — Bon Secours Health System, Inc., Nora Super

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Caring for the Elderly: Oregon's Pioneers (Portland, Oregon), Nora Super and Lisa Sprague

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Site Visit to Arizona — Managed Medicaid: Arizona's AHCCCS Experience, Nora Super, Lisa Sprague, and Judith D. Moore

Submissions from 1999

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Filling the Geriatric Gap: Is the Health System Prepared for an Aging Population?, Janet Firshein

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Canada's Generalist Training: Are There Lessons for the United States?, Lee Hawkins

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Implementing the BBA: The Challenge of Moving Medicare Post-Acute Services to PPS, Karen Matherlee

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Margins As Measures: Gauging Hospitals' Financial Health, Karen Matherlee

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The Nursing Center in Concept and Practice: Delivery and Financing Issues in Serving Vulnerable People, Karen Matherlee

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The Public Stake in Biomedical Research: A Policy Perspective, Karen Matherlee

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CHIP and Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment: A Hands-on Look at Marketing and Applications, Judith D. Moore

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Welfare Reform and Its Impact on Medicaid: An Update, Judith D. Moore

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A Chicken (Nugget?) in Every Pot: What's at Stake in the Budget Debate, Karl Polzer

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HIPAA as a Regulatory Model: Early Experiences and Future Prospects, Karl Polzer

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Mental Health Coverage Parity: Separating Wheat from Chaff, Karl Polzer

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Substance Abuse Prevention: Could an Improved D.A.R.E. Program Help Bridge the Gap between Research and Practice?, Colomba Sirica

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Reducing Medical Error: Can You Be As Safe in a Hospital As You Are in a Jet?, Lisa Sprague

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Biological Terrorism: Is the Health Care Community Prepared?, Robin J. Strongin

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Providing Outpatient Prescription Drugs through Medicare: Can We Afford To? Can We Afford Not To?, Robin J. Strongin

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Site Visit to Baltimore and Fort Detrick, Maryland — Preparing for a Bioterrorist Incident: Linking the Public Health and Medical Communities, Robin J. Strongin

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The ABCs of PBMs, Robin J. Strongin

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Access to Home Health Services under Medicare's Interim Payment System, Nora Super

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Examining the Links between Retirement and Health Insurance: Implications for Medicare Eligibility, Nora Super

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Medicare Competitive Pricing: Lessons Being Learned in Phoenix and Kansas City, Nora Super

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Medicare HMO Pullouts: What Do They Portend for the Future of Medicare+Choice?, Nora Super

Submissions from 1998

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Site Visit to New Jersey — State and County Experiences with Welfare Reform and Access to Health Care, Michael Anzick and Richard Hegner

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Health Care Quality: From Data to Accountability, Mary Darby

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Physician Organizations Assuming Risk: Market and Policy Implications, Sandra Foote and Lisa Sprague

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Dual Diagnoses: The Challenge of Serving People with Concurrent Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Problems, Richard Hegner

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The State Children's Health Insurance Program: How Much Latitude Do the States Really Have?, Richard Hegner

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Site Visit to Philadelphia — Providing Community-Based Primary Care: Nursing Centers, CHCs, and Other Initiatives, Karen Matherlee

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Site Visit to Utah and Nevada — Essential Community Health Services on the Frontier, Karen Matherlee and Michael Anzick

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ERISA Health Plan Denials: Exploring Models for External Review, Karl Polzer

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Retooling Tax Subsidies for Health Coverage: Old Ideas, New Politics, Karl Polzer

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The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: What Lessons Can It Offer Policymakers?, Karl Polzer

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Restructuring the VA Health Care System: Safety Net, Training, and Other Considerations, Barbara Skydell

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Site Visit to Southern California — Plans and Providers: Risk, Accountability, and Staying Power, Lisa Sprague

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Site Visit to Northern California — Risk, Accountability, and Staying Power in Next-Generation Managed Care, Lisa Sprague and Sandra Foote

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Medicare Coverage and Technology Diffusion: Past, Present, and Future, Robin J. Strongin

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Communicating to Beneficiaries about Medicare+Choice: Opportunities and Pitfalls, Nora Super

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Protecting the Confidentiality of Health Information, Nora Super

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Increasing the Federal Cigarette Tax: A Means of Reducing Consumption?, Lauren Tran and Richard Hegner

Submissions from 1994

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Federal Support for Medical Education: Framing the Issues for the Systems Reform Debate, Karen Matherlee

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Small Group Market Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperatives Revisited, Karl Polzer