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.
Submissions from 2002
Contracting for Quality: Medicare's Quality Improvement Organizations, Lisa Sprague
Managed Care: As Good As It Gets? (Los Angeles), Lisa Sprague
Transitions along the Continuum of Care: Elderly and Disabled Persons in New York, Lisa Sprague and Nora Super
Hatch-Waxman, Generics, and Patents: Balancing Prescription Drug Innovation, Competition, and Affordability, Robin J. Strongin
How Vulnerable Is the Nation's Food Supply? Linking Food Safety and Food Security, Robin J. Strongin
U.S. Childhood Vaccine Availability: Legal, Regulatory, and Economic Complexities, Robin J. Strongin
Medigap: Prevalence, Premiums, and Opportunities for Reform, Nora Super
Who Will Be There to Care? The Growing Gap between Caregiver Supply and Demand, Nora Super
The Medicare and Medicaid Intersection: Caring for Arizona's Seniors, Nora Super, Lisa Sprague, and Judith D. Moore
Submissions from 2001
The Disappearing State Surpluses: How Come, How Long, and How Will They Affect Social Service Programs?, Randy Desonia
Pharmacy Benefit Managers: A Model for Medicare?, Veronica V. Goff
The Health Care Safety Net in a Time of Fiscal Pressures, Richard Hegner
Income Support Policy and the U.S. Child Support System, Jane Koppelman
Welfare Reform and the Well-Being of Families: Successes to Date and Challenges Ahead, Jane Koppelman
Federal and State Perspectives on GME Reform, Karen Matherlee
Mission Possible? Maintaining the Safety Net in Urban and Rural Colorado, Karen Matherlee
Welfare Reform and Substance Abuse: Innovative State Strategies, Ginger P. Parra
Youth Violence Prevention: How Does the Health Care Sector Respond?, Anthony S. Raden
Health Insurance Family Style: Public Approaches to Reaching the Uninsured, Jennifer Ryan
W-2 in 2001: Wisconsin Works at Welfare Reform, Jennifer Ryan and Randy Desonia
Meeting Employees' Information Needs in an Evolving Health Care Marketplace, Lise Rybowski
Nurse Workforce: Condition Critical, Wakina Scott
Primary Care Case Management: Lessons for Medicare?, Lisa Sprague
Quality in the Making: Perspectives on Programs and Progress, Lisa Sprague
TANF and Work Support Services: On the Job in Greater Philadelphia, Lisa Sprague
Emergency Preparedness from a Health Perspective: Preparing for Bioterrorism at the Federal, State, and Local Levels, Robin J. Strongin
Medicare Coverage: Lessons from the Past, Questions for the Future, Robin J. Strongin
State-Based Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs: Temporary Fix or Lessons for Medicare?, Robin J. Strongin
Submissions from 2000
Applying Science to Public Policy: The Context of the Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, Richard Hegner
Dispelling the Myths and Stigma of Mental Illness: The Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health, Richard Hegner
The Asthma Epidemic: Prospects for Controlling an Escalating Public Health Crisis, Richard Hegner
HCFA's Outpatient PPS: Finally Ready to Roll?, Karen Matherlee
Reshaping AHCs' Role in Biomedical Research, Karen Matherlee
Site Visit to Seattle — University of Washington Academic Medical Center, Karen Matherlee
The Federal-State Medicaid Match: An Ongoing Tug-of-War over Practice and Policy, Karen Matherlee
SCHIP in the Formative Years: An Update, Judith D. Moore
Reinventing Medicaid: Hoosier Healthwise and Children's Health Insurance in Indiana, Judith D. Moore and Lisa Sprague
Emerging Issues in the Use of Binding Arbitration to Resolve Disputes between Individuals and Health Plans, Karl Polzer
ERISA Health Plan Liability: Issues and Options for Reform, Karl Polzer
Using SCHIP to Subsidize Employment-Based Coverage: How Far Can This Strategy Go?, Karl Polzer
Outpatient Commitment in Mental Health: Is Coercion the Price of Community Services?, Coimbra Sirica
Improving Quality and Preventing Error in Medical Practice, Lisa Sprague
Site Visit to Detroit — Henry Ford Health System, Lisa Sprague
Insuring Virginia's Children: Local Outreach and Enrollment (Northern Virginia), Lisa Sprague and Judith D. Moore
Pharmaceutical Marketplace Dynamics, Robin J. Strongin
Physician Connectivity: Electronic Prescribing, Robin J. Strongin
Medicare+Choice: Where to from Here?, Nora Super
Site Visit to Richmond and Hampton Roads — Bon Secours Health System, Inc., Nora Super
Caring for the Elderly: Oregon's Pioneers (Portland, Oregon), Nora Super and Lisa Sprague
Site Visit to Arizona — Managed Medicaid: Arizona's AHCCCS Experience, Nora Super, Lisa Sprague, and Judith D. Moore
Submissions from 1999
Filling the Geriatric Gap: Is the Health System Prepared for an Aging Population?, Janet Firshein
Canada's Generalist Training: Are There Lessons for the United States?, Lee Hawkins
Implementing the BBA: The Challenge of Moving Medicare Post-Acute Services to PPS, Karen Matherlee
Margins As Measures: Gauging Hospitals' Financial Health, Karen Matherlee
The Nursing Center in Concept and Practice: Delivery and Financing Issues in Serving Vulnerable People, Karen Matherlee
The Public Stake in Biomedical Research: A Policy Perspective, Karen Matherlee
CHIP and Medicaid Outreach and Enrollment: A Hands-on Look at Marketing and Applications, Judith D. Moore
Welfare Reform and Its Impact on Medicaid: An Update, Judith D. Moore
A Chicken (Nugget?) in Every Pot: What's at Stake in the Budget Debate, Karl Polzer
HIPAA as a Regulatory Model: Early Experiences and Future Prospects, Karl Polzer
Mental Health Coverage Parity: Separating Wheat from Chaff, Karl Polzer
Substance Abuse Prevention: Could an Improved D.A.R.E. Program Help Bridge the Gap between Research and Practice?, Colomba Sirica
Reducing Medical Error: Can You Be As Safe in a Hospital As You Are in a Jet?, Lisa Sprague
Biological Terrorism: Is the Health Care Community Prepared?, Robin J. Strongin
Providing Outpatient Prescription Drugs through Medicare: Can We Afford To? Can We Afford Not To?, Robin J. Strongin
Site Visit to Baltimore and Fort Detrick, Maryland — Preparing for a Bioterrorist Incident: Linking the Public Health and Medical Communities, Robin J. Strongin
The ABCs of PBMs, Robin J. Strongin
Access to Home Health Services under Medicare's Interim Payment System, Nora Super
Examining the Links between Retirement and Health Insurance: Implications for Medicare Eligibility, Nora Super
Medicare Competitive Pricing: Lessons Being Learned in Phoenix and Kansas City, Nora Super
Medicare HMO Pullouts: What Do They Portend for the Future of Medicare+Choice?, Nora Super
Submissions from 1998
Site Visit to New Jersey — State and County Experiences with Welfare Reform and Access to Health Care, Michael Anzick and Richard Hegner
Health Care Quality: From Data to Accountability, Mary Darby
Physician Organizations Assuming Risk: Market and Policy Implications, Sandra Foote and Lisa Sprague
Dual Diagnoses: The Challenge of Serving People with Concurrent Mental Illness and Substance Abuse Problems, Richard Hegner
The State Children's Health Insurance Program: How Much Latitude Do the States Really Have?, Richard Hegner
Site Visit to Philadelphia — Providing Community-Based Primary Care: Nursing Centers, CHCs, and Other Initiatives, Karen Matherlee
Site Visit to Utah and Nevada — Essential Community Health Services on the Frontier, Karen Matherlee and Michael Anzick
ERISA Health Plan Denials: Exploring Models for External Review, Karl Polzer
Retooling Tax Subsidies for Health Coverage: Old Ideas, New Politics, Karl Polzer
The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program: What Lessons Can It Offer Policymakers?, Karl Polzer
Restructuring the VA Health Care System: Safety Net, Training, and Other Considerations, Barbara Skydell
Site Visit to Southern California — Plans and Providers: Risk, Accountability, and Staying Power, Lisa Sprague
Site Visit to Northern California — Risk, Accountability, and Staying Power in Next-Generation Managed Care, Lisa Sprague and Sandra Foote
Medicare Coverage and Technology Diffusion: Past, Present, and Future, Robin J. Strongin
Communicating to Beneficiaries about Medicare+Choice: Opportunities and Pitfalls, Nora Super
Protecting the Confidentiality of Health Information, Nora Super
Increasing the Federal Cigarette Tax: A Means of Reducing Consumption?, Lauren Tran and Richard Hegner
Submissions from 1994
Federal Support for Medical Education: Framing the Issues for the Systems Reform Debate, Karen Matherlee
Small Group Market Health Insurance Purchasing Cooperatives Revisited, Karl Polzer