The Commonwealth Fund

New findings from The Commonwealth Fund’s 2024 Biennial Health Insurance Survey show concerning gaps in health coverage: nearly one-fifth of adults were uninsured at some point this past year, and 23% of insured individuals had health insurance but had plans that left them underinsured and potentially unable to afford the health care they need. With high out-of-pocket costs often making care inaccessible, these insights underscore the need for policy interventions to ensure that #healthinsurance of all types enables affordable access to timely care.     Learn more about our key recommendations for affordable, accessible, equitable health care ⤵️

Fostering International Dialogue on Healthy Aging   The Commonwealth Fund had the distinct honor of hosting Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Heng Swee Keat, for an insightful evening dedicated to promoting the common good through international dialogue. Our event focused on sharing experiences, best practices, and innovations in healthy aging.   Singapore, like many nations, is exploring ways to address loneliness, mental health, and community-based solutions for thriving communities, all guided by sound #publicpolicy. We are thrilled to have had the opportunity to share our insights and begin a meaningful dialogue with such an esteemed international partner.   #HealthyAging #InternationalDialogue #CommunityHealth

In this issue of International Insights, Reginald D. Williams II explores how Brazil has worked to integrate Indigenous cultural practices into health care settings.

We need your help. The Commonwealth Fund, established in 1918 by Anna Harkness, has a mission to promote high-quality, affordable, and equitable healthcare in the United States. Over the years, the Fund has played a crucial role in supporting various health reforms, including the establishment of public health departments and contributions to the Affordable Care Act. Grounded by our Values, the Fund remains dedicated to tackling persistent healthcare challenges such as access, affordability, and disparities within the U.S. health care system. Fund Values We strive to be Bold and Impactful We center Community and our Common Humanity We anchor Equity and Integrity in all we do We work in a Collaborative and Joyful environment We invite individuals who resonate with our values to come together and contribute towards building a healthier future for all Americans. Current Team needs include: 1. Director of Health Equity Research and Analysis: https://lnkd.in/e-bJ8GF3 2. Program Assistant, Care Core (Delivery System Reform & Advancing Health Equity): https://lnkd.in/eh4sD6Ht 3. 🚨 The International Program will be hiring for an early career professional to join our Harkness Fellowship and Leadership Programs team very, very soon… Please share in your networks.

The fight for quality, affordable, and equitable health care in the United States has never been an easy one, but we’re in this for the long haul. ----------------- A message from Commonwealth President Joseph Betancourt, M.D.   The Commonwealth Fund was established in 1918 by Anna Harkness — one of the first women to start a private foundation — with the broad charge of enhancing the common good.   Throughout our history, the Fund’s impact has been felt across the U.S. health care system. From support that led to the creation of the first #publichealth departments, to funding for rural hospitals that led to the Hill-Burton Act and construction of hospitals across the country, to grants to urban medical schools, and to research that led to unprecedented health care coverage for Americans nationwide through the #AffordableCareAct, the Fund has been steadfast in its mission to drive toward high-quality, affordable, equitable #healthcare for everyone.   The pillars upon which the Commonwealth Fund stand include the importance of respect, dignity, and the welfare of humankind. Today, our values compel us to be bold and impactful, to center community and common humanity, and to anchor equity and integrity in everything we do.   We remain steadfast and undeterred in our commitment to our mission and our values. With a dedicated and committed team, and like-minded grantees and partners, we are determined to continue to do the work every day to achieve meaningful change and improvements in the health care system for all Americans.   Today this is more important than ever, as we continue to see the United States lag far behind its peers on health outcomes, despite spending more on health care than any other developed nation in the world. We are experiencing worsening access to care, affordability challenges that put care out of the reach of many, and significant disparities that leave populations of all backgrounds behind. As a physician, this is painful, and personal to me.   At this time of great reflection about the direction of our country, and in the midst of hurtful and divisive rhetoric that dehumanizes so many, we lift up our history, our values, and everything that we stand for as fuel for the continued fight ahead.   As a nonpartisan, nonprofit, private institution, we take our role — and our privilege in society — seriously. While we will always strive to compromise with any who share our goals, we will be uncompromising as it relates to the values upon which we were established, and by which we aim to live every day.   Our work will continue, buoyed by a renewed sense of passion, energy, and purpose. We hope all those who share our values and this passion will come along on this journey with us to create a healthier tomorrow for everyone.

Will we be seeing you at the 17th European Public Health (EPH) Conference in Lisbon, Portugal, this November?

As election day unfolds, Medicaid continues to be top of mind for me. The differences in how the largest public health coverage program in the country could be impacted under the two major candidates are dramatically different as this article from Public Health Watch discusses: https://lnkd.in/ecR93QFh

What’s at stake for health care this election? Check out the Funds election resources here ans make your own informed decision! https://lnkd.in/ezCkMJ6s

🚑 Make Emergency Ambulance Services an Essential Health Benefit, Advisory Committee Says The No Surprises Act protects consumers from unexpected bills for most emergency medical services obtained out of network — but not for ground ambulance bills. Now an advisory committee created under the law has issued recommendations to address this gap in coverage. As Georgetown University’s Nadia Stovicek and Jack Hoadley report on To the Point, the committee calls for making emergency ground ambulance services an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act and for limiting consumers’ cost sharing to no more than $100. In the absence of federal action, some states – including, most recently, Indiana, Mississippi, and Oklahoma – have been passing laws to protect consumers in state-regulated health plans. Ultimately, however, it will be up to Congress to decide. “Ground ambulance protections have bipartisan appeal, support from the Biden–Harris administration, and were included in the 2024 Democratic National Committee platform,” the authors note.