NEJM Perspective Explores Presidential Candidates’ Focus on Preventive Measures; Study Examines State Expansion Efforts; Tutorial Discusses Women’s Health Policy

• "Does Preventive Care Save Money? Health Economics and the Presidential Candidates," New England Journal of Medicine: The NEJM perspective by Joshua Cohen, a research associate professor of medicine at Tufts-New England Medical Center, and colleagues discusses the 2008 presidential candidates' health care proposals and preventive health measures included in the plans. According to the authors, while some preventive measures do save money, "broad generalizations made by many presidential candidates can be misleading" given that the majority of measures reviewed in the health economic literature do not generate savings (Cohen et al., NEJM, 2/14).
  
  
• "State Legislative Health Care and Insurance Issues Report," BlueCross BlueShield Association: The report examines state lawmakers' efforts to expand access to care in 2007 through SCHIP, employer and individual premium subsidy programs, insurance market reforms and improvement in the transparency of quality and cost data. Based on 2007 health care debates, BCBSA predicts that lawmakers will continue their efforts and explore other ways to expand coverage, including increasing employer contributions and assisting lower-income employees and individuals in purchasing private insurance (BCBSA release, 2/13).
  
  
• Women's Health Policy: Coverage and Access to Care Tutorial, Kaiser Family Foundation: The tutorial -- narrated by Alina Salganicoff, vice president and director of women's health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation -- provides an overview of women's health care needs and concerns. The tutorial also discusses important issues stemming from women's health coverage and access to care and reviews central policy challenges in improving women's access to care (Kaiser Family Foundation release, 2/13).