Urban Institute

About: Urban Institute is a nonprofit organization based out in Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Medicaid & Population. The organization has 927 authors who have published 2330 publications receiving 86426 citations.

SCHIP At A Crossroads: Experiences To Date And Challenges Ahead

Abstract: As reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) looms, we examine the program’s first decade and identify changes needed so that SCHIP can better serve its target population. We conclude that by many objective standards, SCHIP has been a success, but the challenge will be to maintain and build upon that success. Critical issues include the level and structure of federal funding; the continued problem of uninsurance among low-income children; the lack of information on quality, access, and costs; and whether SCHIP can serve as the foundation for addressing broader health care needs among low-income families.

The effects of SCHIP on children's health insurance coverage: early evidence from the community tracking study.

Abstract: The State Children?s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was designed to increase the number of children with health insurance coverage without resulting in large numbers of children substituting public coverage for private coverage This study uses data from the Community Tracking Study collected before and after SCHIP implementation to examine effects of increases in eligibility for public coverage on children?s health insurance coverage Using a regression-based difference-in-differences approach, we find that increases in eligibility for public coverage did increase the likelihood of having Medicaid or other state coverage versus being uninsured for the primary SCHIP target population ? children in families with incomes between 100 and 200 percent of the federal poverty level However, eligibility increases also increases the likelihood of having public coverage versus private insurance for this income group, indicating that SCHIP expansions resulted in substitution of public for private insurance In fact, simulation results indicate that the initial impact of SCHIP on private insurance coverage has been far greater than on uninsurance rates These results reflect the early stages of SCHIP implementation, however, and are subject to change as the SCHIP program matures (Medical Care Research and Review 2002 December; 59(4): 359-383)

Household patterns of older women. Some international comparisons.

Abstract: Comparative analyses based on aggregate data have shown that the percentage of older women living alone has risen dramatically during recent decades, a pattern repeated in many European and North American countries. This article investigates the correlates of the decision to live alone, using individual-level data from five countries and a parallel analytic approach. The major categories of factors analyzed here are kin availability, financial resources, and disability and health status. Several common patterns of findings emerge for the group of countries considered: Larger kin networks and the presence of severe disabilities reduce the probability of living alone, whereas higher income increases the probability of living alone. Despite these similarities in individual-level correlates, there remain some differences across countries in the levels of single-person households, and these might be attributable to macrolevel forces such as housing and social welfare policies.

State spending for Medicare and Medicaid home care programs

Abstract: Congressional attempts to curtail spending growth in Medicare home health may affect Medicaid, given the number of Medicare enrollees who qualify for Medicaid-covered home care services. This DataWatch examines interactions between the Medicare and Medicaid home care programs using state-level expenditure data for 1995 and through case studies in five states: Connecticut, Louisiana, Minnesota, New Mexico, and New York.

Raising commuter parking prices. an empirical study

Abstract: Recently, management of parking rates has been proposed as an effective policy option to ameliorate the adverse impacts of excessive commuter automobile use in urban areas. Parking price strategies have the potential for significantly altering travel behavior in favor of high occupancy vehicles, as well as reducing congestion, energy consumption and pollution. Unfortunately, however, a paucity of empirical evidence exists regarding the impacts of parking pricing policies on travel patterns. The recent attempt aimed at eliminating federal employee parking subsidies provided a unique opportunity to take a careful look at the impacts of commuter parking price increases. In November 1979, federal employees at many government facilities in Washington, DC, and other major cities began to pay one-half of nearby commercial parking rates for government-controlled parking spaces. This paper presents the impacts of the parking price increases on commuting behavior at a sample of 15 worksites in metropolitan Washington, DC, and discusses their short term planning and policy implications. A "before and after with control group" survey design monitored the effects on modal shifts, automobile occupancy, and parking behavior. The results showed that removing free parking and raising parking rates (from $10 to $32 per month) influenced some significant shifts to higher-occupancy modes, but that the shifts were not uniform in direction or magnitude across the sites. In addition, the study examined how locational, travel, and employee factors influenced the modal shifts.(a)