Health Policy/Legislation
APHSA (www.aphsa.org): APHSA provides information on current health and human service legislation, as well as links to government sites with status indicators on topics such as childcare, housing, and healthcare.
Center for Studying Health System Change (www.hschange.com/index.cgi): Provides incisive, timely analyses about the effects of health system change to inform the thinking and decisions of policy makers in government and industry.
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (www.cbpp.org): Reports by The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan research organization and policy institute that conducts research and analysis on a range of government policies and programs, with an emphasis on those affecting low and moderate-income people.
Federal Office of Rural Health Policy (www.ruralhealth.hrsa.gov): This government agency concerns itself with issues affecting the viability and success of rural hospitals. Publications on various aspects of rural healthcare delivery are available.
Health Affairs(www.projhope.org): Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) provides health education and health policy research. You can also access Health Affairs� current issue from this site.
Health Policy-Recommended Links (www.epn.org/idea/hciclink.html): Up-to-the-minute information on news releases from member organizations and the latest columns and editorials from policy debate shapers. The goal is to provide policy analysis to the general public, so that readers can easily keep pace with the latest research and goings-on in Washington and beyond.
Policy.com Homepage (www.policy.com): Users can not only learn about issues, but react to them as well. It covers issues from health and medicine to business and regulation.
RAND (www.rand.org): RAND is a nonprofit organization that conducts research to guide policymaking. While not solely focused on healthcare, many reports on the industry, including clinical outcomes, managed care, and medical technology, are available.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Research, Policy, & Administration (www.os.dhhs.gov/policy/policy2.html): Provides information on current and pending legislation in Congress.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality Data and Surveys Index (www.ahcpr.gov/data): Provides access to medical expenditure surveys, inpatient statistics, and information concerning medical diagnoses and procedures.
AHA Online Data (www.ahadata.com): Source for purchasing information about healthcare providers and industry decision makers online. For use for health professionals in sales & marketing, research, healthcare consulting, or government.
American Demographics (www.demographics.com): Provides demographics services and links to similar information that can help trustees better understand the characteristics and needs of their communities.
Atlantic Information Services (www.aishealth.com): Atlantic Information Services (AIS) develops targeted news, data and strategic information. Free newsletters include Business News, E-Health Business, MD Practices Alert, and Government News.
Bureau of Economic Analysis (www.bea.doc.gov): National, international, regional, and bureau-wide information.
Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov): Statistics on a large number of topics, from how much people earn to the unemployment rate.
Center for Healthcare Industry Performance Studies (CHIPS) (www.chipsonline.com): Provides clinical and financial benchmarking information and decision support systems to hospitals, health networks, physician practices, insurers, managed care companies, consulting firms, and investment firms.
Center for Healthcare Information (www.dorlandhealth.com): Provides unique print and Internet publications, market research reports, databases and mailing lists covering healthcare and managed care organizations.
Congressional Budget Office (www.cbo.gov): Provides timely updates on the forecasted impacts of current and proposed legislation on national health expenditures and Medicare spending.
COR Enterprise Leadership Trend Watch (http://corhealth.com): Each week the Trend Watch provides the latest information on mission-critical healthcare issues.
E-Care Management News (www.bhtinfo.com/pastissues.htm): This monthly e-newsletter focuses on the paradigm shift from managed care to care management, with feature articles involving business, technology and clinical issues.
Families USA (www.familiesusa.org): A broad, comprehensive site that contains information on the uninsured, Medicare and Medicaid benefits, child health, and managed care basics.
FEDSTATS Homepage (www.fedstats.gov): Sponsored by the U.S. Interagency Council on Statistical Policy, the site provides access to data from 70 federal agencies.
Government Printing Office Publications (www.access.gpo.gov/su_docs): This site provides free electronic access to a wealth of important information products produced by the Federal Government.
Solucient (www.solucient.com): This site has a very comprehensive healthcare information repository. It includes articles and reports, a publication library, and much more.
Healthcare Financial Management Association (www.hfma.org): This site offers a free newsletter covering financial issues in healthcare.
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (www.hcfa.gov): Data on Medicare reimbursement and financing is presented on the HCFA website, along with information about managed care organization participation in Medicare.
Healthleaders.com (www.healthleaders.com): A free membership site. Members can sign up for a daily email with the latest healthcare business news headlines and links to article summaries. Each summary includes a path to the original article. Also includes sections highlighting specific areas such as business, government, pharmaceuticals, trends, managed care, technology, legal and legislative issues.
Health-Mart (www.health-mart.com): This site can be used by providers, payers, or patients to compare hospital performance data.
HRSA State Profiles (http://stateprofiles.hrsa.gov): Provides an understanding of each state's unique environment. Profiles feature an overview of funds granted within a state, selected demographic data, health status and healthcare access indicators, healthcare provider resources, and highlights of HRSA resources targeted in the areas of primary healthcare, healthcare provider resources, maternal and child health, public health, rural health, and HIV/AIDS.
Idea Central Health Policy (www.epn.org/idea/health.html): A virtual magazine that publishes articles relating to current debates and hot topics in the healthcare environment.
Internet Statistics and Demographics (www.lcweb.loc.gov/global): Links to numerous sites where the reader can demographic information.
Medical Industry Today (www.medicaldata.com/MIT/default.asp): This newsletter mainly covers developments in the devices and biotechnology arenas, but also covers Medicare and Medicaid issues.
Medicare (www.medicare.gov): The official U.S. government site of Medicare information. Includes managed care information and databases to compare health plan rates.
National Healthcare Expenditures Projections (www.hcfa.gov/stats/NHE-proj): An accumulation of projections or estimates of spending for healthcare in the U.S. for the years 1998-2008. The projections are presented by type of service delivered (hospital care, physician services, nursing home care, etc.) and by source of funding for those services (private health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, out-of-pocket spending, etc.).
State Information Search (www.nascio.org): A topical clearinghouse to state government information on the Internet. There are over 2,233 entries in 32 categories.
The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation (www.kff.org): The Kaiser Family Foundation is a philanthropic organization that reports on health and welfare in the U.S. Topics explored by the foundation have included prescription drug prices, the uninsured, and BBA impacts.
Trends in Health and Aging (www.cdc.gov/nchs/agingact.html): Contains information on trends in health-related behaviors, health status, healthcare utilization, and cost of care for the older population at the national and state levels.
U.S. Census Bureau (www.census.gov): A government site that contains information on local population trends and other demographic indicators.
U.S. Department of Commerce (www.doc.gov): Information on all areas of commerce, such as how to obtain grants, laws and regulations on economic development, and statistics and research, among others.
Community Health
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (www.ahcpr.gov): Information on a variety of topics for physicians and consumers. Physicians can research the latest in evidence-based practice, while consumers can find information on smoking cessation and other health-related topics.
Bureau of Primary Healthcare (www.bphc.hrsa.dhhs.gov): Maintains profiles of all the states from a primary care perspective, includes demographic and health status data.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (www.cdc.gov): Provides credible information to enhance health decisions.
Coalition for Healthier Cities and Communities (www.healthycommunities.org): Illustrates strategies for improving the health of a community. Interactive user forums allow the pooling of ideas among site visitors.
Combined Health Information (www.chid.nih.gov): Brings together various federal databases concerned with health. Includes health promotion and education material.
Community Health Status Indicators Project (www.communityhealth.hrsa.gov): Health information for all 3,082 counties in the U.S. Each report offers information on a variety of topics. The reports can be downloaded in printable and viewable formats.
Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (www.ahcpr.gov/data/hcup/hcupnet.htm): Provides access to a large amount of healthcare data. Data includes consumer ratings, clinical performance measures, guides to healthcare management programs, and statistics on hospital deaths.
National Center for Health Statistics (www.cdc.gov/nchs): A vast repository of government health statistics covering everything from Alzheimer's to teen pregnancy to whooping cough.
National Civic League (www.ncl.org): While not specifically a healthcare site, the Healthy Communities programs will be helpful to trustees interested in designing and implementing community health improvement initiatives.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (www.rwjf.org): The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a philanthropic organization that reports on health status indicators in the U.S. Topics explored by the foundation have included end-of-life care, tobacco use, and clinical care management.
The Urban Institute (www.urban.org): The Urban Institute is a nonprofit organization that monitors the social and economic well-being of society. Important research on the uninsured can be found on this site.
Your Health ... Your Community ... Your Right to Know (www.health-track.org): Identifies and tracks the links between environmental hazards and illnesses and provides researchers and public health officials with the necessary tools to prevent disease. The system monitors illnesses community by community, identifies potential environmental hazards and measures exposure to them.
Medical Issues
Journal of the American Medical Association (www.ama-assn.org): Information, in the form of articles for physicians, health professionals, and patients.
Modern Physician Magazine (www.modernphysician.com): While targeted at practicing physicians, information on topics of relevance to trustees can also be found. Feature articles deal with topics such as changes in Medicare reimbursement, healthcare trends, and physician compensation, and more.
Managed Care/Insurance
AARP Guide to Managed Care (www.aarp.com): Consumers of all ages can use this online guide to learn more about managed care plans and what distinguishes managed care from traditional fee-for-service insurance plans.
Employee Benefit Research Institute Online (www.ebri.org): Useful demographic information about employment benefits is provided, along with research reports on health spending and government health expenditures.
Managed Care Magazine (www.managedcaremag.com): A guide for managed care executives, physicians and other health professionals covering capitation, compensation, disease management, NCQA accreditation & HEDIS, contracting, ethics, practice management, formulary development, and other health insurance issues.
Medscape Managed Care (www.medscape.com): A free-registration resource of managed care news and feature articles used by a wide variety of health professionals, including executives, physicians, and trustees.
National Association of Insurance Commissioners (www.naic.org): This site provides information regarding insurance regulations to regulators, producers, companies, consumers, or employees, as well as general insurance information.
Quality
Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) (www.jcaho.org): JCAHO is the premier healthcare accreditation organization in the U.S. Information about their accreditation process can be found here.
National Committee for Quality Assurance (www.ncqa.org): Annual reports on the state of managed care and individual health plan report cards are important information resources for hospital trustees, and can be found on this well-respected site.
Trusteeship
American Hospital Association (www.aha.org): The AHA site will keep you up-to-date on legislative activity affecting hospitals and advocacy efforts undertaken by the AHA.
Governance FAQs (www.boardsource.org): Operated by the National Center for Nonprofit Boards, this list of frequently asked questions covers all the basics of being a trustee, with emphasis on roles and responsibilities.
Health Forum (www.healthforum.com): Health Forum publishes five magazines devoted to trusteeship, hospital and health system business and issues, improving community health, facilities management and more.
Trustee Magazine (www.trusteemag.com): A magazine exclusively devoted to hospital trustees, this site provides strategies for dealing with contemporary challenges and presents information about current trends in the healthcare marketplace.
Library of Congress (www.lcweb.loc.gov): A collection of more than 119 million items, more than two-thirds of which are in media other than books.
Medical Journals (www.webmedlit.com): Easy access to the best medical journals on the web in an easy-to-search scheme.
Medical Matrix-Healthcare Management and Policy (www.medmatrix.org): Medical Matrix is a free directory of selected medical sites on the Internet.
Modern Healthcare (www.modernhealthcare.com): Targets healthcare executives to keep them current with news and trends in the field. Major areas of coverage are finance, managed care, integrated delivery systems, physician issues, marketing, information systems, technology, politics, plus developments in Washington, state legislatures, regulatory agencies and the courts that affect healthcare providers.
National Council for Reliable Health Information (www.ncahf.org): A useful guide to identifying health information that you can trust. Also lists some ways to identify questionable and fraudulent health practices and information resources.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) (www.nih.gov): Health related information, news and events, and much more.
NCHS Data Warehouse (www.cdc.gov/nchs/datawh.htm): Good source for information concerning disease, health status, hospitals, nursing homes, and ambulance services.
MHA thanks Felhaber, Larson, Fenlon & Vogt, PA and our other associate members for their support. Minnesota Hospital Association 2550 University Ave. W., Suite 350-S St. Paul, MN 55114-1900 TEL: (651) 641-1121 or (800) 462-5393; FAX: (651) 659-1477; EMAIL: info@mnhospitals.org
Copyright 2007. All Rights Reserved. Minnesota
Hospital Association. Privacy
Policy
