RAND Health COMPARE | Facts you can use, analysis you can trust

The RAND Corporation's COMPARE initiative provides information and tools to help policymakers, the media, and other interested parties understand, design, and evaluate health policies.

US Health Care Today

Where is the U.S. health care system now and where is it going?

Policy Options

What are some of the most common health policy options?

How have these options been used in recent proposals?

Analysis of Options

How will proposed policy changes affect health system performance?

What's New

The Effects of the Affordable Care Act on Workers’ Health Insurance Coverage

The RAND Corporation has simulated the effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to predict how and why health insurance markets are likely to change after implementation.

Could We Have Covered More People For Less Cost? Technically, Yes; Politically, Probably Not

Only a few different approaches would produce both more newly insured people and a lower cost to the government.

Grandfathering in the Small Group Market Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

Grandfathering may be an effective policy if the goal includes maximizing the number of people enrolled in employment-based coverage.

Primary Care: A Critical Review of the Evidence on the Quality and Costs of Health Care

A review of empirical evidence that links three general definitions of "primary care" to health care quality, outcomes, and costs.

Paying For Performance In Primary Care: Potential Impact On Practices And Disparities

Findings suggest that pay-for-performance programs should monitor and address the potential impact of performance-based payments on disparities in the health care system.

Spotlight

August 26, 2010

“Hot” Health Care Reform Implementation

Departments of Labor, Treasury and HHS Issue Guidance On Federal External Review Process Under the Health Care Reform Law

March 30, 2010

Hot Legislation

Access the historical record of health care reform from November 2008 until March 2010 - when President Obama signed H.R. 3590 and H.R. 4872 into law. We provide links to all of the key documents released by the White House, the Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, federal agencies, and other stakeholders.

February 16, 2010

RAND Analysis of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590)

Using the RAND COMPARE microsimulation model, we estimated the potential effects of H.R. 3590 on various factors, including coverage, spending, and consumer financial risk.