Health care costs & value: Council on Medical Service reports

These council reports have proposed strategies to address health care costs and promote value in health care spending.

Council on Medical Service Reports

Review reports and issue briefs prepared by the council. 

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2021

• Access to Health Plan Information regarding Lower-Cost Prescription Options (PDF) CMS Report 2-N-21
• Financing of Home and Community-Based Services (PDF) CMS Report 4-N-21
• Universal Basic Income (PDF) CMS Report 03-JUN-21

• Mitigating the Negative Effects of High-Deductible Health Plans (PDF) CMS Report 2-November 2020. Read the issue brief for this report: Mitigating Negative Impacts of High-Deductible Health Plans (PDF).
• Value-Based Management of Drug Formularies (PDF) CMS Report 6-November 2020

• Additional Mechanisms to Address High and Escalating Pharmaceutical Prices (PDF) CMS report 4-I-19
• Addressing Financial Incentives to Shop for Lower-Cost Health Care (PDF) CMS report 2-I-19

• Aligning Clinical and Financial Incentives for High-Value Care (PDF) CMS/CSAPH joint report I-18. Read the issue briefs for this report: Promoting Access to High-Value Care (PDF) and Value-Based Insurance Design (PDF). 
• The Site-of-Service Differential (PDF) CMS report 4-I-18. Read the issue brief for this report: Pay Variations Across Outpatient Sites of Service (PDF). 
• Air Ambulance Regulations and Payments (PDF) CMS report 2-I-18
• Coverage for Colorectal Cancer Screening (PDF) CMS/CSAPH joint report A-18
• Improving Affordability in the Health Insurance Exchanges (PDF) CMS report 2-A-18. Read the issue briefs for this report: Improving Health Insurance Affordability (PDF), Taking Steps Forward to Cover the Uninsured (PDF), and Using Reinsurance to Stabilize and Strengthen the Individual Market (PDF).
• Ensuring Marketplace Competition and Health Plan Choice (PDF) CMS report 3-A-18. Read the issue briefs for this report: Improving Health Insurance Affordability (PDF) and Taking Steps Forward to Cover the Uninsured (PDF).
• Financing of Long-Term Services and Supports (PDF) CMS report 5-A-18. Read the issue brief for this report: Financing of Long-Term Services and Supports (PDF).
• Integrating Precision Medicine into Alternative Payment Models (PDF) CMS report 6-A-18

• Value of Preventive Services (PDF) CMS-CSAPH joint report A-17. Read the issue briefs for this report: Promoting Access to High-Value Care (PDF) and Value-Based Insurance Design (PDF). 
• Non-Physician Screening Tests (PDF) CMS report 3-I-17
• Health Insurance Affordability: Essential Health Benefits and Subsidizing the Coverage of High-Risk Patients (PDF) CMS report 4-I-17. Read the issue briefs for this report: Improving Health Insurance Affordability (PDF), Taking Steps Forward to Cover the Uninsured (PDF), and Using Reinsurance to Stabilize and Strengthen the Individual Market (PDF).
• Payment and Coverage for Genetic/Genomic Precision Medicine (PDF) CMS-CSAPH joint report I-17

• Paid Sick Leave (PDF) CMS report 3-A-16
• Incorporating Value into Pharmaceutical Pricing (PDF) CMS report 5-I-16

• Price Transparency (PDF) CMS report 4-A-15. Read the issue brief for this report: Price Transparency (PDF). 
• Pharmaceutical Costs (PDF) CMS report 2-I-15. Read the issue briefs for this report: Improving Drug Price and Cost Transparency (PDF)  and Prescription Drug Pricing and Costs (PDF).
• Hearing Aid Coverage (PDF) CMS report 6-I-15
• Health Insurance Affordability (PDF) CMS report 8-I-15. Read the issue brief for this report: Taking Steps Forward to Cover the Uninsured (PDF).

• Medicare Update Formulas Across Outpatient Sites of Service (PDF) CMS report 3-A-14. Read the issue brief for this report: Pay Variations Across Outpatient Sites of Service (PDF). 
• Analysis of Place-of-Service Code for Observation Services (PDF) CMS report 4-A-14
• Improving the Affordable Care Act (PDF) CMS report 9-A-14
• Hospital Admissions and Patient Management Contractors (PDF) CMS report 1-I-14
• Reference Pricing (PDF)  CMS report 3-I-14
• Network Adequacy (PDF) CMS report 4-I-14
• Regulation of Provider-Performed Microscopy Procedures (PDF) CMS report 9-I-14

• Worksite Health Clinics (PDF) CMS report 1-A-13
• Value-Based Insurance Design (PDF) CMS report 2-A-13. Read the issue briefs for this report: Promoting Access to High-Value Care (PDF) and Value-Based Insurance Design (PDF). 
• Payment Variations Across Outpatient Sites of Service (PDF) CMS report 3-A-13. Read the issue brief for this report: Pay Variations Across Outpatient Sites of Service (PDF). 
• Strengthening Medicare Through Competitive Bidding (PDF) CMS report 7-I-13

• Cost-Sharing for Specialty Drugs (PDF) CMS report 1-I-12
• Update on the Use of Formal Shared Decision-Making (PDF) CMS report 4-I-12

• Essential Health Care Benefits (PDF) CMS report 2-A-11
• Covering the Uninsured and Individual Responsibility (PDF) CMS report 2-A-11

• Shared Decision-Making (PDF) CMS report 7-A-10
• Standardized Preauthorization Forms (PDF) CMS report 4-I-10

• Components of Health Insurance (PDF) CMS report 2-A-09
• Appropriate Hospital Charges (PDF) CMS report 4-A-09
• Geographic Variation in Health Care Cost and Utilization (PDF) CMS report 2-I-09
• Comparability of the Cost Estimates of Health Care Systems (PDF) CMS report 4-I-09

• Value-Based Decision-Making in the Health Care System (PDF) CMS report 7-A-08
• Comparative Effectiveness Research (PDF) CMS report 5-I-0

• Adequacy of Health Insurance Coverage Options (PDF) CMS report 7-A-07
• Strategies to Address Rising Health Care Costs (PDF) CMS report 8-A-07
• Cost-Sharing Arrangements for Prescription Drugs (PDF) CMS report 1-I-07
• Value-Based Decision-making in the Health Care System (PDF) CMS report 2-I-07
• Strategies to Strengthen the Medicare Program (PDF) CMS report 6-I-07

Access all council reports prior to 2007 or learn more about the Council on Medical Service.