CLAMs are "Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Materials" designed for diverse populations to help them overcome language barriers to effective treatment. The demographic shift underway in the United States is making the country more linguistically diverse. Health plans need to accommodate this shift, because without information patients…

The problems of access, adequacy, and affordability of health insurance for persons with severe chronic conditions are analyzed. Part 1 defines the target population by considering conceptual and methodological issues, and examines statistics from various national surveys. Part 2 examines the distribution of health insurance throughout the…

The articles in this journal issue provide an overview of ways in which health services are presently delivered to children, youth, and pregnant women; the means by which these services are financed; and some of the major deficiencies in meeting the health needs of these groups. In the first article, the Center for the Future of Children presents…

This paper reports on a study of higher education health-care coverage for retirees including trends in coverage since 1987, major current provisions of institutions' coverage, and program cost controls. A total of 1,6701 institutions responded to a retiree heath-care survey. Among the findings were: (1) 61 percent of colleges and universities and…

A study used data from the Employee Benefits Surveys conducted by the Bureau of Labor Statistics to examine the influence of employer-provided retiree health insurance on retirement decisions. The analysis found that most coverage is similar to that of active workers but takes Medicare into consideration, and requires retiring workers to meet…

This report itemizes the costs and consequences of sedentary living, providing cost reasons to fight a war on sedentary lifestyles. It begins by explaining that 70 percent of U.S. adults are sedentary (undertaking no leisure time physical activity or less than 30 minutes of physical activity per day), and it notes how sedentary living increases…

A 3-day conference brought together health and education experts to explore responses to adolescent health problems and to suggest ways to implement the recommendations put forward in "Fateful Choices: Healthy Youth for the 21st Century," by Fred M. Hechinger. Conference participants identified a number of adolescent health problems and the areas…

Historically, the financial responsibility for caring for those with mental illness has shifted back and forth from the local community, to the state, to the federal government. Today states provide the vast majority of the funds to the state mental health agencies and oversee local governments and most private resources for mental health funding.…

This theme issue of a bulletin on family support and children's mental health focuses on managed care and the impact on children who are in need of mental health services. Articles include: "Private Sector Managed Care and Children's Mental Health" (Ira S. Lourie and others); "Just What Is Managed Care?" (Chris Koyanagi);…

This document contains 4 invited papers, 21 refereed papers, 15 reports accompanying refereed posters, 8 reports from invited paper sessions, and 4 reports from invited panel sessions. Selected papers are as follows: "Managed Care Benefits Consumers" (Smith); "The Paradox of Managed Care" (Lieberman); "How Much Is Enough:…