http://www.health.ri.gov/publications/list.php The latest reports and publications from the Rhode Island Department of Health Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:05:54 GMT ListGarden Program 1.3.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss http://www.health.ri.gov/chic/statistics/hbn-June2008.pdf Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood in the United States (US). Much of the health care cost of asthma is for treatment in the hospital. Hospitalizations for pediatric asthma increased in the US over the past decade, but recently plateaued at historically high levels. In 2004, pediatric asthma hospitalizations in the US were responsible for $330 million in incurred charges. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:05:48 GMT http://www.health.ri.gov/chic/statistics/hbn-June2008.pdf http://www.health.ri.gov/chic/statistics/hbn-May2008.pdf Two health plans, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island (Blue Cross), and United Healthcare of New England (United), provide health coverage to a large majority of Rhode Island (RI) residents who are commercially insured. To assess whether the purchasers of these plans’ products are receiving value, one must necessarily examine its two components, cost and quality. For Rhode Islanders to receive good returns from their expenditures for health insurance, that coverage should be equally or less expensive and deliver the same or better quality services than similar plans elsewhere. Information about how these two plans perform is therefore essential to evaluating their relative value. Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:03:44 GMT http://www.health.ri.gov/chic/statistics/hbn-May2008.pdf