Discusses effective access to the program by people who are eligible for it, noting that at any given time, only 59 percent of those who were eligible participated in 1998. Furthermore, this number has been declining since the passage of welfare reform legislation in 1996. Although there are...

Explores the relationship between black-white differences in educational achievement and black-white differences in a variety of educational and economic outcomes. Using data from the late 1970s through the early 1990s, the study finds that, for children and young adults with similar mathematics...

One of the biggest challenges facing Medicare is educating beneficiaries about their insurance options. Data from a national survey indicate that most Medicare HMO and fee-for-service beneficiaries age 65 and up are aware of at least one source of information from the National Medicare Education...

Notes that most state high-risk insurance pools provide access to health insurance for few of those denied coverage in the private market. High premiums, limited benefit packages, and waiting periods limited access. In addition, some states' pools are closed to new enrollees or have long waiting...

Shows that surprisingly few beneficiaries actively examine their choices in health coverage, though choice is somewhat more relevant for subgroups of vulnerable beneficiaries.

Examines the price of the standard Medigap policies (H, I, and J) that cover prescription drugs. Notes that premiums for these policies are high, at about $1,400 per year for minimum coverage, with wide state variation. Furthermore, the average cost to upgrade a policy to cover drugs ranges from...

Examines a group of high schools that have embraced career majors as the organizing device for school improvement efforts. Focuses on why school leaders chose schoolwide career-focused education as a reform tool, how career majors have evolved in response to a broad set of objectives, and what...

Presents estimates that measure the need for the Food Stamp Program and the program's effectiveness in each state, by year from 1994 to 1998. Need for the program is based on estimated number of people eligible for food stamps; effectiveness is based on estimated food stamp participation rates,...