The RAND Corporation has released an online tool designed to help people “understand, design, and evaluate health policies.” The tool, COMPARE (Comprehensive Assessment of Reform Efforts), has sections about current health care, policy options, an analysis of options and modeling estimates. A “Policy Options Dashboard” allows users to explore the effects of commonly proposed health care reforms by customizing the options and clicking on links that explain concepts.
According to Healthcare IT News,
“Results on the dashboard are informed by a review of prior experience with the policy options and a microsimulation modeling tool that allows policymakers to estimate the impact of specific policy changes on coverage, spending, consumer financial risk and health.”
The “Modeling Estimates” section lets users select parameters and scenarios to see the effect such choices would have on the health care system.
The “Proposals” area of the site offers information about state initiatives in health care policy that have been porposed or implemented, as well as options proposed in federal legislation and proposals made by a number of professional organizations, private foundations and other groups.
The site includes a detailed explanation of what it is, how it works and who the funders and advisory committee are.
