INTERNET RESOURCES FOR COVERING HEALTH CARE

Alliance for Health Reform
http://www.allhealth.org/
Non-partisan non-profit has info, workshops, journalist's sourcebook, issue briefs and links .

American Association of Health Plans
http://www.aahp.org/
Trade association for HMOs and similar health plans.

Association of Health Care Journalists
http://www.healthjournalism.org/
Membership group for journalists covering health issues.

BCBS Technology Evaluation Center
http://www.bcbs.com/healthprofessionals/tec.html
Blue Cross reviews of effectiveness of treatments, medical devices; a good crosscheck.

Center for Health Care Strategies
http://www.chcs.org/
Advocacy and research group has story ideas, background and sources.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
http://cms.hhs.gov/
Formerly HCFA, has info on Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance programs, plus local contacts.

Commonwealth Fund
http://www.cmwf.org/
Research and advocacy group has online studies, e-mail alerts, contacts sorted by topic.

Community Health Leaders
http://www.communityhealthleaders.org/
Robert Wood Johnson program that recognizes people who deliver health care to underserved populations. Check for story ideas and contacts (searchable by topic and by state).

Consumer's Union
http://www.consumersunion.org/health/health.htm
Consumer advocacy group's health care page.

Covering Health Issues
http://www.allhealth.org/spotlight.asp?wt=spot&si=56
Nonprofit sourcebook has story ideas, contacts, and tips for TV and radio journalists. Tips now available in Spanish: http://www.allhealth.org/sourcebookcontent.asp?CHID=58

Covering the Quality of Health Care
http://www.healthjournalism.org/qualityguide/index.html
Resource guide for reporters with quick reference info, background and links.

Duke University's Health Policy Cyberexchange
http://www.hpolicy.duke.edu/cyberexchange/
Searchable information on key policy issues and a guide to "who's who" in health policy.

ECRI
http://www.ecri.org/
Non-profit health services research group, evaluates medical technology

Electronic Policy Network
http://www.epn.org/whatsnew/subjects/health-1.html
Links to releases on health policy from various advocacy groups.

Families USA
http://www.familiesusa.org/
Advocacy group offers state-by-state resources on health policy issues.

Health and Human Services
http://aspe.os.dhhs.gov/
Links to reports from the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Health Insurance Association of America
http://www.hiaa.org/
Trade and lobbying group for health insurance companies.

Health News Review
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/
Non-profit studies reporting on health, defines concepts reporters should understand when reporting on research studies.

Health Policy Tracking Service
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/Overview_Health.htm
State-level information, from the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Improving Medical Journalism
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~schwitz/
A reading list from former reporter Gary Schwitzer, now at the University of Minnesota.

Kaiser Family Foundation
http://www.kff.org/
Research and analysis of health care issues, sorted by topic, plus daily e-mail update list and video briefings.

Kaiser Network
http://www.kaisernetwork.org/
Kaiser Foundation news site with daily updates and in-depth coverage of health issues.

State Health Facts
http://www.statehealthfacts.kff.org
Searchable health data on all 50 states, from Kaiser Family Foundation.

Stateline: Healthcare
http://www.stateline.org/stateline/?pa=issue&sa=showIssue&id=121
Online news service tracks reporting on healthcare issues around the country.

United Health Foundation-State Rankings
http://www.unitedhealthfoundation.org/mediakit/index.html
Annual report ranks states on health measures.