SCI and AcademyHealth are proud to have contributed to the publication of a valuable new resource for policymakers on insurance affordability for small employers.

The Synthesis Project, a new initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, aims to help policymakers make sense of research findings on perennial health policy issues. These user-friendly briefs and reports synthesize research on the following issues:

Tax Credits for Private Health Insurance: Who Currently Benefits and What are the Implications for Policy?

• How does the federal government subsidize private health insurance?
  
• Who benefits from the current tax subsidies for ESI?
  
• What are the advantages and the disadvantages of the current approach?

Are Health Insurance Premiums Higher for Small Firms?

• Are the administrative costs of health insurance higher for small firms?
  
• Do benefits mandated by states increase insurance costs for small firms?
  
• Have purchasing pools reduced small firms' premium costs?

From Coverage to Care: Exploring Links Between Health Insurance, A Usual
Source of Care, and Access

• What is the relationship between coverage and having a usual source of care?
  
• How do insurance transitions, or cycling, affect whether someone has a usual source of care?
  
• What are the main reasons people lack a usual source of care?

You can access these documents and find out more about The Synthesis Project by visiting the project's Web site.

Research syntheses fulfill a critical need and desire for assistance in organizing and assessing findings from health care research so that they can be used effectively in the policy process. AcademyHealth joins the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in advancing this important aim and critical mission.