The State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE) program awarded nine new grants to fund research addressing health reform issues that states face as they work to improve coverage and access.  This is SHARE's third round of grants since the program began in 2007.  The new grants, which range in length from 12 to 24 months, will offer timely insights into a variety of health reform issues.  The projects will explore topics such as Medicaid expansion for childless adults, value-based insurance design for state employee health plans, approaches to health care coordination/integration, and the production of reliable small area estimates of health insurance coverage and access.  This document provides an overview of the nine grants awarded under the third round of SHARE funding. 

The Massachusetts health reform initiative enacted into law in 2006 continued to fare well in 2010, with uninsurance rates remaining quite low and employer-sponsored insurance still strong. Access to health care also remained strong, and first-time reductions in emergency department visits and hospital inpatient stays suggested improvements in the effectiveness of health care delivery in the state.