The December 2012 issue of Health Affairs looks at Medicare Advantage, public health, and system weaknesses. Editor-in-Chief Susan Dentzer notes in her opening remarks that “this month’s Health Affairs contains fodder for pessimists, optimists, and everyone in between. Happily, for this year-end issue, much of the balance is geared toward optimists.” The most “optimistic” of the articles come from the section on Medicare Advantage plans, with in-depth analysis of risk adjustment measures and emergency department visits by enrollees. The issue moves on to examine positive results of pay-for-performance measures and strategies to reduce rehospitalizations. The following members had their work published in this month’s issue: Analysis Of Medicare Advantage HMOs Compared With Traditional Medicare Shows Lower Use Of Many Services During 2003–09 Bruce E. Landon, Robert C. Saunders, L. Gregory Pawlson, Joseph P. Newhouse, and John Z. Ayanian Steps To Reduce Favorable Risk Selection In Medicare Advantage Largely Succeeded, Boding Well For Health Insurance Exchanges Joseph P. Newhouse, and J. Michael McWilliams New Risk-Adjustment System Was Associated With Reduced Favorable Selection In Medicare Advantage J. Michael McWilliams and Joseph P. Newhouse In Consumer-Directed Health Plans, A Majority Of Patients Were Unaware Of Free Or Low-Cost Preventive Care Mary E. Reed, Vicki Fung, and Joseph P. Newhouse Hospital Pay-For-Performance Programs In Maryland Produced Strong Results, Including Reduced Hospital-Acquired Conditions Sule Calikoglu, and Robert Murray Low-Cost Transitional Care With Nurse Managers Making Mostly Phone Contact With Patients Cut Rehospitalization At A VA Hospital Maureen A. Smith Disclosure-And-Resolution Programs That Include Generous Compensation Offers May Prompt A Complex Patient Response Michelle M. Mello THE CARE SPAN: Hospices’ Enrollment Policies May Contribute To Underuse Of Hospice Care In The United States Colleen L. Barry and Elizabeth H. Bradley Simulation Of Quitting Smoking In The Military Shows Higher Lifetime Medical Spending More Than Offset By Productivity Gains Timothy M. Dall Reducing Racial And Ethnic Disparities In Colorectal Cancer Screening Is Likely To Require More Than Access To Care Jim P. Stimpson, José A. Pagán and Li-Wu Chen Bioterrorism And Biological Threats Dominate Federal Health Security Research; Other Priorities Get Scant Attention Arthur L. Kellermann China’s Rapidly Aging Population Creates Policy Challenges In Shaping A Viable Long-Term Care System Zhanlian Feng, Chang Liu, and Vincent Mor YOUNG LEADERS: Employing Behavioral Economics And Decision Science In Crucial Choices At End Of Life Scott D. Halpern Survey Of Primary Care Doctors In Ten Countries Shows Progress In Use Of Health Information Technology, Less In Other Areas Cathy Schoen and Michelle Doty Health Affairs is an official journal of AcademyHealth.