Say Ahhh!
A Health Policy Blog
New Research Links Postpartum Medicaid Coverage to Increased Mental Health Care
A new study in this month’s issue of Health Affairs offers additional insights into the impact of postpartum Medicaid coverage on access to care. In short: continuous postpartum Medicaid coverage increased stability, access, and affordability to outpatient mental health and prescription medication treatments for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders compared with those who transitioned to […]
It Looks Like Florida is Cutting Children Off CHIP in Violation of Federal Rules
While children are losing Medicaid coverage nationwide due to the unwinding process, new data reveals that Florida has disenrolled 22,576 children from its Healthy Kids CHIP program since January 1, 2024, when new federal protections requiring states to provide 12 months of continuous coverage in Medicaid and CHIP went into effect, which included barring states […]
State Momentum on Medicaid Doula Coverage, Rate Increases
Doula care continues to be a hot topic as our nation struggles to address the current maternal and infant health crises. Research has shown that doulas help reduce the risk of adverse birth outcomes, reduce infant mortality rates and help improve perinatal mental health. Access to doula care services can be out of reach for […]
Marketplace Enrollment Among Those Losing Medicaid Coverage During Unwinding Increased by Nearly One-Third in the Second Month of Open Enrollment
As readers of Say Ahhh! know, I have been tracking monthly data (here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here) from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) on the number of people who were either previously enrolled in Medicaid or had experienced a denial or termination during unwinding who then selected a […]
CMS Released Additional Resources to Help Medicaid and CHIP Enrollees Retain Coverage
March 31 marks the one-year anniversary of the end of the COVID-related Medicaid continuous enrollment requirement. While it was expected that renewing nearly 90 million Medicaid enrollees would be a heavy lift for states, it’s taking some states longer to complete renewals due to system changes and efforts to improve ex parte renewal rates or […]
New ASPE Report: 17 Million Children Live in States That Could Benefit from 12 Months Continuous Coverage in Medicaid and CHIP
One commonsense policy change can make a huge difference in the lives of children. A new federal report released yesterday finds that the 12-month continuous eligibility period for children in Medicaid and CHIP that took effect on January 1, 2024 will protect more than 17 million children who live in states that previously did not […]