What's New from CCF
2008
Congress to Move Quickly on SCHIP
News reports continue to suggest that congressional leaders are looking to take early action on SCHIP reauthorization. Bi-partisan bills to reauthorize SCHIP were adopted with strong majorities in both the House and Senate last year, but vetoed by President Bush. CCF has developed a chart showing the key differences among the major bills debated last year.Chart: Key Differences Among Major SCHIP Bills • SCHIP Reauthorization (2008-2009)
State Buy-In Programs for Children
Child buy-in programs allow families with incomes in excess of a state's Medicaid/SCHIP eligibility levels to purchase insurance for their children through the public plan. This short brief reviews where states stand with child buy-in programs, and provides an overview of issues that states must consider when implementing a program.Program Design Snapshot: State Buy-In Programs for Children
(11/17/08)
Children's Coverage Threatened by Economic Downturn
Ten years of progress on children's health care coverage is threatened by increasing unemployment, declining state revenues, and a growing affordability gap between family income and the cost of healthcare coverage. A new CCF report estimates that over the past year, 4.1 million people have lost their employer-based coverage, including 1.2 million children. If the unemployment rate continues to rise as expected, the number of uninsured will rise with it.Report: Keeping the Promise to Children and Families in Tough Economic Times • Executive Summary • Press Release
(11/12/08)
Health Reform Debate Begins
Sen. Baucus (D-MT) released a white paper today entitled "Call to Action, Health Reform 2009" detailing his vision for health care reform. His proposal builds upon key public programs, including Medicaid and SCHIP. Sen. Kennedy (D-MA) has also been meeting with stakeholders over the past several months and plans on having legislation drafted by Inauguration Day. In addition, President-Elect Obama has stated that health care reform will be a priority of his administration.Health Reform • CCF Statement on Sen. Baucus's Plan • CCF "Call to Action" Fact Sheet
(11/10/08)
Congress Expected to Move Quickly on SCHIP
Recent news reports suggest that congressional leaders are looking to take early action on SCHIP reauthorization. Speaker Pelosi has said that an SCHIP expansion "will probably be one of the first bills we would put on President Obama's desk" and it has been mentioned as a top priority by President-elect Obama's new chief of staff. Bi-partisan bills to reauthorize SCHIP were adopted with strong majorities in both the House and Senate last year, but vetoed by President Bush.SCHIP Reauthorization (2008-2009) • Overview of 2007 Reauthorization Process • Summaries of 2007 Bills
New Report Examines Florida Medicaid Reform
The final report in a series finds that two years after the launch of Florida's Medicaid reform pilot it appears that beneficiarie' access to heath care has worsened and financial benefits for the State of Florida remain unknown. It is too early to say if reform is a success or failure; however, available data suggest that it has not achieved many of its objectives.Florida's Experience with Medicaid Reform: What Has Been Learned in the First Two Years?
(10/16/08)
CCF Provides Testimony on West Virginia Medicaid Redesign
Joan Alker testified before the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources Accountability on October 14th on how the Medicaid redesign affects children in the state. The testimony highlighted a recent CCF report that found more than 93% of WV children in Medicaid have faced health benefit restrictions.Testimony of Joan Alker to West Virginia Legislature • Researcher: Medicaid Reforms Hardest on Children, State Journal, October 16, 2008
CCF Releases New Child and Family Coverage Tools
The Strategy Center in the CCF State Resource Center offers practical strategies and tools for moving forward in covering America's children and families. New issue briefs explore family coverage, cost sharing for children, 12-month continuous eligibility, and waiting periods.Strategy Center
(9/19/08)
CCF Report: Nineteen States Moved Forward in 2008
Many states are moving forward to cover children and some are closing in on the finish line, ensuring that all children have the health coverage they need. Clearly, however, with more than 8 million uninsured children in the country and the weak economy threatening coverage for a growing number of America's families, much more needs to be done.States Moving Forward: Children's Health Coverage in 2007-08
Putting Out the Welcome Mat Brings in Already-Eligible Children
A new fact sheet by the Center for Children and Families reports data from four states, Illinois, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, that have recently expanded eligibility. The new data indicates that "putting out the welcome mat" and offering affordable coverage options through public programs to a broad array of uninsured children in a state can have a powerful effect on the enrollment of already-eligible uninsured children.Putting Out the Welcome Mat: Implications of Coverage Expansions for Already-Eligible Children • Press Release
(9/5/08)
CCF Responds to Rhode Island's Waiver Proposal
The Rhode Island waiver proposal would give the state broad authority
to restructure Medicaid in exchange for capping program spending for
the next five years. The waiver represents a radical and risky
departure from the way Medicaid currently operates. CCF has examined
the waiver and its potential impact, both for the future of the state's
budget, as well as for the health of the hundreds of thousands of
residents who depend on the program. Testimony by Joan Alker to Rhode Island Legislature • RI Seeks Limits on Medicaid Spending, Washington Post, September 5, 2008
CCF Provides Details on Child and Family Coverage in Alaska
Following the nomination of Governor Sarah Palin as the Republican Vice Presidential candidate, increased attention has been directed towards her home state of Alaska. The Center for Children and Families has compiled state data pertaining to the number of uninsured, eligibility for public programs, and recent state activity to cover children and families.Alaska: Facts and Recent Activity
(8/26/08)
CCF Statment on New Census Data on Uninsured Children
New Census data show that the number of uninsured children in 2007 fell by 500,000 to 8.1 million. This progress is a testament to the effectiveness of public programs, largely responsible for the movement, and the importance of securing and strengthen these programs.CCF Statement on Census Data • Census Data Resources
CCF Statement on CMS August 17th Directive Announcement
CMS has announced that it will, at this time, not take compliance action under the August 17th CMS directive against states that have longstanding approved SCHIP plans. While this news provides some respite for some states, it falls short of the decisive action needed to ensure tens of thousands of uninsured children have health coverage.CCF Statement on Announcement • CCF Report: Out of Touch
(8/7/08)
Medicaid Changes in West Virginia Limit Benefits for Children
Medicaid beneficiaries in WV who complete and return a Member Agreement are eligible to receive enhanced benefits, while those who do not are automatically enrolled in a scaled-back plan. This report shows that, as a result, more than 93% of WV children in Medicaid have faced health benefit restrictions.West Virginia's Medicaid Redesign: What is the Impact on Children? • Press Release • Editorial: Medicaid - Get Solid Facts, Charleston Gazette, August 24, 2008
(7/24/08)
Report Assesses Florida's Enhanced Benefits Program
Published by the Health Policy Institute (HPI) and co-authored by CCF researcher Joan Alker, the new brief analyzes the Enhanced Benefits program of Florida's Medicaid reform pilot. The program provides beneficiaries with credits for healthy behaviors that can be used to purchase health and personal care products. It is the sixth in a series of reports on Medicaid reform in Florida.The Enhanced Benefits Rewards Program • Few Tap Healthy Behavior Program, Florida Times-Union, July 25, 2008
(7/23/08)
Senators Seek to Nullify Directive - CCF Report Details Impact
On July 17th, Senators Rockefeller (D-WV) and Baucus (D-MT) introduced a resolution to halt implementation of the August 17th CMS directive.
Due to procedural issues, it is unlikely that the Senate will act on
the resolution but its bi-partisan support signifies the growing
interest by legislators to address the rule. As CCF reported, the
directive imposes new barriers on states to provide coverage to
uninsured children.Senate Resolution • CCF Statement on Senate Resolution • CCF Report: Out of Touch
(6/16/08)
Premium Assistance Programs in Six States
A new issue brief published by Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the
Uninsured and authoried by CCF researcher Joan Alker examines six state
premium assistance programs that allow families to choose to receive a
subsidy to apply to the purchase of private coverage rather than to
receive direct Medicaid or SCHIP coverage.Choosing Premium Assistance • Resources on Premium Assistance
(5/29/08)
New Report Assessing Florida's Medicaid Reform Pilot
The fifth in a series, this policy brief assesses how the unique managed care model works for people with mental illnesses, who represent a large and important subgroup of the those participating in the Florida's Medicaid reform pilots.Florida's Medicaid Reform Pilot Programs: Challenges with Mental Health Services
(5/8/08)
Analysis of CMS Letter Addressing August 17 Directive
On May 7, 2008 CMS released a letter to state health officials to address issues raised by the August 17 directive. CCF's analysis of the letter shows that it does not change the basic August 17th directive policy, which places major new hurdles in states' way before they can provide uninsured children in more-moderate income families affordable coverage through SCHIP.A Lost Opportunity for Affordable Health Care Coverage for Children
Tens of thousands of children have already lost out on coverage as a direct result of the August 17th directive and more children are at risk of losing coverage in the months ahead. A new CCF report based on data and analyses by state officials, research organizations, and legal experts provides an update on the impact of the directive.Out of Touch (Executive Summary) • Out of Touch (Full Report) • Press Release
(5/1/08)
Report on Medicaid's Role in State Budgets
Medicaid and State Budgets: Looking at the Facts examines Medicaid's role in state budgets and provides details on how much each state spends on Medicaid.CCF Executive Director Files Affidavit in Lawsuit
Cindy Mann submitted a declaration in a multi-state lawsuit that was filed in response to the August 17 CMS directive, which places limits on a state's ability to use SCHIP funds to cover children. Filed by New York, Illinois, Maryland, and Washington, the suit charges that the directive violates the the SCHIP law.(4/9/08)
Cindy Mann Testifies Before Senate Finance Committee
On April 9, CCF's Executive Director provided testimony on the impact of the August 17 SCHIP directive before the Senate Finance Subcommittee on Health Care. She reported that the directive has already taken a significant toll on state efforts to cover children at a time when the number of uninsured children is rising and more families are experiencing hardship due to the downturn in the economy.Testimony • Information on the CMS Directive
(4/3/08)
News on State Child and Family Coverage Actions
CCF is tracking activities in states in regard to children and family health coverage. Visit the State Resource Center to learn about recent efforts to cover more children.(3/17/08)
Issue Brief on Prescription Drugs in Medicaid
This new brief by CCF provides information on state and
federal approaches for efficiently managing and purchasing prescription
drugs in Medicaid. The report is part of a series of issue briefs for CCF's Strengthening Medicaid project.
Advancing Efficient Management and Purchasing of Prescription Drugs
(3/17/08)
States Moving Forward on Children's Health
A review by CCF shows that states continue to move forward
to provide health coverage to uninsured children. In the last two
years, 28 states and D.C. adopted initiatives to cover more children
through Medicaid and SCHIP.
(3/12/08)
SCHIP Financing Brief
At the end of 2007, Congress extended the SCHIP program through March
2009. This issue brief provides details on the financing provisions of the
extension and state-specific data on the amount of federal SCHIP
funding available in fiscal year 2008.
SCHIP Funding in the Year Ahead
(2/6/08)Analysis of SCHIP Provisions in Administration's Budget
President Bush released his fiscal year 2009 budget on February 4. In a new brief, CCF reviews the SCHIP provisions in the budget which includes a proposal to further cut back on states' longstanding flexibility to use SCHIP funds for uninsured children in more moderate-income families.SCHIP Provisions in the Administration's FY2009 Budget • Resources on 2009 budget
(1/29/08)
Cindy Mann Testifies Before House Committee on Energy and Commerce
On January 29, Cindy Mann testified before the Committee's Subcommittee on Health at a hearing entitled "Covering Uninsured Kids: Missed Opportunities for Moving Forward".Testimony • Additional CCF Presentations
(12/13/07)
Status Report on August 17 CMS Directive
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a directive last August that imposes a number of new administrative hurdles states must overcome in order to obtain federal funds to cover children in moderate-income families. This new report by CCF reviews the impact of the new rules on children's coverage to date, finding that the directive has already had a significant negative impact on children's coverage.Moving Backward: Status Report of the August 17th Directive • Resources on the Directive