Did you know that more than 35 million children received their health coverage through Medicaid last year? And Medicaid and CHIP have been the reason for the amazing news that children’s rate of uninsurance has actually gone down to historically low levels at a time when the country is in serious economic straits. Add to this the fact that 44% of all births in the U.S. are covered through Medicaid and it is hard to understate the importance of a strong Medicaid program to children’s health.
It feels like the best of times and the worst of times for Medicaid. No bias here, but we could not have a more dedicated and talented team – led by Cindy Mann — running the Medicaid program at the federal CMS. Equally important, the Affordable Care Act affirmed the importance of the Medicaid program in our nation’s health care system by including a Medicaid expansion for all citizens under 133% of FPL. The Medicaid expansion is responsible for a good chunk of the coverage increases we can expect to see as a result of ACA come 2014 and beyond. And important efforts to strengthen the program in ACA included, most prominently, the provision of federal matching funds to strengthen provider reimbursement for primary care providers.
Yet at the same time, this year’s budget prospects for Medicaid at the state level feel like some of the most challenging in recent memory. Because enhanced federal matching funds are due to expire on June 30, 2011, and because the federal matching rate has been so generous, states will see a substantial increase in the proportion of Medicaid costs they will have to contribute. At a time when enrollment is up, this will be challenging (not to mention the challenges posed by the highly politicized environment surrounding the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid in the new Congress).
So there is a lot going on in the Medicaid world. When the going gets tough, the tough get blogging. Therefore, my New Year’s resolution is to blog regularly about the important issues facing Medicaid. (Yes, I waited a while to publicly reveal my resolution but better late than never). If I’m going to stick to my resolution this year, I’ll need your help and support. Please share your thoughts and insights on the critical role Medicaid fulfills and ideas for making it even stronger in the months and years to come.
