Continuous Coverage in Medicaid and CHIP

Executive Summary Continuous health insurance coverage produces a broad array of benefits across the health care sector for individuals, states, health plans, and providers. In particular, Medicaid continuous eligibility promotes health equity by limiting gaps in coverage for low-income children and adults who experience disproportionate rates of health disparities. Consistent access to health care, including […]

A Guide for Child Health Advocates: Medicaid Managed Care Accountability Through Transparency

Medicaid, Managed Care, and Transparency Medicaid is the nation’s largest health insurer for children—over 35 million at last count—and pays for nearly half of the nation’s births. It offers a comprehensive pediatric benefit—Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) services—for children and comprehensive maternity care for pregnant women. In most states, Medicaid agencies contract […]

Urgent Action Needed to Catch Up on Routine Childhood Vaccinations

Introduction Vaccines are a safe and effective method of reducing the burden of infectious disease. On an individual level, they prevent severe illness, death, and long-term consequences of disease such as neurological disorders. On the community level, they forestall dangerous outbreaks of infectious disease and save money that would otherwise be spent on treating preventable […]

Expanding Medicaid Would Help Close Coverage Gap for Latino Children and Parents

Introduction The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has lowered the uninsured rate for children and families nationally, but its impact varies across the country based on whether a state has adopted the ACA’s Medicaid expansion to cover more adults.1 For Latino children and families, Medicaid serves an especially important role; while Latinos are more likely to […]

A Profile of Florida’s Low-Wage Uninsured Workers

The recently enacted American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP) includes new large financial incentives for states to extend health insurance coverage to low-wage workers and other adults earning less than $17,775 a year.¹ These incentives apply to regular spending in a state’s Medicaid program and offer a five-percentage point across the board increase in the […]