Research & Reports
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How Does Florida Perform on the Quality of Health Care for Children Enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP?
Since 2011, the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has released an “Annual Report on the Quality of Care for Children in Medicaid and CHIP.” The report includes data submitted by the states on the Child Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures (child core set) and summarizes the results of the…
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Making Medicaid Work Better: Lessons from States on Implementing Ex Parte Renewals
This brief focuses on states’ experiences in implementing data-driven renewals in Medicaid through a process called ‘ex parte’ – using third party data sources to confirm ongoing eligibility. We interviewed officials in eight diverse states to identify the challenges states face in automating the renewal process and summarize their experiences in overcoming these barriers to…
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ICHIA Option: Which States Cover Legal Immigrant Children in Medicaid/CHIP?
[Note: This fact sheet was updated in 2018.] The 2009 Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) gave states a new option to begin using federal matching dollars to cover lawfully residing children during their first five years in the U.S. This fact sheet provides an overview of this option and details the states that…
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Measuring and Improving Health Care Quality for Children in Medicaid and CHIP: A Primer for Child Health Stakeholders
A large body of evidence shows that, compared to low-income uninsured children, Medicaid has been highly successful in providing children with a usual source of care and regular well-child care while significantly reducing unmet or delayed needs for medical care, dental care, and prescription drugs due to costs. Nonetheless, quality improvement centers on the notion…
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Getting Enrollment Right for Immigrant Families
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) has yielded impressive progress in reducing the ranks of the uninsured, with more than 12 million people covered by the health insurance marketplaces alone. However, meeting the goal of enrolling the remaining seven million people who are eligible for marketplace coverage but are still uninsured— even after the third open…
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Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, and Cost-Sharing Policies as of January 2016: Findings from a 50-State Survey
Executive Summary January 2016 marks the end of the second full year of implementation of the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) key coverage provisions. This 14th annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility, enrollment, renewal, and cost-sharing policies provides a point-in-time snapshot of policies as of January 2016 and identifies changes in policies that occurred…
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Historic Gains in Health Coverage for Hispanic Children in the Affordable Care Act’s First Year
The Affordable Care Act has dramatically increased the pace at which the uninsured rate is falling for Hispanic children. Yet Hispanic children are more likely to be uninsured than other children, making them vulnerable to going without health care and leaving their families exposed to financial risk. Given the high rates of uninsurance among Hispanic children, policymakers,…
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Children’s Health Coverage in Arizona: How Are Children Doing Without KidsCare?
Arizona, with its large number of uninsured residents, was primed to make major progress in 2014 with the full implementation of the Affordable Care Act. With the adoption of the Medicaid expansion, the state did see coverage improvements that mirrored national trends. Yet the state’s decision to dismantle KidsCare meant some Arizona children likely fell…
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Many Working Parents and Families in Virginia Would Benefit from Medicaid Coverage
Virginia is one of the 20 states that has elected not to accept federal funding under the ACA to extend Medicaid coverage to parents and other low-income adults. Consequently, parents in Virginia are not eligible for Medicaid or premium tax credits if their incomes exceed approximately 45 percent of the poverty line (45 percent of poverty is…
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Medicaid Premium Assistance Programs: What Information is Available About Benefit and Cost-Sharing Wrap-Around Coverage?
States have long used Medicaid funds as premium assistance to purchase private health insurance for beneficiaries as an alternative to providing coverage directly through the state Medicaid program. States using premium assistance generally must provide wrap-around benefits and cost-sharing protections so that Medicaid beneficiaries receiving private coverage will not have access to fewer benefits or…
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ACA Helps Bring Child Uninsured Rate Down To New Record Low
This year’s American Community Survey (ACS) data from 2014 provide a first look at how the implementation of the ACA is affecting coverage rates for children – both nationwide and in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Our analysis looks at the profile of uninsured children in 2014 and examines rates of change…
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Many Working Parents and Families in Georgia Would Benefit from Extending Medicaid Coverage
Georgia is one of the 19 states that have elected not to accept federal funding under the ACA to extend Medicaid coverage to parents and other low-income adults and is not actively considering plans for coverage. Consequently, parents in Georgia are not eligible for Medicaid or premium tax credits if their incomes exceed 39 percent of…
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Immigration Relief for Parents and Youth = Whole Family Health Coverage in California
On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced immigration executive actions that include a new program and an expansion of an existing program. The new program, “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents”(DAPA), provides temporary work authorization and protection from deportation for certain undocumented parents with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR)…
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Medicaid at 50: A Look at the Long-Term Benefits of Childhood Medicaid
An emerging body of research underscores the significant role that Medicaid plays as a source of health coverage and financial protection for children and families—the benefits of which last through adulthood. New data highlight striking examples of the long-term effects of Medicaid—including better health, lower rates of mortality, better educational and economic outcomes, and many…
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Many Working Parents and Families in North Carolina Would Benefit from Medicaid Coverage
North Carolina is one of the 22 states that has elected not to accept federal funding under the ACA to extend Medicaid coverage to parents and other low-income adults. Consequently, parents in North Carolina are not eligible for Medicaid or premium tax credits if their incomes exceed 45 percent of the poverty line ($8,840 annually,…
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Testimony Before House Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health Regarding Medicaid Demonstration Waivers
CCF Executive Director Joan Alker’s testimony before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing entitled “Examining the Administration’s Approval of Medicaid Demonstration Projects.” A video of her testimony is also available here.
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Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015: Summary of Key Provisions Impacting Children
On April 16th, President Obama signed into law the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015 (MACRA), now Public Law 114-10, which provides new federal funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) through 2017 and permanently adjusts the flawed Medicare physician payment formula to prevent cuts in reimbursements to Medicare providers. It also extends…
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Many Working Parents and Families in Florida Would Benefit from Closing the Coverage Gap
The U.S. has made significant progress in decreasing rates of uninsurance for parents and adults. However, many low-income families in Florida still struggle to obtain health coverage. In 2013 (prior to the Affordable Care Act’s major coverage provisions), there were over 3.9 million people living without health insurance coverage in Florida, accounting for 8.5 percent (1…
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Federal “Maintenance of Effort” Protections Help Kids Maintain Health Coverage Amid Tough State Budget Climates
The Children’s Heath Insurance Program (CHIP) serves more than 8.3 million children in the United States.1 CHIP is jointly administered and financed by states and the federal government, but at the end of federal fiscal year 2015 (September 30), no new federal funding for CHIP will be available. Lawmakers from both parties have introduced plans…
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“Stairstep” Children Moved from CHIP to Medicaid Receive Better, More Affordable Coverage
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) aligned coverage for more than half a million low-income, school-aged children in 22 states that were previously covered under different programs. Prior to 2014, state Medicaid programs were required to cover children of different age groups at different minimum income eligibility thresholds. Young children under age six with family incomes up…
