Research & Reports
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Medicaid Fiscal Relief Q&A
The new game in DC these days seems to be naming every other bill coming out of Congress a “jobs bill.” While the provisions in each of these bills may indeed focus on job creation, it has become nearly impossible to keep the different bills straight. It becomes particularly perplexing when tracking an issue many…
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Health Reform Expected to Be Moving Next Week in House; Prospects for Fiscal Relief Remain Good
By Jocelyn Guyer Brace yourselves for a hectic few weeks leading up to the Congressional recess. According to CQ, House leadership is preparing for a possible final vote on health reform as soon as next week. It is still unclear whether or not they have the votes to pass the measure, which would actually be…
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Holding Steady: Medicaid Fiscal Relief and its Implications for America’s Children and Families
In the current recession, Medicaid has become more important than ever, offering coverage to an additional 2 million children. This issue brief explores the role that Medicaid fiscal relief has played in sustaining affordable coverage options for children and their families during these uncertain times, and the risk of unraveling the progress that has been…
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CCF Coming to a City Near You
CCF is hitting the road! We’ve scheduled four meetings around the country to bring together child and family health advocates to discuss opportunities and challenges for moving forward on coverage. Our first meeting, for the Southern region, took place last week in Tampa, Florida and despite how difficult it is to hold a health conference…
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CHIP Tips: Children’s Oral Health Benefits
Written with the Children’s Dental Health Project, this brief examines a new requirement under the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 that state CHIP programs cover comprehensive dental benefits. The reauthorization law also allows states with separate CHIP programs to offer a dental-only plan for children who have other health insurance but lack…
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Monday Morning…. Where Are We?
Having just survived a truly impressive tantrum this morning from one of my sons who was deeply committed to going to school this morning without shoes, I’m feeling primed for what promises to be a raucous final stage of the health reform debate. As far as we know, Congress is still proceeding with the plan of…
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An Update on State Fiscal Relief: Momentum is Building
By Jocelyn Guyer The pressure to extend the temporary increase in the federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid included in last year’s stimulus bill is building. Widely credited with helping states through one of the worst fiscal crises on record, the provision also has been vital in stabilizing Medicaid coverage for children and others…
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CHIP Allotments: Federal Funding Remains Secure for States
One of the goals of CHIPRA was to ensure that no state would be at risk of exhausting the federal funding needed to cover uninsured children through its CHIP program. Recent data show that the legislation is working as intended, as states have had the federal resources they need to sustain and strengthen their CHIP…
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President Obama: It’s Time to Bring this Journey to an End
Following last week’s health care summit and release of his health care reform proposal, the President today urged Congress to end the debate and bring health reform across the finish line. In his remarks, the President painted a vivid picture of what it means to not pass health reform, including more uninsured families, additional people…
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President Obama’s Health Care Reform Proposal: Key Medicaid, CHIP, and Low-Income Provisions
President Obama’s health reform plan set the stage for the bipartisan health reform summit the White House convened. This fact sheet provides a description of the key Medicaid, CHIP, and low-income provisions.
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Clawback Provision Brings More Fiscal Relief to States
You know those Old Westerns where the hero rides in at that last minute to save the day. That’s what last week’s “clawback” reduction announcement must have felt like to many states trying to maintain their Medicaid programs in the wake of increased need and reduced revenues caused by the recession.
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CHIPRA Strengthening Quality of Children’s Health Care
Charlie Homer President and CEO, National Initiative for Children’s Healthcare Quality In this time of agonizing about broad health care reform, I take solace in celebrating the passage of CHIPRA (the Child Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act) just over a year ago, and focusing on its productive implementation. CHIPRA not only expanded access to health insurance…
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CHIPRA Performance Bonuses for Medicaid
Author: Tricia Brooks National Covering Kids and Families Network Webinar – Presentation Document February 22, 2010
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President Obama Releases Roadmap to Health Care Reform
Just as Washington is finally thawing out from under all the snow, it seems that health reform was dug out too with the release today of President Obama’s health reform proposal. The President’s plan sets the stage for the bipartisan health reform summit that the White House is convening on Thursday. In an effort to…
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Backlogs Put Children’s Health Coverage at Risk
By Gary Brunk President & CEO, Kansas Action for Children “I just couldn’t believe the state would cut personnel on a program that’s for kids,” commented Harold Stultz to a reporter from the CBS affiliate in Wichita, Kansas. According to a local television news report, Harold’s 12-year-old son Keenan had injured his knee during a…
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Outreach Brings Access to Health Coverage and Peace of Mind
Donna Cohen Ross Outreach Director, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities One year ago last Thursday, President Obama signed the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) into law. The President’s words that day reinvigorated a nationwide effort to ensure that children have the health coverage they need. We have made significant strides since then,…
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Express Lane Eligibility: New Options Under CHIPRA
The Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA) provides states with new tools and flexibility for implementing Express Lane Eligibility. In general, state Medicaid and CHIP agencies can partner with other public programs, such as school lunch, food stamps, or WIC, to conduct outreach and enrollment activities. A state may also obtain and…
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Health Care in the President’s Budget: Extension of ARRA FMAP Increase
While there hasn’t been much good news coming out of Washington lately on the health care front, the President’s newly released FY 2011 budget offers some positive developments. Most notably, the budget proposes $25.5 billion to extend the temporary FMAP increase for another six months, through June 2011. The FMAP increase and its accompanying maintenance…
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Understanding the New Quality Initiatives in CHIPRA
In addition to extending the CHIP program, the CHIP reauthorization bill signed into law on February 4, 2009, includes a number of important program and financing changes affecting Medicaid as well as CHIP. Among these are a set of quality provisions that aim to help develop child-specific quality measures and improve the quality of care…
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New Mom Sees Some Signs of Hope for Health Coverage
“…let’s talk about honoring our most important responsibility as Iowans. That is, our duty as parents, and as shepherds of our children’s future. You know, I’m proud of the fact, that working together, we’ve made a long-term investment in the health and education of “all” children… Together, we must continue this investment, and my budget…