Exchange Implementation Work Underway Across the Country

By Joe Touschner Don’t believe everything you read in the newspaper — while the national media has reported that states are moving “gingerly” to implement the Affordable Care Act, in fact there’s been a great deal of activity of late, especially around exchanges.  No fewer than 16 state legislatures have acted favorably on measures that […]

Senators Stand Shoulder-to-Shoulder to Defend Medicaid

Yesterday, Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) announced that 41 senators would stand strong and support Medicaid during the ongoing budget deficit and debt ceiling negotiations.  This is welcome news given the increased focus on Medicaid lately as the potential source of savings to rein in the deficit and cut a deal on the debt ceiling.  All […]

Once Again, a Look at the State Budget Facts

By Martha Heberlein It seems that every time the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) releases a new report on the state of state budgets, another blog or paper is written to correct a misrepresentation of Medicaid’s role. Now, this is certainly not meant to be disparaging against NASBO – their reports are a […]

Capping Federal Spending Imperils Success on Kids Health

By Joe Touschner Some think that a good way to address federal deficits is to establish a cap on federal spending.  A cap is needed, they say, to preserve the prosperity of future generations (i.e. today’s children).  And a cap sounds like a simple and effective way to address the nation’s deficit.  While politicians seem […]