Federal
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Premium Assistance Programs: Do They Work for Low-Income Families?
Author:Joan Alker U.S. House of Representatives Education and Labor Committee, Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions – Testimony Document March 15, 2007
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SCHIP Ten Years Later: What Have We Learned
Author: Cindy Mann State Health Research and Policy Interest Group, Academy Health — Presentation Document February 2007
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The Future of CHIP: Improving the Health of America’s Children
Author: Cindy Mann U.S. Senate Finance Committee – Testimony Document February 1, 2007
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Too Close To Turn Back: Covering America’s Children
Based upon the research and the experience gained since the enactment of SCHIP in 1997, this report describes the important issues at stake for children in the 2007 debate over reauthorization of the program, the progress the country has made in covering children, and the steps that could be taken to move forward.
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Children’s Eligibility for SCHIP
Federal rules establish which children states can cover with federal SCHIP funds. This issue brief explains these federal rules, including how they affect the income level, and insurance and citizenship status of children who can be covered under SCHIP.
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SCHIP’s Financing Structure
This issue brief discusses the basic financing for the SCHIP program, including the rules governing how SCHIP funds can be used and the mechanisms used to distribute available SCHIP funds to the states.
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The Deficit Reduction Act: A Review of Key Medicaid Provisions Affecting Children and Families
The Deficit Reduction Act, signed into law by President Bush on February 8, 2006, includes significant changes to Medicaid coverage rules affecting children and families that are designed to reduce federal spending. This issue brief reviews changes in Medicaid’s benefit, cost-sharing, and premium standards. It also examines a citizenship documentation requirement and a “health opportunity…
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Children’s Health in the Balance: What’s At Stake for Children in the Congressional Budget Debate over Medicaid
This issue brief compares the House of Representatives and Senate versions of the fiscal year 2006 budget bill. Both versions limit federal health care spending, but in very different ways that would have profound consequences for children. The implications of these budget proposals are discussed in detail. President Bush signed into law a final fiscal…
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A Summary of Federal Medicaid Cost-Sharing and Premium Standards: Current Law v. The House Budget Bill
By Jocelyn Guyer This brief provides a comparison of federal Medicaid rules governing premiums and cost-sharing in effect as of November 2005 with those proposed in the fiscal year 2006 House of Representatives budget bill passed on November 15, 2005. The House bill gives states new flexibility to vary premium and cost-sharing charges by group…
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Six Million Children on Medicaid Could Be Subject To Dramatically Higher Premiums and Cost-Sharing Charges under the House Budget Bill
By Jocelyn Guyer This issue brief focuses on premium and cost-sharing changes in the fiscal year 2006 House of Representatives budget bill passed on November 15, 2005. The bill gives states broad flexibility to impose premiums and other cost-sharing mechanisms, as well as increase the maximum amounts states can charge beneficiaries. The implications of these…
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Cost-Sharing Provisions in the Energy and Commerce Medicaid Package: Key Issues for Children and Families
By Jocelyn Guyer On October 27, 2005 the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee adopted a proposal to reduce federal Medicaid spending and alter federal standards that ensure coverage remains affordable. This issue brief details the proposed changes and the impact they will likely have on children and adults with disabilities or chronic conditions.…
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Differences That Make A Difference: Comparing Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program Federal Benefit Standards
This issue brief analyzes the differences between Medicaid and SCHIP’s benefit standards. It reviews the health care guarantees that children would lose if the Medicaid standard were replaced by SCHIP-like rules.
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Why Medicaid Matters: The Frontline Perspectives of People with Chronic Conditions
This report begins with a review of how Medicaid supports people with chronic conditions, focusing on the strong benefit and cost-sharing standards that apply nationwide to assure that the coverage provided is both comprehensive and affordable. It also presents some of the consequences to people and their health that could result from changes under policy…
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NGA’s Short-Run Proposal for Cost-Sharing In Medicaid: Key Implications for Children
In August 2005, the National Governors Association released a Medicaid reform proposal that, among other things, calls for significantly increasing the amount that states can charge low-income Medicaid beneficiaries. This issue brief outlines the provisions of the proposal, detailing the implications for low-income children and their families.
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Federal Medicaid Benefit Standards: Questions and Issues Raised By the NGA’s Preliminary Recommendations
Author: Cindy Mann In June 2005, the National Governor’s Association released a preliminary Medicaid reform proposal that, among other things, recommends that states be permitted to provide different groups of children and adults with different benefit plans. This issue brief summarizes the proposal’s benefit recommendations and identifies some of the key questions and issues they…
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A Success Story: Closing the Insurance Gap for America’s Children through Medicaid and SCHIP
After providing a brief background on Medicaid and SCHIP, this issue brief summarizes the available evidence to determine what the effect of the programs has been on the uninsured rate of low-income children. In addition, it examines the extent to which Medicaid and SCHIP provide children with access to needed care and whether the coverage…
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Cost Sharing In Medicaid: Issues Raised By the NGA’s Preliminary Recommendations
By Jocelyn Guyer In June 2005, the National Governor’s Association released a preliminary Medicaid reform proposal that, among other things, recommends changing Medicaid cost-sharing policies, largely to mirror those applied to children under SCHIP. This issue brief reviews the existing cost-sharing provisions in SCHIP and identifies key issues that arise from the proposal to apply…
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New Developments in Medicaid Coverage: Who Bears Financial Risk and Responsibility?
This issue brief provides an overview of federal Medicaid waiver activity and reviews the implications for coverage and access to care. It explores how waivers give states federal approval to alter the way they provide coverage and/or deliver services to low-income populations.
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The President’s Proposals For Medicaid and SCHIP: How Would They Affect Children’s Health Care Coverage?
On February 7, 2005, President Bush released his budget proposal for fiscal year 2006. The proposal reduces overall federal funding for Medicaid by at least $45 billion over ten years. It also anticipates, but does not spell out, policy changes that could have a major impact on children’s coverage. This issue brief analyzes the President’s…
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Medicaid and Block Grant Financing Compared
President Bush’s fiscal year 2004 budget proposes replacing Medicaid’s matching payment system with capped allotments or block grants. The proposal raises issues about the future of Medicaid and the differences between a block grant, in which federal funding is capped, and an entitlement, in which federal funding is provided on an as-needed basis. This issue…