Florida
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Holding Steady, Looking Ahead: Annual Findings of a 50-State Survey of Eligibility Rules, Enrollment and Renewal Procedures, and Cost Sharing Practices in Medicaid and CHIP, 2010-2011
Over the past year, as the nation’s attention was focused on the country’s economic problems and the debate over the passage of broader health care reform, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) continued to play their vital role of providing coverage to millions of people who otherwise lack affordable coverage options. In 2010,…
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Florida v. Sebelius – View from Pensacola
By Anne Swerlick, Florida Legal Services Last week I had a front row seat in Judge Vinson’s Pensacola federal courtroom where arguments were heard on cross motions for summary judgment in Florida v. Sebelius. In contrast to the rather modest number of spectators in the courtroom, there was literally an army of lawyers from all…
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Florida Ruling Swings Pendulum Toward Supreme Court
[The following blog was originally published on the Community Catalyst’s Health Policy Hub.] By Eva Marie Stahl, Community Catalyst Policy Consultant Yesterday, the federal judge in Florida, Roger Vinson, allowed the lawsuit against the new health law to go forward. In his ruling, the Judge maintained that there were constitutional issues in play and formal…
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More States Are Saying Yes to Kids Coverage
One of the most common questions we get at CCF is, “What are states doing to cover kids?” Since CHIP was reauthorized in February, this question has taken on a new twist: “Are states doing more to cover children since the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act (CHIPRA) of 2009 was signed by President Obama?” The answer…
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Good Interpreters Can Save Lives & Limbs
Mara Youdelman, Staff Attorney at the National Health Law Program (NHeLP) and Director of the National Language Access Advocacy Project As immigrant communities expand across the United States, many healthcare providers and patients have encountered communication barriers making it difficult for patients to receive proper care. We think Mara has a better grasp on this issue…
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Weathering the Storm: States Move Forward on Child and Family Health Coverage Despite Tough Economic Climate
This report provides a first look at state activity after the passage of CHIPRA and the availability of increased Medicaid funding in the economic stimulus package. It finds that despite unprecedented fiscal challenges, all but a few states held steady on children’s health coverage, and twenty-three states took steps to move forward. This progress on…
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Florida’s Experience with Medicaid Reform: What has been Learned in the First Two Years?
Two years after the launch of Florida’s Medicaid reform pilot it appears that beneficiaries’ access to heath care has worsened and financial benefits for the State of Florida remain unknown. Beneficiaries and providers think the Medicaid program has become more complex with more paperwork as a result of reform, and there are signs that access…
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The Enhanced Benefits Rewards Program in Florida: Is it Changing the Way Medicaid Beneficiaries Approach Their Health?
A key feature of Florida’s Medicaid Reform pilot is the Enhanced Benefits Rewards Program which provides each Medicaid beneficiary up to $125 a year in credits for certain healthy behaviors, such as keeping a doctor’s appointment. The credits may be applied to the purchase of health and personal care products at participating pharmacies. This policy…
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Choosing Premium Assistance: What Does State Experience Tell Us?
Premium assistance programs use federal and state Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds to purchase private coverage. Overall, few states have premium assistance programs, but interest in premium assistance remains high. This issue brief examines six state premium assistance programs (in Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia) that allow families to…
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Florida’s Medicaid Reform Pilot Programs: Challenges with Mental Health Services
People with disabilities and chronic conditions, including persons with mental illnesses, present challenges for managed care organizations. As the Florida Legislature, other policymakers and the public track the Medicaid reform pilot programs, it is important to assess how this unique managed care model works for some of the diverse populations affected by reform. This policy…
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Medicaid Pilots at One Year: How Is the New Medicaid Marketplace Faring?
This issue brief provides an update on Florida’s Medicaid reform program that began enrollment in two pilot counties, Broward and Duval, in September 2006. In September 2007, changes were made to the program allowing health plans operating in the two counties to submit new benefit offerings. This issue brief reports on these changes, among other…
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Uncertain Access to Needed Drugs: Florida’s Medicaid Reform Creates Challenges for Patients
This issue brief examines the prescription drug benefit available for Medicaid beneficiaries in Broward and Duval counties, the two pilot counties for Florida’s Medicaid reform program that began enrollment in September 2006. The research shows that half of the HMOs participating in the pilot are using the increased flexibility to limit their drug benefit. It…
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Waving Cautionary Flags: Initial Reactions from Doctors and Patients to Florida’s Medicaid Changes
This issue brief explores the initial reactions and experiences of Medicaid beneficiaries and doctors participating in Florida’s Medicaid reform program that began enrollment in two pilot counties in September 2006. It reports that provider participation is declining and that the reform program has made Medicaid more complex. It also highlights that children are the largest…
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Evaluating Florida’s Medicaid Pilots: Early Reactions from Doctors and Patients
Author: Joan Alker Assessing Florida’s Medicaid Reform Project — Presentation Document May 2007
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Children’s Health Coverage: States Moving Forward
This report provides results from a nationwide review of state efforts to provide health care coverage to uninsured children between January 2006 and mid-April 2007. It shows that a large number of states throughout the country have proposed, passed, or implemented initiatives to cover more children through three primary strategies: finding, enrolling, and keeping SCHIP-…
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Florida’s Medicaid Reform
Authors: Joan Alker and Jack Hoadley Duval County Medical Society Forum — Presentation Document February 2007
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Medicaid Changes: What Will They Mean for Broward and Duval Counties, and Beyond?
In December 2005, Governor Bush signed into law a bill authorizing implementation of the state’s major Medicaid redesign in two pilot counties, Broward and Duval. This issue brief provides details of Florida’s program, the changes that will occur, and the proposed evaluation of the pilot. This issue brief was released as part of the Assessing…
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What Will Florida’s “Medicaid Choice” Waiver Proposal Mean For Children?
On October 19, 2005, Florida received approval for a Section 1115 Medicaid Choice proposal from the federal government, moving the Medicaid program to a premium-based system, among other things. This issue brief summarizes how these changes affect children as it is implemented, first in two counties and then across the state.
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Closing the Coverage Gap: Trends in Health Insurance Coverage for Children
From 1996-97 to 2003-04, the uninsured rate of low-income children was reduced by a third; however, the national data mask significant variation across the states in how children are faring. To provide a state-specific perspective on the issue, this brief examines health insurance trends for children in all 50 states and the District of Columbia…
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Understanding Florida’s Medicaid Waiver Application
This issue brief provides an overview of Florida’s Section 1115 Medicaid waiver request to the federal government. It highlights those affected by the proposed changes and describes benefits, potential cost-sharing, and an “opt-out” provision included in the waiver. This issue brief and presentation are part of the Florida’s Health at Risk project, a series of…