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Michigan

  • Michigan’s Governor Turns to Medicaid in Flint Crisis

    We have often said that one of the very important features of Medicaid’s financing structure is the program’s ability to address emerging short and long-term public health crises. And previous national emergencies such as Hurricane Katrina and 9-11 also resulted in state leaders of all political persuasions looking to Medicaid to help them address critical…

  • A Wrap up of 2015 Medicaid Expansion Waivers: Montana And Michigan

    By Sean Miskell and Joan Alker Although we have been closely following Medicaid expansion waivers, we have neglected heretofore to blog about two “M” states that received waiver approval in the last few months of 2015. Montana received approval on November 2, 2015 to start its new coverage on January 1, 2016, and Michigan received…

  • Michigan’s Medicaid Waiver Amendment: A Costly & Misguided Solution in Search of a Problem

    Today, on September 1st, the state of Michigan submitted an amendment to its Section 1115 Medicaid expansion waiver to comply with a deadline established by state law (PA 107 passed in 2013). The same state statute specifies that if the changes described in the amendment are not approved by December 31, 2015 that the expansion…

  • Open Enrollment 2: Experts Answer Tough Questions and Offer Advice to Help Navigators and Consumer Assisters

    This week, Georgetown University experts from the Center on Health Insurance Reforms and  the Center for Children and Families released a report from their ongoing project to support Navigators and consumer assisters. The project, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provides Navigators and other in-person assisters in six states – Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Michigan,…

  • Michigan: Hospitals Seeing Quick Decline in Charity Care Patients after Medicaid Expansion

    Two quotes from this article by Judy Packer-Tursman (H/T @jcrosscall) draw attention to the decline in uncompensated care patients less than four months after GOP Governor Rick Snyder’s Michigan-style plan to use federal Medicaid expansion dollars began enrolling people. These are quote from two of the biggest health systems in Michigan: “We’ve seen large numbers of…

  • Two Takeaways from New Hampshire and Michigan Medicaid Expansions

    By Jesse Cross-Call, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities New Hampshire’s legislature has passed and Governor Maggie Hassan has signed into law legislation that will expand Medicaid as part of health reform effective July 1.  This means that combined with Michigan, where expansion takes effect tomorrow, an additional 600,000 uninsured people will be newly eligible for…

  • Last Call for State-Based Health Insurance Marketplaces

    Arkansas Governor Beebe recently noted that some Republican Governors are warming to the idea of running their own health insurance marketplace. I hope that they know that their time is running out! Setting up a state-based health insurance marketplace is no small task, and unlike the Medicaid expansion decision, states that want to do it…

  • Where Does EPSDT Stand in Post-ACA Medicaid Expansion 1115 Waivers?

    In the last few months, CMS has approved Medicaid expansion 1115 waiver demonstrations in Arkansas, Iowa and Michigan. Pennsylvania has a draft 1115 waiver proposal to expand Medicaid out as well. One important question that has emerged is: How will states continue to provide EPSDT and other benefits to 19 and 20 year olds who…

  • Michigan Medicaid Expansion Waiver Approved; CMS Also Releases New Medicaid/CHIP FAQs

    While I was enjoying some holiday down time with the family, CMS was busy churning things out over the past few weeks. On December 30th, CMS approved Michigan’s Section 1115 Medicaid waiver to help open the doors to Medicaid coverage for an estimated 300,000-500,000 Michiganders.  The Medicaid expansion,will be implemented on April 1st. The Michigan…

  • Children’s Coverage on the Eve of the Affordable Care Act

    Here’s a good news story on health coverage that the public is largely unaware of. The number of uninsured children continues to decline to historic lows – a remarkable accomplishment given the high childhood poverty rate and tough economic times. Yet a majority of Americans are unaware of this achievement. In a poll CCF commissioned…

  • Children’s Health Coverage on the Eve of the Affordable Care Act

    Georgetown University Center for Children and Families researchers analyzed health insurance data from the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey to get a closer look at children’s coverage trends. On the eve of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act coverage expansions, the authors found important lessons from the success the U.S. has had in covering children. The number of uninsured…

  • More Details on Michigan’s Medicaid Expansion Emerge

    Late last week Michigan filed a waiver amendment with CMS that provides more detail on what they are planning in their Medicaid expansion, which they call “Healthy Michigan.”  The waiver amendment is a huge step forward in covering low-income adults, so here’s the good news and a few elements we plan to keep our eye…

  • Medicaid Expansion Round 2: From Simplicity to Complexity

    As a practical matter, I think accepting 100% federal funding to extend Medicaid coverage to adults and getting that coverage up and running is easier than setting up a state-based marketplace, implementing the new insurance reforms and tax credits etc etc. States obviously already have Medicaid programs up and running – in many cases with…

  • Michigan Finds a Pathway Forward on ACA’s Medicaid Option

    Last night, the Michigan Senate voted to close the coverage gap by accepting the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid option.  The state House must approve it again to accept the slight changes made by the Senate before the bill can be sent to Governor Rick Snyder for his signature. Once the measure is signed into law,…

  • Study Finds Most Michigan Medicaid Beneficiaries Satisfied With Coverage, Scared to Lose It

    By Natasha Robinson, Michigan Primary Care Association The majority of Michigan’s Medicaid beneficiaries say their coverage is “excellent” or “very good,” but they’re the same group most concerned about losing coverage according to a report released earlier this month from the Center for Healthcare Research & Transformation (CHRT). This group’s concerns about losing coverage more than doubled…

  • States Warming Up to Medicaid Option

    By Tara Mancini As we reach the dead of winter, throughout the country there seems to be little thaw in opposition to the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid option. This week, there was a flurry of activity by governors and legislators warming up to the Medicaid expansion option. This week it is getting especially hot; within…

  • Getting Into Gear for 2014: Findings from a 50-State Survey of Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, and Cost-Sharing Policies in Medicaid and CHIP, 2012-2013

    As 2013 begins, implementation of the major provisions of the ACA, including its coverage expansions, is less than a year away. Following the Supreme Court ruling to uphold the ACA and the 2012 elections, efforts to prepare for 2014 are moving into high gear in many states. The majority of states are capitalizing on web-based…

  • Uninsured Children 2009-2011: Charting the Nation’s Progress

    Georgetown University Center for Children and Families researchers analyzed health insurance data from the Census Bureau’s annual American Community Survey to get a closer look at children’s coverage trends. The authors found that the nation continues to make steady progress covering children, despite no re­duction in the number of children living in poverty. A strong commitment to…

  • State Fact Sheets Highlight Importance of Medicaid Coverage for Children

    By Ielnaz Kashefipour, American Academy of Pediatrics The American Academy of Pediatrics, in partnership with the Children’s Hospitals Association (formerly NACHRI), this week produced updated state-by-state fact sheets that explain the importance of the Medicaid program for children. These fact sheets are used in federal and state advocacy efforts to protect the Medicaid program from…

  • Fresh Insights into Strategies and Messages for Enrollment in Medicaid and the Exchange

    The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation recently released new research to help states identify messages that will encourage enrollment in Medicaid in 2014 when minimum eligibility levels are expanded to 133% FPL.  The research also explores issues relating to state Exchanges, including attitudes about enrolling and choosing health insurance online. It was conducted in three states:…