Financing
With the opening of state legislative sessions, we are beginning to see how states are proposing to deal with ongoing shortfalls in state revenues coupled with the loss of additional federal financial support for Medicaid from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). There is no dispute that states will continue to face difficult budget […]
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius has announced that states can now apply for grants to “establish” their Health Insurance Exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. These grants follow the Exchange “planning” grants awarded last September to 49 states, including DC, and will provide states with ongoing resources to move beyond planning and begin […]
By Jocelyn Guyer I’m feeling a bit like Bill Murray in the movie classic “Groundhog Day” as I brace myself for another round of debate on health reform. (It’s like déjà vu all over again!) As the real Groundhog Day approaches, Members of Congress will likely be in the midst of discussing health reform as […]
During a lame duck session, the Illinois General Assembly approved a temporary increase in the state income tax along with a series of spending restrictions designed to bring financial stability to the state. The passage of the revenue package is the culmination of the efforts of the Responsible Budget Coalition, an unprecedented coalition of anti-poverty, […]
By Edwin Park, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities In the intensifying debate over cutting federal spending, troubling proposals to block-grant Medicaid or otherwise cap its funding are getting new attention. For example, Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI), the new Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, has already discussed block-granting Medicaid with some governors. […]
By Martha Heberlein 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 […]
