Medicaid
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Medicaid Managed Care: A Promising New Point of Accountability
In most states, a central challenge for Medicaid is holding managed care organizations (MCOs) accountable for their performance for enrollees, especially children and families. Medicaid MCOs are collectively responsible for the health of tens of millions (with an “m”) of Medicaid beneficiaries and the proper use of hundreds of billions (with a “b”) of federal…
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CMS Announces Important Consumer Protection for People Losing Medicaid/CHIP
States will begin the process of redetermining Medicaid eligibility for over 80 million people across the country very soon, and some states may be starting the process today. People will not lose Medicaid coverage until April 1 at the earliest, but once disenrollments begin, the number of people losing Medicaid coverage could skyrocket overnight. Some…
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Unwinding Wednesday #18: What Does the End of COVID Emergency Declarations Mean for Medicaid/CHIP?
On Monday, the Biden Administration announced that it would end the COVID-19 national emergency and public health emergency declarations effective May 11th. Some folks may have stopped paying attention or holding their breath in anticipation of the announcement of the end of the PHE once the Medicaid continuous enrollment protection was…
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Child Uninsured Rate Could Rise Sharply if States Don’t Proceed with Caution
Policy Landscape Medicaid is the backbone of the nation’s health care system providing coverage to those for whom private insurance is not available or affordable and is now the primary coverage source (along with CHIP) for America’s children. Medicaid covers approximately 83.5 million people (including more than 34.2 million children) — a 31 percent increase…
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House Republican Study Committee Budget Plan Includes Draconian Medicaid Cuts
House Republican leaders continue to threaten debt default unless the Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats accede to their demands for severe budget cuts. So far, House Republicans have not spelled out the specific budget cuts they are seeking as the price for agreeing to raise the debt ceiling, including to Medicaid. But last year’s Republican…
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Hundreds of Thousands of Children Could Lose Coverage in Florida Alone as U.S. Approaches High Stakes Medicaid Unwinding
As readers of SayAhhh! know, Congress has given the green light to states to begin checking eligibility for all Medicaid beneficiaries who have been protected from disenrollment by federal law since the Families First Covid Relief Act passed in March 2020. Terminations can begin on April 1, 2023; states have a year to complete the…
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Mothers’ Mental Health Challenges Predated COVID-19, Medicaid Policy and Other Solutions Needed, Report Finds
American families with children faced significant challenges during the pandemic due to school closures, lost jobs and isolation, and mothers reported higher rates of anxiety than fathers as they took on more caregiving responsibilities or even left their paid jobs. A full 50 percent of women ages 18 to 64 reported needing mental health services…
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Unwinding Wednesday #17: It’s Imperative for States to Use the 2023 Federal Poverty Levels During the Unwinding
The Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) has released the 2023 federal poverty levels (FPL). As expected, there was a notable increase in the poverty threshold stemming from inflation that will help families keep pace with rising costs. On average, the FPLs rose by about 8 percent, ranging from 7.3…
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Implementing Changes to Medicaid Coverage for Former Foster Youth Could Be a Long, Bumpy Path but States Have Easier Option Available
One of the most popular provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) – allowing young adults to stay on their parent’s health plan until age 26 – would neglect a vulnerable group were it not for another ACA provision extending Medicaid to former foster youth (FFY). Unlike other young adults, youth transitioning out of foster…
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Unwinding Wednesday #16: Are State Eligibility Systems Ready for the Unwinding?
As we approach the starting line for unwinding the Medicaid continuous coverage protection on March 31, 2023, states are busy finalizing their unwinding plans and making sure their systems are ready to go. Medicaid IT systems are complex, and yet they are at the heart of eligibility and enrollment. Done well, systems can greatly streamline…
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CMS Releases Key Information on Unwinding the Medicaid Continuous Coverage Requirement
CMCS has released a timely informational bulletin (CIB) with details about the implementation of the unwinding provisions enacted by Congress just before the end of the year. As previously described in this blog, the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA) ends the Medicaid continuous coverage protection as of March 31, 2023. While the CAA does not…
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Are You Leveraging Your Medical Care Advisory Committee?
Medical Care Advisory Committees are powerful tools—available in every state—for advancing effective health policies on behalf of children and families. Anyone working on state Medicaid policies needs to know about MCACs! What is an MCAC? Medical Care Advisory Committees, known as “MCACs”, are advisory bodies that provide state Medicaid agencies with formal feedback and recommendations…
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Permanent Medicaid Postpartum Coverage Option, Maternal Health Infrastructure Investments in 2022 Year-End Omnibus Bill
Congress made several improvements to maternal health policy in the year-end Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022, signed by President Biden on December 29, which both solidify eligibility for extended Medicaid postpartum coverage and bolster the health system’s capacity to serve new mothers. These policy changes come alongside other Medicaid and CHIP provisions in the Omnibus…
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Unwinding Wednesday #15: Congress Proposes to End Medicaid Continuous Coverage Protection in Early 2023; Adds Transparency and Accountability Requirements
[Editor’s Note: The bipartisan spending plan was approved by Congress and signed into law by the President on December 29, 2022. Read CCF’s brief to learn more.] The text of the omnibus spending plan released by Congress would allow states to resume Medicaid disenrollments after the end of the first quarter…
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Medicaid Unwinding Will Begin in April but There’s Good News in Congressional Funding Agreement
[Editor’s Note: The bipartisan spending plan was approved by Congress and signed into law by the President on December 29, 2022. Read CCF’s brief to learn more.] Congress has just reached an end of the year funding agreement, and it has very significant implications for the more than 90 million people who rely on Medicaid…
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Congress Includes Medicaid, CHIP Mental Health Provisions in End of Year Funding Bill
[The bipartisan spending plan was approved by Congress and signed into law by the President on December 29, 2022. Read CCF’s brief to learn more.] As my colleagues on Say Ahhh! have highlighted the omnibus appropriations bill released earlier today includes a number of provisions related to Medicaid and CHIP such as funding for Puerto…
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End of the Year Appropriations Bill Would Avert Medicaid Fiscal Cliff for Puerto Rico and the Territories
[Editor’s Note: The bipartisan spending plan was approved by Congress and signed into law by the President on December 29, 2022. Read CCF’s brief to learn more.] The bipartisan omnibus appropriations bill, which was unveiled early this morning by the Senate Appropriations Committee, would avert the dire Medicaid fiscal cliff facing Puerto Rico and the…
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Medicaid Managed Care in 2022: The Year that Was
2022 was another year of growth in Medicaid managed care. Growth in enrollment. Growth in spending. There was even a modest—but most welcome—growth in transparency about the performance of Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) from 2021. Here are some of the top-line developments at the national and state level. The MCO Industry As of March…
