Medicaid
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Federal Investment in Children: Why Capping Medicaid Would Make a Bad Situation Worse
Not that you needed another reason that capping federal Medicaid payments to states would be an unmitigated disaster for children and families. But since the proposal is alive and well in some quarters—notably the President’ FY 2019 Budget—it’s worth marshaling as many as possible. Here’s another one, from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. The…
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Incentivizing Healthy Behaviors in Medicaid is Hard To Do
A new report from researchers from Duke University sparked my interest as I have not delved into the recent research on this issue for some time. Some years ago, I looked closely at Florida’s efforts in this regard which were ineffective and administratively costly. Duke’s new comprehensive study concluded that “We do not have enough…
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“Pain & Profit:” How Not to Do Medicaid Managed Care
We know that CMS Administrator Seema Verma doesn’t think Medicaid should cover “able-bodied” adults. But she does believe that coverage of the “society’s most vulnerable citizens” is the right thing for Medicaid to do. In her major policy address to state Medicaid directors last November, she opened with the stories of Richard, a para-pelagic, and…
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New Medicare Trustees Report Continues to Show Greater Effectiveness of Medicaid Drug Rebate Program Compared to Medicare Part D
As I’ve previously written, the Medicaid drug rebate program is very effective. It requires drug manufacturers to provide sizable rebates that significantly lower federal and state Medicaid prescription drug costs while ensuring access to needed medications for tens of millions of low-income beneficiaries. Last week, the Medicare Trustees issued their latest annual report on the…
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On Medicaid, student debt, conservation and a Senate opening
Statehouse Report By: Lindsay Street Work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries could cause some of the state’s poorest parents to lose health coverage, according to a new analysis by the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families and South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center. The state is seeking a waiver from the U.S. Department on Health…
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Disparities exist in children’s coverage by race/ethnicity, income and maternal health
[Editor’s Note: For the most up-to-date data on children’ health coverage by race and ethnicity, see our current snapshot.] CCF recently updated our Snapshot of Children’s Coverage by Race and Ethnicity. The updated fact sheet includes the percentage of children residing in each state by race and ethnicity and the percentage of children covered by…
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Children lacking health insurance up slightly
News Service of Florida By: Christine Sexton While Florida has made strides in reducing the number of uninsured children, a national health-care expert warned Thursday that those gains are likely stalling, and she put part of the blame on increased scrutiny of immigration status. Joan Alker, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Children and…
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Medicaid Scorecard Misses the Mark on State and Federal Accountability
With a lot of fanfare but not much input from experts and stakeholders, CMS revealed its new “Medicaid scorecard” that received mixed reviews this week. CMS Administrator Seema Verma’s reluctance to talk about how the scorecard may be used in the future added suspense to speculation about the potential for CMS to use the tool…
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South Carolina’s Medicaid Proposal Will Harm Children and Families
South Carolina is the latest state to consider imposing a work requirement on parents receiving Medicaid. While there’s no formal proposal yet, officials have outlined their plans in a concept paper that raises as many questions as it answers. In a report we released today, we outline the problems with imposing a work requirement in…
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Low-Income Families with Children Will Be Harmed by South Carolina’s Proposed Medicaid Work Requirement
Introduction South Carolina officials are proposing that parents and caregivers who qualify for Medicaid prove they are working at least 80 hours a month or participating in job-training or volunteer activities before receiving health coverage. The state will have to seek a Section 1115 demonstration waiver from the federal government to implement this plan. If…
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Congress Proposes Fix to Provide Medicaid for Former Foster Youth Up to Age 26
At long last, a fix in the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid coverage for former foster youth up to age 26 is back on the table in Congress. I last wrote about this issue almost three years ago, so it has taken far too long for Congress to correct a technical error in the drafting of…
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Webinar: Developmental Screenings in Medicaid and CHIP: Federal Progress, State Opportunities
Early identification and treatment of developmental delays can help children access the services and supports they need to reach their full potential. Watch an archived webinar on developmental screening for young children and download the full report to learn more.
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What Does New Federal CHIP Law Mean for Children’s Health Insurance in Florida?
Overview After much delay, Congress recently passed two extensions of the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which funds coverage for approximately 345,000 children in Florida. CHIP covers children in families with incomes over the poverty line that are not eligible for Medicaid but can’t afford private insurance. CHIP is a federal-state matching program and states…
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Why Virginia Expanded Medicaid: Five Key Reasons
Virginia decided today to expand Medicaid, which will allow the state to start to cover approximately 400,000 people who are unable to afford health plans yet too poor to get tax credit subsidies to buy insurance. This is a significant win for Virginians and for bipartisan cooperation in an increasingly partisan age as a newly-elected…
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Research Update: Uninsured Rate for Adults in Non-Expansion States Continues to Increase, Expanding Medicaid Could Reverse The Trend
Readers of SayAhhh! may have noticed the press coverage about the uninsured rate holding steady through 2017. While it is true that progress reducing the rate of uninsured children and the overall population has effectively stalled, there are some groups lagging behind. This week, I am reading studies about (1) the growing gap in the…
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Trump Administration Will Drive Up Child Uninsured Rates if Public Charge Guidance is Issued
[Editor’s Note: On September 22, 2018, the Department of Homeland Security posted a draft regulation that would change the public charge test. The posted draft is different from “leaked” versions analyzed here in several key respects, and the conclusions of this blog post should not be used in reference to the September 22 posting. The posted draft…
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Snapshot of Children’s Coverage by Race and Ethnicity
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) are primary sources of health coverage for children. These programs are particularly important to children of color, who are disproportionately represented among beneficiaries because they are more likely to be economically disadvantaged. Read and download our snapshots Snapshot of Children with Medicaid by Race and Ethnicity, 2018…
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Proposed Changes to Medicaid Access Rule Would Exempt 18 States
In March, CMS proposed changes to the Medicaid Access Rule. That Rule, in effect only since 2016, establishes procedures that states must meet to demonstrate that they are complying with the Medicaid statute’s requirement that provider payment rates be sufficient to ensure Medicaid beneficiaries have access to care. We recently shared our comments on the…
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Proposed Changes to Medicaid Access Rule Could Lead to Deep Cuts in EPSDT Services
We have been busy working on our comments on the proposed rule that would make significant changes to the Medicaid Access Rule. As my colleague, Andy Schneider, wrote last month, one of the major changes in the proposed rule is to allow states to make fee-for-service payment cuts of 4% a year (6% over two…
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Proposed Changes to Medicaid Access Rule Would Undermine Access to Care
CMS published proposed changes to the Medicaid Access Rule in the Federal Register on March 23 that would have a far-reaching impact on Medicaid beneficiaries and providers. Now that we’ve had time to analyze how the proposed changes would impact children, families and others who rely on Medicaid to meet their health care needs, we…
