Medicaid
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Why is North Carolina Getting Rid of Medicaid Managed Care Plan that Saves State Money?
Policymakers in many states have turned more and more to private managed care insurers to manage their Medicaid programs. More than half of people on Medicaid across the country are in some sort of “risk-based managed care organizations (MCOs)” and 39 states – according to comprehensive research by the Kaiser Family Foundation – use such…
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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…
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Early Returns From Medicaid Expansion: Studies Find New Enrollees Are Accessing Needed Care
One of the key arguments that opponents of expanding Medicaid make is that there is no point in doing so because access is so poor in Medicaid that it won’t actually help the intended beneficiaries get the care they need. There is certainly room for improvement in access to care for Medicaid beneficiaries, and it…
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Unintended Consequences of the ACA: Retraction of Medicaid Eligibility for Parents in Connecticut
By Sharon Langer, Connecticut Voices for Children Research has consistently demonstrated that insuring parents is good for their health and their children’s. Children of parents insured through Medicaid are more likely to be covered and receive regular check-ups. In 2007, when Connecticut aligned its Medicaid income limit for parents and children at 185% FPL it…
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Report Underscores Connection Between Children’s Health and Educational Opportunity
By Sean Miskell Access to quality health coverage for children is certainly important for its own sake, and evidence increasingly suggests the way in which health is connected to other crucial aspect’s of children’s development such as education. A new report from the Education Commission of the States sheds further light on these connections and…
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Proposed Rule Will Improve Medicaid Managed Care
After much anticipation, CMS published a notice of proposed rulemaking on Medicaid and CHIP managed care early this summer. The proposed rule includes many changes centering around five principles: alignment with other coverage options; delivery system reform; payment and accountability improvements; beneficiary protections; and modernizing regulatory requirements and improving the quality of care. It also…
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Coverage for Immigrant Children and Families in California
Now Playing: Coverage for more than 400,000 children and youth Coming Soon: Coverage for more than 800,000 additional immigrant children, youth and parents This week, Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families and The Children’s Partnership released a new paper outlining how to get ready for big coverage opportunities in California. It highlights opportunities that will…
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Immigration Relief for Parents and Youth = Whole Family Health Coverage in California
On November 20, 2014, President Obama announced immigration executive actions that include a new program and an expansion of an existing program. The new program, “Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents”(DAPA), provides temporary work authorization and protection from deportation for certain undocumented parents with U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident (LPR)…
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Recommendations for Changes to the Child Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures
When CHIP was reauthorized in 2009, it laid out a new agenda for measuring and improving health care quality for children enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP. CHIPRA called for the development of a Child Core Set of Health Care Quality Measures (which states voluntarily report) and launched a new Pediatric Quality Measures Program that, among…
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State and National Experts Convene to Discuss Early Childhood Developmental Screenings and Referrals
By Carrie Fitzgerald, Vice President of Children’s Health Programs at First Focus, Here’s something almost everyone who reads this blog already knows: the first three years of a child’s life are a critical time for brain development. Our brains are most adaptable during early childhood, and early intervention and treatment for conditions, disorders, and developmental…
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Proposed Legislation Will Fix Medicaid Glitch for Former Foster Youth Who Move
I’ve written before about an unintended flaw in the Affordable Care Act that relates to Medicaid eligibility for former foster youth. The simple use of the words “the” versus “a” state has led to an interpretation of the law that allows states to deny coverage to young adults who were in foster care in a…
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Even Though it is Turning 50, Medicaid is Still a Children’s Program
Today marks 50 years since President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Medicaid program into law in 1965. The program has continued to evolve since then – playing a key role in our health care system serving low-income families, people with disabilities, HIV, and those receiving long term care. The Affordable Care Act expanded Medicaid eligibility for…
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Medicaid Provides an Excellent Long-Term Return on Investment
By Alisa Chester and Joan Alker As our nation marks Medicaid’s 50th anniversary of service to the nation this week, it’s a good time to reflect on how this federal-state partnership program is making a difference – especially for children and families. As has been widely discussed, Medicaid has been instrumental to our nation’s historic…
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Medicaid at 50: A Look at the Long-Term Benefits of Childhood Medicaid
An emerging body of research underscores the significant role that Medicaid plays as a source of health coverage and financial protection for children and families—the benefits of which last through adulthood. New data highlight striking examples of the long-term effects of Medicaid—including better health, lower rates of mortality, better educational and economic outcomes, and many…
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Many Working Parents and Families in North Carolina Would Benefit from Medicaid Coverage
North Carolina is one of the 22 states that has elected not to accept federal funding under the ACA to extend Medicaid coverage to parents and other low-income adults. Consequently, parents in North Carolina are not eligible for Medicaid or premium tax credits if their incomes exceed 45 percent of the poverty line ($8,840 annually,…
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Congressional Hearing Highlights Medicaid’s Success After 50 Years, Looks Ahead
By Sean Miskell Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing that provided an opportunity for lawmakers, administrators, and experts to acknowledge the foundational role that Medicaid plays as a source of coverage for millions of Americans and consider how the program will continue to evolve moving forward. Testimony from the Centers…
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Groups: CMS Should Reject Iowa’s Request to Continue Waiving Non-emergency Medical Transportation Benefits
This week, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, CCF and 10 other organizations submitted a comment letter regarding Iowa’s proposed section 1115 amendment to extend their waiver of the non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) benefit. While we continue to support Iowa’s decision to provide coverage to newly eligible low-income adults, we hope that CMS will…
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Video Highlights of Joan Alker’s Testimony Before Congressional Committee on Medicaid Waivers
As loyal Say Ahhh! readers know, Joan Alker has been a devout Medicaid Section 1115 “waiver watcher” for many, many years. She was happy to share her knowledge on the topic with the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health this week. We’ll have more to say about the issues covered by the hearing in…
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King, Access to Care, Alternative Plans – States Running Out of Excuses for Failing to Act on Medicaid
The message from the Supreme Court’s King v. Burwell case yesterday was pretty simple for people interested in following the Medicaid expansion debate in the states. Now that it’s clear access to affordable coverage is here to stay for people above the poverty line, states that haven’t taken the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid funding to extend…
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Florida Governor Scott Drops LIP Lawsuit, Declares Victory???
Acting right on the heels of the historic decision affirming the Affordable Care Act in King v. Burwell, Florida Governor Rick Scott withdrew his lawsuit against the Obama Administration on the state’s Low Income Pool. That was a wise decision in my view, as the suit had no merit (in my purely non-legal opinion). But…
