Key Issues and Opportunities: Implementing the New Medicaid Integrity Program June 30, 2006 Report The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 created a new Medicaid Integrity Program to increase the government's capacity to prevent, detect and address fraud and abuse in the Medicaid program. The new initiative represents the most significant single, dedicated investment the federal government has made in ensuring the integrity of the…
Beyond Cash and Counseling: An Inventory of Individual Budget-based Community Long-Term Care Programs March 31, 2006 Issue Brief Beyond Cash and Counseling: An Inventory of Individual Budget-based Community Long-Term Care ProgramsThis brief describes the evolution of beneficiary-managed home and community-based services since the original demonstration and provides an overview of state activity as of January 2006. The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 gives states the option to use…
Health Centers Reauthorization: An Overview of Achievements and Challenges February 28, 2006 Report This report reviews the role of community health centers in the nation's health care safety net. Today, over 1,000 federally funded and “look-alike” health centers serve 14.3 million people, three-quarters of whom are uninsured or covered by Medicaid.As health centers look toward legislative reauthorization in 2006, they face several policy…
Can States Stretch the Medicaid Dollar Without Passing the Buck? Lessons from Utah February 27, 2006 Report With the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, states have gained increased flexibility over benefits and cost sharing for certain currently eligible Medicaid populations without having to obtain a waiver of Medicaid rules. New findings from the Kaiser Family Foundation's 2004 survey of the experiences of Medicaid beneficiaries…
Tracking Prescription Drug Coverage Under Medicare: Five Ways to Look at the New Enrollment Numbers February 1, 2006 Issue Brief Tracking Prescription Drug Coverage Under Medicare: Five Ways to Look at the New Enrollment NumbersThis new analysis, which assesses Medicare drug benefit enrollment statistics released Feb. 22 by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, examines five different approaches to understanding the Medicare drug coverage numbers:What share of the…
Frontline Perspectives on Long-Term Care Financing Decisions and Medicaid Assets Transfer Practices January 31, 2006 Report Frontline Perspectives on Long-Term Care Financing Decisions and Medicaid AssetsTransfer PracticesIn the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005, Congress tightened Medicaid asset transfer rules for individuals qualifying for Medicaid assistance with nursing home bills. Research on asset transfer shows a low incidence of asset transfers and limited cost savings from tightening…
The Implications of a Loss in Public Health Coverage December 31, 2005 Event A new Health Affairs article and a policy brief examine the implications of cuts to public coverage programs like Medicaid and SCHIP. The Health Affairs article finds that Medicaid and SCHIP cuts would increase emergency department visits by the uninsured, suggesting that cost containment actions on public coverage programs would…
Overview of House and Senate Budget Reconciliation December 13, 2005 Fact Sheet This fact sheet summarizes the Medicaid and Medicare provisions in the House and Senate approved budget reconciliation bills. Fact Sheet (.pdf)
African Americans and the New Medicare Drug Benefit October 31, 2005 Poll Finding In a few short weeks, Medicare will undergo big changes that will have a major impact on nearly 4 million African American seniors and younger people with permanent disabilities who rely on Medicare for their health coverage. More than four in ten African Americans with Medicare lack coverage for their…
Asset Transfer and Nursing Home Use October 31, 2005 Issue Brief Asset Transfer and Nursing Home UseThis issue brief examines asset transfer data of elderly nursing home residents and finds that for those who qualify for Medicaid, their average asset transfer are small, sufficient to cover about one month of private nursing home care.Issue Brief (.pdf)