Medicaid Policy Options for Meeting the Needs of Adults with Mental Illness under the Affordable Care Act April 1, 2011 Issue Brief This paper examines the salient issues raised in a November 2010 roundtable discussion of national and state experts convened by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, in partnership with the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, to discuss Medicaid policy options available under health reform to help meet…
Mental Health Financing in the United States: A Primer April 1, 2011 Report This primer provides an overview of behavioral health care, reviews the sources of financing for such care, assesses the interaction between different payers, and highlights recent policy debates in mental health. It also discusses the role of Medicaid, currently the largest source of financing for behavioral health services in the…
Comparison of Medicaid Provisions in Deficit-Reduction Proposals March 31, 2011 Issue Brief In response to mounting concern about the nation’s rising debt and deficit, and increasing apprehension about the federal budget, prominent leaders and various commissions have come forward with recommendations to strengthen the economy and bolster the nation’s fiscal health. These proposals include both tax increases and spending reductions in discretionary…
Medicaid: A Primer on the Federal-State Partnership March 4, 2011 Event This briefing provided an overview of the Medicaid program and its role in the health care system. Panelists discussed who is eligible for Medicaid, what benefits are covered, how the program is administered. Medicaid financing and the program’s role in health reform was also explained. More information on Medicaid from…
Determining Income for Adults Applying for Medicaid and Exchange Coverage Subsidies: How Income Measured With a Prior Tax Return Compares to Current Income at Enrollment March 1, 2011 Issue Brief A major goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly expand coverage and reduce the number of uninsured. Beginning in 2014, the ACA will establish a new continuum of coverage that will provide assistance to individuals with incomes up to 400% of poverty through a…
Mobile Technology: Smart Tools to Increase Participation in Health Coverage March 1, 2011 Issue Brief As mobile technology advances and cell phone use continues to increase across demographic groups, there is significant potential to tap these technologies to facilitate enrollment in and retention of health coverage, in both the immediate term and as health reform is implemented. A brief produced in conjunction with The Children’s…
Medicaid Matters: Understanding Medicaid’s Role in Our Health Care System March 1, 2011 Fact Sheet This fact sheet provides key information about the Medicaid program and its role in our health care system and state economies. The nation’s public health insurance program for low-income people is counter-cyclical, expanding during the recent recession to assist millions of individuals and families affected by the loss of jobs…
Improving Access to Adult Primary Care in Medicaid: Exploring the Potential Role of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants March 1, 2011 Issue Brief The inadequate supply of primary care providers is among the major challenges facing the U.S. health care system. Sixty-five million people live in areas designated by the federal government as having a shortage of primary care providers. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), the pressures on access…
The Budget: What Would You Cut? February 16, 2011 Perspective As President Obama and Congress begin to hash out the 2012 budget, it is a good time to revisit results from our January 2011 survey showing that in spite of the fact that most Americans report being very concerned about the budget deficit, there is little public support for major…
Pop Quiz: Assessing Americans’ Familiarity with the Health Care Law February 2, 2011 Perspective Based on the December Kaiser Health Tracking Poll, the latest KFF data note explores Americans’ awareness of what the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will do. As the 112th Congress prepared to take office and the discussion of repeal was on the rise, we ‘quizzed’ Americans on whether they thought a…