Medicaid Innovations: Can Managed Care Cut Costs and Improve Value? October 28, 2011 Event A number of states have expressed interest in expanding managed care approaches within their Medicaid programs. While managed care may present an opportunity for better delivery of care, it presents challenges within certain populations and geographic areas. How many states are planning Medicaid managed care expansions? What impact would these…
States Focus on Cost Containment as a Loss of Federal Stimulus Funds Means State Costs for Medicaid Will Jump in FY 2012 October 27, 2011 News Release NEWS RELEASE Thursday, October 27, 2011 New 50-State Survey Finds Cuts In Provider Payments And Changes In Delivery Of Services WASHINGTON, D.C. – Faced with the end of stimulus money and a continuing weak economy, Medicaid officials in virtually every state are enacting a variety of cost cutting measures as states’…
50 Million Uninsured: The Faces Behind the Headlines October 14, 2011 Event Almost 50 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2010 — about a million more than in 2009. Who are the uninsured? Why do so many Americans lack coverage? What are the trends in coverage among different segments of the population? What do these trends mean for the health care system…
Examining Medicaid Managed Long-Term Service and Support Programs: Key Issues To Consider October 1, 2011 Issue Brief There is increased interest among states in operating Medicaid managed long-term services and support (MLTSS) programs rather than paying for long-term services and supports (LTSS) on a fee-for-service basis, as has been the general practice. This issue brief examines key issues for states to consider if they are contemplating a…
Medicaid’s Long-Term Care Users: Spending Patterns Across Institutional and Community-based Settings October 1, 2011 Issue Brief The nation’s primary payer for long-term services and supports, Medicaid finances 43 percent of all spending on long-term care services and covers a range of services and supports, including those needed by people to live independently in the community, as well as services provided in institutions. This report provides an…
Update: State Budgets in Recession and Recovery October 1, 2011 Issue Brief State revenues have been rebounding after experiencing a severe decline caused by the Great Recession that ran from December 2007 through June 2009. Nevertheless, tax collections remain below their 2008 peak level and state and local governments continue to shed jobs. As states prepare their fiscal year 2013 budgets, some…
Impact of the Medicaid Fiscal Relief Provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) October 1, 2011 Issue Brief The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), enacted in February 2009, has provided $103 billion in federal fiscal relief to state Medicaid programs over a period of two-and-a-half years to help them address the effects of the 2007-2009 recession. During a recession, unemployment increases and state revenues decline, making it…
California's "Bridge to Reform" Medicaid Demonstration Waiver October 1, 2011 Fact Sheet This issue brief provides an overview of California’s “Bridge to Reform” Medicaid Demonstration Waiver, which was approved in 2010 and will make up to roughly $8 billion in federal Medicaid matching funds available to California over a five-year period to expand coverage to low-income uninsured adults and preserve and improve…
Connecting Eligible Immigrant Families to Health Coverage and Care: Key Lessons from Outreach and Enrollment Workers October 1, 2011 Issue Brief Beginning in 2014, health coverage options will significantly expand under health reform through an expansion in Medicaid eligibility and by making tax credits available to help individuals purchase coverage through new Health Benefit Exchanges. Given their high uninsured rate and limited access to private and public coverage, one group who…
State Options That Expand Access to Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services October 1, 2011 Report This background paper examines various aspects of the Medicaid program that can expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) and rebalance long-term care spending in favor of HCBS. As a result of the long-standing requirement that states cover facility-based care, the majority of Medicaid long-term care (LTC) expenditures historically…