New Developments in Medicaid Coverage: Who Bears Financial Risk and Responsibility?

A few recent state Medicaid initiatives have emerged that take the program into new directions. States have expressed a number of objectives in developing these approaches, including offering beneficiaries greater choice, promoting personal responsibility and healthier behaviors among enrollees, and, in some cases, relying more heavily on the private marketplace. In addition, states have sought to shape their initiatives in ways that could help them better predict and limit their exposure to costs.

This brief examines how these approaches change financial risk and responsibility for states, the federal government, beneficiaries and providers.

Issue Brief (.pdf)