Coordinating Coverage and Care in Medicaid and Health Insurance Exchanges

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured convened a roundtable discussion on August 31, 2010 with a group of national and state experts to discuss key issues related to coordinating coverage and care in Medicaid and the new Health Insurance Exchanges under health reform. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act requires states to create a coordinated, simple and technologically-supported process through which individuals may obtain Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program and subsidized Exchange coverage. Coordinating delivery of care across these coverage types also will be important. A number of challenges must be addressed to achieve these goals, but the requirements also provide an opportunity for states to greatly simplify their Medicaid enrollment process and make large-scale upgrades to their eligibility systems. The discussion emphasized that it will be vital for states to begin taking steps now to have systems in place by 2014, when the reform coverage expansions will be fully implemented. Further, participants stressed the importance of immediate federal guidance and support to advance state efforts.

Issue Brief (.pdf)