State Policy Choices About Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services Amid the Pandemic March 4, 2022 Issue Brief This issue brief presents findings on key state policy choices about Medicaid HCBS in FY 2020. This is the latest data available, and the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected in KFF’s 19th survey of state officials administering Medicaid HCBS programs in all 50 states and DC. A related brief presents the latest state-level data about the number of people receiving HCBS and HCBS spending
Medicaid Home & Community-Based Services: People Served and Spending During COVID-19 March 4, 2022 Issue Brief This issue brief presents FY 2020 state-level data on the number of people receiving Medicaid HCBS and HCBS spending. This is the latest data available, and the first since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data were collected in KFF’s 19th survey of state officials administering Medicaid HCBS programs in all 50 states and DC. A related brief presents the latest data and highlights themes in key state policy choices about optional HCBS.
Unwinding of the PHE: Maintaining Medicaid for People with Limited English Proficiency March 3, 2022 Issue Brief Provisions in the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) require states to maintain continuous Medicaid enrollment for enrollees until the end of the month when the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) ends. When the continuous enrollment requirements end and states resume redeterminations and disenrollments, individuals with LEP may be at increased risk of losing Medicaid coverage or experiencing a gap in coverage due to barriers completing these processes, even if they remain eligible for coverage.
KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: February 2022 March 1, 2022 Poll Finding Two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, the public is split on their readiness to return to normal, with many worried about the consequences of lifting restrictions and of not lifting them. At this point, the pandemic is not a top issue for voters in November’s midterm elections . Most parents are not confident in the safety of the vaccine for kids under 5.
The Impact of the COVID-19 Recession on Medicaid Coverage and Spending March 1, 2022 Issue Brief Unlike previous recessions in modern history, this past recession was spurred by the spread of a virus (COVID-19), which created a public health crisis with unique health implications. This brief describes the broader impacts of this most recent recession – which lasted from February 2020 to April 2020 — and also explores how trends in Medicaid spending and enrollment differed from past recessions and what that might mean for state Medicaid programs moving forward.
Disparities in Health and Health Care Among Black People February 24, 2022 Infographic This infographic looks at the persistent disparities in health and health care for Black people, which reflect structural and systematic inequities rooted in racism and discrimination. Although disparities in health coverage for Black people narrowed after passage of the Affordable Care Act, they continue to face higher rates of illness and death compared to White people.
Prices Increased Faster Than Inflation for Half of all Drugs Covered by Medicare in 2020 February 25, 2022 Issue Brief Recent legislation would require drug companies to pay rebates to the federal government when annual increases in prescription drug prices for Medicare and private insurance exceed the rate of inflation. As context for understanding the possible impact of this proposal, this analysis compares price changes for drugs covered by Medicare Part B (administered by physicians) and Part D (retail prescription drugs) between 2019 and 2020 to the inflation rate over the same period.
Analysis Finds The Share of Nursing Home Staff Who Have Been Vaccinated Against COVID-19 Varies Substantially by State February 17, 2022 News Release The share of nursing home staffers who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 varies considerably by state, from 70 percent in Ohio to 99 percent in Maine, Rhode Island, New York and Massachusetts, a new KFF analysis finds. The national average is 84 percent. The analysis of federal nursing home…
Medicaid Covers a Disproportionate Share of Women in Underserved Populations February 18, 2022 Slide In 2020, Medicaid covered 16% of nonelderly adult women in the United States, but coverage rates were higher among certain groups.
Nursing Home Staff Vaccination Rates Vary Widely by State as Vaccination Mandates Take Effect February 17, 2022 Issue Brief Due to the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on nursing home residents and staff, this population was prioritized to receive the vaccine when the vaccine rollout began in Winter 2020-2021. Since then, CMS has implemented a health care worker vaccination mandate for providers that participate in Medicare and/or Medicaid. Although some states have sued to challenge this rule, it was recently allowed to take effect by the Supreme Court. This data note presents completed vaccination and booster rates among nursing home staff, by state.