Why Express Lane Eligibility Makes Sense for States and Low-Income Families October 2, 2009 Issue Brief Express Lane Eligibility (ELE) is a new tool available to states to streamline enrollment and renewal of children in Medicaid and CHIP. It allows state Medicaid and CHIP agencies to utilize data and eligibility findings from other public need-based programs, such as Head Start or Food Stamps, and/or tax return…
Putting Children on the Express Lane to Health Insurance: Streamlining Enrollment and Renewal of Children in Medicaid and CHIP Through Express Lane Eligibility October 2, 2009 Issue Brief Express Lane Eligibility (ELE) is a new tool available to states to streamline enrollment and renewal of children in Medicaid and CHIP. It allows state Medicaid and CHIP agencies to utilize data and eligibility findings from other public need-based programs, such as Head Start or Food Stamps, and/or tax return…
Rural Health: Laying the Foundation for Health Reform October 2, 2009 Event The Alliance for Health Reform and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation co-sponsored this briefing to have a panel of experts answer questions about how some aspects of pending health reform proposals may have a substantial impact on rural care. What provisions in the various reform proposals affect rural health care?…
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — October 2009 October 1, 2009 Poll Finding The October Kaiser Health Tracking Poll finds public support for health reform unchanged since last month, with more in favor than opposed. Fifty-five percent of Americans believe that it is more important than ever to take on health care reform now, while 41 percent say the country cannot afford it…
Changes in Health Insurance Coverage, 2007-2008: Early Impact of the Recession October 1, 2009 Issue Brief This issue brief examines trends in health insurance coverage from 2007 to 2008, a period marked by the start of a deep recession. It finds that the share of the nonelderly population covered by employer-provided insurance declined, the share covered by public programs increased and the number of uninsured people…
Today’s Topics In Health Disparities: Is the Health Care System Ready for Health Reform? October 1, 2009 Event On Wednesday, November 4, at 1 p.m. ET, this Today’s Topics In Health Disparities live webcast examined how ready the health care system is for the influx of newly covered individuals that health reform aims to deliver. In the health care proposals being considered by Congress, changes to Medicaid alone…
Pulling it Together: Simple Arithmetic September 10, 2009 Perspective This week we put out our annual benchmark survey of employer health coverage and costs. Two numbers jumped off the pages. The first number was the average cost of a family health insurance policy in 2009: $13,375. To put that number in context, if you are an employer, you can…
Oral Histories: Report from a Dental Fair September 9, 2009 Video This video profiles patients attending a dental fair in rural Virginia and highlights the impact of lack of coverage for oral health services. Uninsured adults have vast oral care needs, and untreated dental problems can have serious health, employment and social consequences. To download the video, right-click here and select…
The Crunch Continues: Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy in the Midst of a Recession September 2, 2009 Event This annual 50-state survey finds that number of people on Medicaid and state spending on the program are climbing sharply as a result of the recession, straining state budgets and pressuring officials to curb costs despite increased financial help from the federal government through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act…
A Profile of American Indians and Alaska Natives and Their Health Coverage September 1, 2009 Issue Brief A Profile of American Indians and Alaska Natives and Their Health Coverage This brief examines the health coverage, access to care and health status of American Indians and Alaska Natives across the country. Although the U.S. government has an established responsibility through tribal agreements to provide health care services to…