Financial Alignment Models for Dual Eligibles: An Update November 1, 2011 Issue Brief The nearly nine million dual eligibles who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits are a high cost, high need population, accounting for a disproportionate share of expenditures relative to their enrollment in both programs. In April 2011, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced the award of design…
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’…
Long-term Services and Supports: A Rebalancing Act October 3, 2011 Event The ongoing debate over the federal budget and deficit reduction presents a balancing act for policymakers, as many compelling interests compete for scarce dollars. But for 10 million older adults and people with disabilities who need long-term services and supports, there is a “rebalancing act” in progress. The aim is…
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…
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…
Proposed Models to Integrate Medicare and Medicaid Benefits for Dual Eligibles: A Look at the 15 State Design Contracts Funded By CMS August 12, 2011 Issue Brief This brief summarizes 15 states’ preliminary proposals to better coordinate care for people who are in both the Medicare and Medicaid programs. The design contracts, funded by the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI), are an outgrowth of new efforts under the health reform law to develop service…
A Primer on Dually Eligible Beneficiaries June 3, 2011 Event The nine million dually eligible beneficiaries are generally poorer and sicker than other Medicare beneficiaries, tend to use more health care services, and thus account for a disproportionate share of Medicare and Medicaid spending. Because they often have complex medical and long-term care needs, and must navigate both Medicaid and…
Medicaid Matters: Understanding Medicaid’s Role in Our Health Care System March 1, 2011 Fact Sheet This fact sheet provides key information about the Medicaid program and its role in our health care system and state economies. The nation’s public health insurance program for low-income people is counter-cyclical, expanding during the recent recession to assist millions of individuals and families affected by the loss of jobs…
Money Follows the Person: A 2010 Snapshot February 1, 2011 Issue Brief Enacted into law in 2006 as part of the Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), the Money Follows the Person demonstration provides states with enhanced federal matching funds for twelve months for each Medicaid beneficiary transitioned from an institutional setting to a community-based setting. In July 2010, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) surveyed states about the current status of their MFP program including trends in enrollment, services and per capita spending.