Low income

The fourth in a series of reports on implementation issues and challenges in the first year of S-CHIP finds that states have been able to enter arrangements with plans for their S-CHIP population fairly easily.

This brief describes the current structure of the Medicaid program and provides information on coverage and spending by mandatory and optional groups.

An analysis of the National Governors Association proposal to restructure Medicaid, including the financial impact of the core of the proposal. The report considers possible responses to the reforms and outlines some issues to consider as policymakers think about reforming the program.

This issue brief describes and analyzes expansions of Medicaid and SCHIP, tax credits for individually-purchased insurance, and tax credits for employment-based health insurance as options to expand health coverage of the low-income population.Issue Paper

Federal and state policymakers face a major challenge in addressing the health needs of an increasingly diverse population. That challenge can be even greater in the growing number of cities and states with large immigrant communities. In a Commission-sponsored conference call on May 15, experts on immigrant health issues discussed…

Medicaid’s Disabled Population and Managed CareThis fact sheet highlights the key facts about the Medicaid managed care programs that serve persons with disabilities. It describes the Medicaid disabled population and the role managed care plays in serving them. It also provides information on enrollment in managed care, program features, and…

A new Commission report of state experiences after eliminating the Medicaid asset test reveals that the action cut administrative costs, improved program efficiency, and increased access to health care.

Americans aren’t thinking a lot about the poor these days. A new survey by NPR, the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government found that only about one in 10 Americans names poverty, welfare, or something similar as one of the two top issues government should address.…

Summarizes the number of uninsured individuals in rural America, who they are, and the barriers to coverage they experience.Fact Sheet

New and recent publications on immigrant health policy explore some of the complex problems the country faces in expanding health coverage to immigrants and provide basic statistics and facts on the current status of their health care. News Release: Recent Immigrants Have Had Little Impact on the Growth in America's…