Quick Take: Medicaid: 3 Key Issues to Watch in 2013 February 22, 2013 Fact Sheet 2013 will be a historic year for Medicaid with the implementation of major provisions to expand coverage and streamline enrollment in the Affordable Care Act (ACA) less than a year away, a surge in activity around care delivery reforms that seek to improve care and potentially reduce costs, and the…
Increasing Medicaid Payments for Certain Primary Care Physicians in 2013 and 2014: A Primer on the Health Reform Provision and Final Rule December 13, 2012 Issue Brief To help ensure that access in Medicaid expands to meet anticipated higher demand for care, the health reform law requires states to pay certain physicians Medicaid fees that are at least equal to Medicare’s for a list of 146 primary care services in 2013 and 2014. The idea is to…
State Fiscal Conditions and Medicaid Program Changes, FY 2012-2013 November 28, 2012 Fact Sheet The Medicaid program provides health and long-term care coverage for low-income families who lack access to other affordable coverage options and for individuals with disabilities for whom private coverage is often not available or inadequate. Medicaid also plays a pivotal role in state budgets, both as an expenditure and a…
The Cost and Coverage Implications of the ACA Medicaid Expansion: National and State-by-State Analysis November 1, 2012 Report A central goal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) is to significantly reduce the number of uninsured by providing a continuum of affordable coverage options through Medicaid and new Health Insurance Exchanges. Following the June 2012 Supreme Court decision, states face a decision about whether to adopt…
Why Does Medicaid Spending Vary Across States: A Chartbook of Factors Driving State Spending November 1, 2012 Report This detailed chartbook provides an illustrative overview of some of the key factors that contribute to the substantial variation in Medicaid spending across states today. The chartbook provides a broad range of state-by-state data on subjects including state revenue and spending, the demand for public services, health care markets, and…
National and State-By-State Impact of the 2012 House Republican Budget Plan for Medicaid October 1, 2012 Report This analysis of the House Budget Plan that was passed in 2012 finds that repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and converting Medicaid to a block grant would trigger significant decreases in federal Medicaid spending and could result in substantial reductions in enrollment and payments to providers compared to current…
Medicaid Financing: An Overview of the Federal Medicaid Matching Rate (FMAP) September 30, 2012 Issue Brief Since its enactment in 1965, the Medicaid program has used the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) to determine the federal government’s share of the cost of covered services in state Medicaid programs. On average, the federal share has been 57 percent. Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) establishes…
A Historical Review of How States Have Responded to the Availability of Federal Funds for Health Coverage August 1, 2012 Issue Brief This historical review finds that the availability of federal funds has served as an effective incentive for states to provide health coverage to meet the health and long-term care needs of their low-income residents despite state budget pressures. The brief examines the history of earlier experiences and provides important context for how states may respond as they weigh the costs and benefits of expanding their Medicaid programs in 2014 as called for under the Affordable Care Act.
Health Homes for Medicaid Beneficiaries with Chronic Conditions August 1, 2012 Issue Brief This brief profiles four states that were the first to receive federal approval to take up a state option under the Affordable Care Act to implement health homes for Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions. Almost half of the 9 million people who qualify for Medicaid on the basis of disability…