These related research papers examine the policy opportunities for expanding Medicaid to cover more low-income and high-need people in ways that would enable the program to serve as a platform for larger national health reform efforts.

As congressional leaders work on proposals for universal coverage, some policymakers have suggested that strengthening Medicaid’s coverage of the poorest Americans and those with special health needs could provide a base for broader health reform efforts to expand coverage, control costs and improve quality. How many of the uninsured should be covered through public programs and how many through private insurance is an issue of debate in the designing of health reform legislation.

The new resources include:

Medicaid as a Platform for Broader Health Reform: Supporting High-Need and Low-Income Populations

The Coverage and Cost Impacts of Expanding Medicaid

Expanding Health Coverage for Low-Income Adults: Filling the Gaps in Medicaid Eligibility

Community Care of North Carolina: Putting Health Reform Ideas into Practice in Medicaid

The Kaiser Family Foundation released the papers May 12 at a public briefing on Medicaid as a Platform for Broader Health Reform. An archived webcast is available.

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