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  • Medicaid Enrollment: June 2011 Data Snapshot

    Issue Brief

    This snapshot finds that between June 2010 and June 2011, while enrollment continued to grow as an additional 2.2 million people enrolled in Medicaid programs nationally, enrollment growth in the program slowed as the economy started to improve. Enrollment growth over this period was 4.4 percent, down significantly each of the two prior annual periods. Since June 2007, just before the start of the recession, Medicaid enrollment has grown by over 10 million people, over…

  • How is the Affordable Care Act Leading to Changes in Medicaid Today? State Responses to Five New Options

    Issue Brief

    This policy brief examines how states in every region have responded to five key opportunities available under the health reform law to help them prepare for the significant expansion of Medicaid in 2014. The options covered in the brief include incentives for states to get an early start on the Medicaid coverage expansion; increased federal funding to upgrade Medicaid eligibility systems; money to improve care for beneficiaries with chronic conditions by providing "health home" services;…

  • Health Care Use and Chronic Conditions Among Childless Adult Medicaid Enrollees in Arizona

    Issue Brief

    Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), beginning in 2014, Medicaid eligibility will expand to 133% of the federal poverty level for nearly all individuals. Arizona is one of the few states that already cover adults without dependent children in Medicaid through a longstanding Section 1115 waiver. This report, based on 2007 Medicaid claims data for adult Medicaid enrollees in Arizona, provides an analysis of health care utilization and health conditions for childless adults and compares…

  • Prescription Drug Procurement and the Federal Budget

    Issue Brief

    This brief commissioned by the Foundation considers areas where Medicare faces limited opportunity for market-based competition and price negotiation to drive down drug spending. These areas include drug purchasing for low-income people enrolled in Part D plans who face minimal cost-sharing requirements, and purchasing certain unique drugs, such as biologicals, that have no therapeutic alternatives or competitors. Authored by Richard G. Frank of Harvard University, the brief discusses policy options that could lower Medicare spending…

  • Medicare Part D Spending Trends: Understanding Key Drivers and the Role of Competition

    Issue Brief

    This brief commissioned by the Foundation examines factors that contributed to Medicare's lower-than-expected spending on prescription drugs under the Medicare Part D drug benefit that started in 2006. Since its launch, Medicare has spent about 30 percent less on Part D benefits than the Congressional Budget Office originally projected. Some cite the program's design, with private plans competing for enrollment, as the driving factor in lower spending; others point to factors in the overall market…

  • Emerging Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations: The Role of Managed Care

    Issue Brief

    This brief examines efforts by a number of states to set up Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) within their Medicaid programs. An ACO is a provider-run organization in which participating providers are collectively responsible for the care of an enrolled population, and may share in any savings associated with improvements in the quality and efficiency of care. The structure of Medicaid ACO initiatives is influenced by individual states’ experience with managed care, other existing care delivery…

  • Massachusetts Health Care Reform: Six Years Later

    Issue Brief

    In 2006, then-Gov. Mitt Romney signed Massachusetts' comprehensive health reform designed to provide near-universal health insurance coverage for state residents. Building on a long history of health reform efforts, the state embarked on an ambitious plan to promote shared individual, employer, and government responsibility. This brief examines Massachusetts' experience with coverage and access to care over the last six years, as well as the state's ongoing efforts to deal with persistent high health-care costs. The…

  • An Overview of Recent Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waiver Activity

    Issue Brief

    This brief summarizes and examines the implications of recent Section 1115 Medicaid waiver activity. Section 1115 waivers provide states flexibility to test new approaches in Medicaid that differ from federal program rules and can have significant impacts for beneficiaries, providers, and states. While recent waivers and waiver proposals vary in their specific goals and approaches, some key themes are emerging, including using Section 1115 waiver authority to get a jump start on the 2014 Medicaid…

  • Lancet Commentary: The U.S. Global Health Initiative: Where Does It Stand?

    Issue Brief

    This article explores the current state of the U.S. Global Health Initiative (GHI). The GHI, announced by President Obama shortly after taking office, represents the bulk of the U.S. global health budget for activities in more than 80 countries. It examines the successes and challenges experienced by the GHI in the three years since it was announced, including issues with its funding and leadership structure, as well as difficulties posed by the global economic crisis.…

  • Health Care Costs: A Primer

    Issue Brief

    This primer on health care spending in the United States reviews the growth in health care spending since 1970 and the impact of health care costs on families and employers.