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The Ryan White CARE Act: A Side-by-Side Comparison of Prior Law to the Newly ReauthorizedCARE Act This side-by-side provides a comparison of prior law to the newly reauthorized Ryan White HIV/AIDS Treatment Modernization Act of 2006. December 2006 Report (.pdf) Previous Versions: November 2006 (.pdf) June 2006 (.pdf)
Developing home and community-based service (HCBS) alternatives to institutional care has been a priority for many state Medicaid programs over the last two decades and the focus of Medicaid policy debates recently. While the majority of Medicaid long-term care dollars go toward institutional care, the national percentage of Medicaid spending on HCBS has more than doubled from 1992 to 2003. This report presents a summary of the main trends to emerge from the data for…
This paper examines the role that Medicaid plays in addressing six populations (preterm birth babies, foster care children, individuals with spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries, individuals with mental illness, individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and people with Alzheimer's disease) with serious health needs resulting in high costs. For each population profiled, the report describes the condition and the need for services and supports, as well as the role of Medicaid in meeting those…
A current strategy for addressing the cost of health insurance involves consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs). These plans generally are less expensive than more traditional health plan designs, but it is not clear whether the lower costs derive entirely from the new benefit structure or whether some of the savings result because these new arrangements attract a disproportionate share of enrollees in good health who have relatively low health spending. Public discussions of enrollment bias tend…
This paper examines health coverage trends in 2005 and places them in the context of trends occurring since 2000. The paper concludes that despite the improving economy, the percentage of the population with employer-sponsored insurance continued to decline while the number of the uninsured continued to increase. Issue Brief (.pdf)
This paper examines the underlying reasons behind the decline in employer coverage among employees from 2001 to 2005. The paper finds that almost half of the decline in employer-sponsored coverage was due to a loss of employer sponsorship. Another quarter of the decline was due to lost eligibility for benefits or losing access as a dependent of another employee. The remaining quarter of the decline was due to employees not participating in the offer of…
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are a type of medical savings account that allow consumers to save for medical expenses on a tax-fee basis. They are linked with high deductible health plans (HDHPs), and together these insurance and savings options represent a new approach to health care, commonly referred to as consumer-directed care. This brief, based on analyses of available data and research, finds that most low-income families would not benefit from HSA-HDHPs due to an…
This paper describes the various steps of the Medicare Part D appeals process for obtaining necessary drugs not on a plan’s formulary. Using case reports collected from a network of beneficiary advocates, it illustrates the challenges and problems some beneficiaries encountered when navigating this aspect of the drug benefit. The paper concludes with a discussion of potential policy options including the implications of establishing an exceptions and appeals process that is uniform in paperwork and…
Oversight and Enforcement of Medicare Part D Plan Requirements: Federal Role and Responsibilities This Issue Brief was commissioned by the Kaiser Family Foundation to gain insights into legal advocates’ views of how federal authorities enforce compliance with requirements of the new Medicare Part D prescription drug benefit. The report was prepared by Toby Edelman of the Center for Medicare Advocacy, Inc. The views expressed in this report are those of the author and not necessarily…
Who are the Uninsured? A Consistent Profile Across National Surveys This issue brief examines the differences in the estimates of the uninsured population from three major surveys and finds that the estimates are actually more consistent than what is often perceived. In addition, the analysis shows that who the uninsured are does not vary much across national surveys. Issue Brief
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