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This update summarizes state Medicaid actions from July through September 2005 highlighting changes that governors and state legislators have announced or implemented. Issue Brief (.pdf)
This report examines a new measure of Medicare’s financial health established by the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA). The report, authored by Marilyn Moon, takes an in-depth look at the program’s new solvency test, which measures general revenues as a share of total Medicare spending and can trigger a “funding warning” that compels the President to propose and the Congress to consider a funding warning.
Premium Assistance Programs: How Are They Financed and Do States Save Money? This brief examines premium assistance programs implemented under section 1115 waivers in five states (Illinois, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah) to determine how they are financed; their eligibility, benefit, and cost sharing requirements; their methods for determining cost-effectiveness; and cost savings. Issue Brief (.pdf) Executive Summary (.pdf)
Medicaid and Budget Reconciliation: Options and Implications of Savings Proposals This issue brief examines the context for federal Medicaid savings proposals, emerging themes for savings and the potential impact on Medicaid beneficiaries, states and providers. Issue Brief (.pdf)
This issue paper is an effort to begin an assessment of health care needs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and to review some of the policy options available to the federal government to ensure access to health care for those affected by Katrina. The brief begins with a summary of the implications for the health of the population and its access to needed care. It then outlines the implications for affected states – those…
This brief describes the main concerns with the Census Bureau’s CPS health coverage estimates and how analysts have attempted to adjust for problems, and concludes with implications for how the CPS might be enhanced in order to improve the measurement of health insurance coverage. Issue Paper (.pdf)
This brief assesses the extent to which recent Section 1115 waivers have helped reduce the number of uninsured people and finds that there has been a net gain in coverage of 426,329 people under recent waivers. Issue Paper (.pdf)
Over the last four years, the Commission has been tracking the national development of the three main Medicaid HCBS programs that states can operate. The Commission also began to survey the policies, such as eligibility criteria and waiting lists that states can use to control the growth of spending on the waiver programs. This brief presents the latest data on the development of home and community-based service programs in Medicaid. Issue Paper (.pdf)
This issue brief outlines ten key myths and related facts about Medicaid.
Dual Eligibles: Medicaid Enrollment and Spending for Medicare Beneficiaries in 2003 This report provides the latest national and state data on Medicaid enrollment and spending for individuals enrolled in both Medicaid and Medicare, also knows as dual eligibles. Nationally, there are 7.5 million dual eligibles and while they comprise 14 percent of the Medicaid population, they account for 40 percent of Medicaid spending. Issue Paper (.pdf)
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