Over the past two decades, Medicaid has played a central and growing role in financing and providing access to family planning services for low-income women. About two-thirds of women covered by Medicaid are of child-bearing age, and for this group of women, access to family planning services fills a key health need.

This report highlights findings from the 2007/2008 State Survey of Reproductive Health Services Under Medicaid, conducted jointly by the Kaiser Family Foundation and George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

Although federal law requires state Medicaid programs to cover family planning services and supplies for beneficiaries of child-bearing age, states vary considerably in level of coverage of these services. The report presents state-by-state policies on coverage of key areas in reproductive health for low-income women, including contraception, preconception care, screenings for sexually transmitted diseases and coverage within special state Medicaid family planning programs.

Medicaid, which covers health and long-term care services for 59 million low income Americans, has evolved into the nation’s largest financer of maternity-related services. The program pays for more than four in 10 births nationwide, and in several states covers more than half of total births. Coverage of maternity-related care for low-income women is a central function of the Medicaid program and the range and scope of perinatal services that Medicaid covers has major implications for maternal health and birth outcomes.

This report highlights findings from the 2007/2008 State Survey of Reproductive Health Services Under Medicaid, conducted jointly by the Kaiser Family Foundation and George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services.

The report examines state Medicaid program policies regarding coverage of pregnancy-related services. It details state-level Medicaid eligibility and enrollment policies for pregnant women, as well as scope of coverage for prenatal and screening services, delivery and post-partum care, educational classes and support services.

Report (.pdf)

COMPANION REPORT: State Medicaid Coverage of Family Planning Services: Summary of State Survey Findings

Previous version:

November 2001 (.pdf)

Health reform initiatives will have differential effects on states. In general, states with more extensive poverty, higher budget shortfalls, lower eligibility levels for public programs, higher rates of uninsured, and more primary care shortages, will be more heavily impacted.

This chartbook pulls together data related to state variation in key areas such as major industry types, poverty and unemployment rates and fiscal conditions; health coverage and the uninsured; Medicaid and CHIP eligibility and enrollment; Medicaid spending and financing; access to Health Care; health care costs; and insurance markets.

This survey builds on the Foundation’s previous survey work in measuring Americans’ attitudes toward U.S. global health investments and priorities.

The survey tracks some questions that were asked earlier in 2009, and delves into some new questions about specific areas of global health spending and how aid should be distributed. Following President Obama’s announcement of the Global Health Initiative, the survey also measures public perception of the current Administration and Congress with regards to global health efforts.

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was conducted October 21 through October 28 among a nationally representative random sample of 1,205 adults ages 18 and older. The margin of sampling for the overall survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Summary

Chartpack

Toplines

This is a chartpack of a survey that builds on the Foundation’s previous survey work in measuring Americans’ attitudes toward U.S. global health investments and priorities. The survey tracks some questions that were asked earlier in 2009, and delves into some new questions about specific areas of global health spending and how aid should be distributed. Following President Obama’s announcement of the Global Health Initiative, the survey also measures public perception of the current Administration and Congress with regards to global health efforts.

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was conducted October 21 through October 28 among a nationally representative random sample of 1,205 adults ages 18 and older. The margin of sampling error for the overall survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Chartpack (.pdf)

This is the summary of a survey that builds on the Foundation’s previous survey work in measuring Americans’ attitudes toward U.S. global health investments and priorities. The survey tracks some questions that were asked earlier in 2009, and delves into some new questions about specific areas of global health spending and how aid should be distributed. Following President Obama’s announcement of the Global Health Initiative, the survey also measures public perception of the current Administration and Congress with regards to global health efforts.

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was conducted October 21 through October 28 among a nationally representative random sample of 1,205 adults ages 18 and older. The margin of sampling error for the overall survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Summary (.pdf)

These are the complete toplines for a survey that builds on the Foundation’s previous survey work in measuring Americans’ attitudes toward U.S. global health investments and priorities. The survey tracks some questions that were asked earlier in 2009, and delves into some new questions about specific areas of global health spending and how aid should be distributed. Following President Obama’s announcement of the Global Health Initiative, the survey also measures public perception of the current Administration and Congress with regards to global health efforts.

The survey was designed and analyzed by public opinion researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation. It was conducted October 21 through October 28 among a nationally representative random sample of 1,205 adults ages 18 and older. The margin of sampling error for the overall survey is plus or minus 3 percentage points.

Toplines (.pdf)

The current health reform debate in this country focuses heavily on providing access to affordable health coverage for the millions of people who are uninsured. Any effort to expand coverage, alter current public programs, and/or create new public programs will have important consequences for the health of communities of color, who are more likely than Whites to be enrolled in public programs or be uninsured. This issue brief highlights variations in coverage by race and ethnicity and examines the role health coverage plays for communities of color.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

This Medicare Part D data spotlight examines the stand-alone Medicare drug plan options that will be available to beneficiaries in 2010, including the number of available plans, premiums for those plans, and benefit designs. About two-thirds of the nearly 27 million Medicare beneficiaries who are enrolled in Part D plans get their coverage through stand-alone plans.

The analysis is based on the 2010 Medicare drug plan information released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Oct. 1, 2009. The analysis was conducted jointly by Jack Hoadley and Laura Summer of Georgetown University, Juliette Cubanski and Tricia Neuman of the Kaiser Family Foundation, and Elizabeth Hargrave of NORC at the University of Chicago.

Issue Brief (.pdf)

This data spotlight examines changes in the availability and premiums of private Medicare Advantage options for Medicare beneficiaries in 2010 as the annual open enrollment period begins.

While the number of plans available in 2010 declined somewhat from 2009, the analysis finds that Medicare beneficiaries on average have 33 Medicare Advantage plans to choose from. For Medicare Advantage enrollees who stay in the same plan in 2010, monthly premiums will increase by 32 percent on average, with a steeper 78 percent average increase for enrollees in private fee-for-service plans who do not switch plans.

This data spotlight is one in a series looking at the 2010 Medicare Advantage plan options and trends around the Medicare Advantage plan. These spotlights were prepared by a team of researchers at Mathematica Policy Research Inc. and the Kaiser Family Foundation.

Data Spotlight (.pdf)