KFF designs, conducts and analyzes original public opinion and survey research on Americans’ attitudes, knowledge, and experiences with the health care system to help amplify the public’s voice in major national debates.
This fact sheet summarizes the key changes West Virginia has approved for its Medicaid program as a result of the new flexibility available through the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. West Virginia will change the benefit package for children and parents, parents will sign a member agreement for themselves and on behalf of their children to access certain benefits, and providers and managed care plans will monitor and report to the state their patients’ status with regard to meeting the member agreement responsibilities. Parents and children will continue to be covered for mandatory services, and the state must continue to provide Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic and Treatment services to children.
This fact sheet summarizes the key changes Kentucky has approved for its Medicaid program as a result of the new flexibility available through the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Kentucky uses new options related to benefits, cost sharing and long-term care.
The Vermont Choices for Care Long-Term Care Plan: Key Program Changes and Questions
This fact sheet summarizes Vermont’s Section 1115 waiver to make fundamental changes to its Medicaid program that provides long-term services and supports to eligible, low-income state residents. The waiver was designed to increase access to home and community-based services (HCBS), reduce use of institutional services and control overall costs for long-term services spending. The state hopes to achieve these goals by limiting access to nursing facility care and increasing the availability of HCBS. The program is subject to available funding under a global cap.
This report illustrates through case examples the experiences and challenges of low- and modest-income people who rely on Medicaid to pay for nursing home expenses. These case examples were developed through in-person interviews with nursing home residents and their families in three states: Georgia, Kansas and Virginia. The first section of the report summarizes the themes and issues shared across the interviews Kaiser conducted, while the second section presents the individual stories of a subset of those Kaiser interviewed.
National Council of Jewish Women features article on “Diagnosing Women’s Health Care”
Kaiser Vice President and Director of Women’s Health Policy, Alina Salganicoff, authored an article titled “Diagnosing Women’s Health Care” featured in the National Council of Jewish Women’s magazine, NCJW Journal, volume 29. The article highlights the special challenges that many women face in affording and accessing comprehensive health care in the U.S. It discusses the state of women’s health coverage, emerging issues for women in Medicaid and Medicare and the potential effects of “consumer-directed” health plans on women.
These toplines include selected findings from the June 2006 Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey, a bimonthly survey designed to provide key tracking information on public opinion about health care topics.
Kaiser Health Poll Report Survey: Seniors’ Early Experiences With Their New Medicare Drug Plans – June 2006
More than eight in 10 seniors who are enrolled in a Medicare drug plan are satisfied with their plan, although almost two in 10 say they encountered a major problem in using it, according to the latest Kaiser Family Foundation tracking survey of seniors’ experiences under the new Medicare drug benefit.
The survey of 1,585 seniors, including 623 who are enrolled in a new Medicare Part D drug plan, reveals that, for most seniors, initial experiences under the drug benefit have been positive. About three in four seniors who are enrolled in a drug plan would choose the same plan again.
The survey also finds that about a third (34%) of seniors who have used their plan had experiences that they perceived as a problem — with 18% describing it as a “major problem” and 16% describing it as a “minor problem.” The experiences cited as problems include having to pay unexpected costs, leaving the pharmacy without being able to fill a prescription, not receiving their enrollment card and having to switch drugs because one wasn’t covered. Some seniors also cited having to switch from a brand-name to a generic drug as a problem, though others who reported such an experience did not consider it to be a problem.
Seniors’ Early Experiences With Their Medicare Drug Plans — the 13th in a series that comprises three large surveys and ten smaller tracking polls — was conducted and analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation. Fieldwork by PSRAI occurred between June 8 and June 18, 2006, among a nationally representative random sample of 1,585 adults ages 65 and older. Interviews were conducted in English and Spanish.
Access to employer-sponsored health insurance is declining for all families living in the United States, and this problem is especially acute for immigrant families. Employer-sponsored coverage is a particularly important source of insurance for immigrant families since their eligibility for public coverage through Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) is restricted. This primer examines the role of employer-based coverage for immigrants and the specific hurdles they face in obtaining this coverage.
