African Americans represent twelve percent of the U.S. population, or approximately 35 million people, but have been disproportionately affected by HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted diseases.

• Fact Sheet:

This policy brief examines health coverage for low-income parents after the 1996 welfare law broke the historical connection between Medicaid coverage and welfare. Many states have altered their rules and some have expanded coverage for low-income working parents.

• Policy Brief

This chartpack presents a brief overview of the state of prescription drug coverage among the Medicare population. It reviews the impact of lack of coverage on beneficiaries’ access to prescription drugs, as well as current levels of total and out-of-pocket spending on prescription drugs.

• Chart Pack

Health News Index May/June, 2002

The Health News Index measures public attention to and knowledge about leading health stories covered in the news in April and May, including discussions in Congress about a Medicare prescription drug benefit and warnings by medical researchers about possible harmful side effects of newer prescription drugs compared to older, similarly effective drugs. The Health News Index is designed to help news media and people in the health field gain a better understanding of which health stories Americans are following and what they understand about those issues.

• HNI May-June 2002
• Topline/Survey

This report analyzes enrollment data of recent years and draws on state experiences to outline the key strategies that will lead to successful enrollment in public health coverage programs and finds that improving enrollment in Medicaid drives improved overall enrollment into a state s public coverage programs.

This fact sheet presents the key questions and answers regarding transitional medical assistance as a part of the Medicaid program and its relationship to Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF), the welfare program.

• Fact Sheet

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured highlighted two new reports at the policy briefing, , and released several related publications at the event.

• Reaching Uninsured Children Through Medicaid: If You Build It Right, They Will Come (.pdf)
• Enrolling Children and Families in Health Coverage: The Promise of Doing More (.pdf)
• Medicaid Program Enrollment: Data Update September 2001 (.pdf)
• SCHIP Program Enrollment: December 2001 Update (.pdf)
• Acceleration of Medicaid Spending Reflects Mounting Pressures (.pdf)
• Medicaid Update: What Changes Are States Considering in the Face of Fiscal Pressures?
• View a webcast and transcript of this event

“the Pill”

This issue update reviews the research to date on the Pill the oldest hormonal contraceptive option as well as current medical recommendations concerning what women should know to make an informed choice about which contraceptive method to use.

• Issue Update: “the Pill”

This fact sheet reviews contraceptive use and methods in the U.S., including current attitudes about contraception, use by adolescents and young adults, various contraception options, and insurance coverage.

Fact Sheet (.pdf)

This report provides current national and state-level data on the number of persons enrolled in Medicaid. In addition to identifying recent trends in Medicaid, this report also examines trends in the various eligibility categories within Medicaid. The report reveals that enrollment in Medicaid increased by 2.2 million individuals, or 8.7 percent annualized, in the first nine months of 2001.

• Report