The report finds that rapid Medicaid spending growth has been driven, in part, by enrollment increases resulting from the loss of income and private insurance coverage during the current economic downturn, together with continued increases in hospital and prescription drug costs that have affected the entire health care sector.

Issue Paper (.pdf)

This report finds that the primary cause of the state fiscal crisis is the falloff in state tax revenue.

Report (.pdf)

Report (.pdf)

Additional news on Medicaid and state budgets

With the U.S. Census Bureau releasing its annual update on health insurance coverage and the number of uninsured Americans shortly, Kaiser Family Foundation resources may be helpful. The Foundation and its largest program area, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, produce several informational resources that analyze America’s health insurance coverage, as well as the policy issues and public opinion regarding the uninsured.

• The Cost of Not Covering the Uninsured Project is an ongoing Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured project that has reported on the consequences of being uninsured, how much the country already spends on care for the uninsured and who is paying, and how much health spending would be for covering the uninsured population.
• The 2003 Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey tracks trends in employer health insurance coverage, the cost of that coverage, and other topical health insurance issues.
• Where Is the Growth in the Uninsured Population Coming From? A series of reports detail information on coverage trends in 2000 and 2001, including a chartbook with 2001 data and observations on health coverage, and discuss whether the new class of uninsured Americans were from the middle class.
• A policy brief and a fact sheet summarize whether being uninsured is a short- or long-term condition for most individuals.
• KCMU has been reporting on the latest state actions regarding Medicaid and SCHIP coverage. With the sluggish economy and states’ fiscal crisis, these public health insurance programs are enrolling individuals who otherwise would add to the uninsured rolls at the same time states are taking cost-containment actions within these programs.
• Public Opinion on the Uninsured. Earlier this year Kaiser Health Report featured public responses to questions on the uninsured policy issue and how it ranks among health care priorities.

The Cost of Not Covering the Uninsured

2003 Annual Employer Health Benefits Survey

Where Is the Growth in the Uninsured Population Coming From?

Is Lack of Coverage a Short- or Long-Term Condition?

State Fiscal Conditions and Health Coverage: An Update on FY2004 and Beyond

Are We Holding the Line on Health Coverage for Low-Income Families?

Report (.pdf)

Additional news on Medicaid and state budgets

This fifth edition of the Federal Budget Chartbook provides a comprehensive overview of the most recent data on federal funding for HIV/AIDS by agency and major program and in the areas of care and assistance, research, prevention, and the international arena. The chartbook also includes data on spending trends since FY 1995. Click here to view the previous editions of the Federal Budget Chartbook.

Chartbook (.pdf)Download the FY 2002 Budget Chartbook Slides in Powerpoint

The Senate and House of Representatives each approved legislation in June of 2003 that would establish outpatient prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries as part of Medicare program reform. Among the key differences in the House and Senate bills that still must be addressed are the treatment of Medicaid beneficiaries and the structure of low-income subsidy programs. The way in which these issues are resolved will have major implications for Medicaid beneficiaries, other low-income individuals, and state budgets, as well as potential cost implications for the federal government. This background report details the major issues for low-income individuals and Medicaid in the bills.

Report (.pdf)

The Senate and House of Representatives each approved legislation in June of 2003 that would establish outpatient prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries as part of Medicare program reform. Among the key differences in the House and Senate bills that still must be addressed are the treatment of Medicaid beneficiaries and the structure of low-income subsidy programs. The way in which these issues are resolved will have major implications for Medicaid beneficiaries, other low-income individuals, and state budgets, as well as potential cost implications for the federal government. The major issues for low-income individuals and Medicaid in the bills are described in this issue paper.

Issue Paper (.pdf)

The House and Senate versions of a Medicare prescription drug bill treat the drug costs of those dually-eligible for Medicare and Medicaid and other low-income Medicare beneficiaries quite differently. The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured cosponsored a policy briefing on the key issues in the two bills that would impact low-income beneficiaries and released a brief and background report on the topic.

A Prescription Drug Benefit in Medicare: Implications for Medicaid and Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries Issue Brief

Presentation Slides (.pdf)

Background Paper: The Proposed Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit: A Detailed Review of Implications for Dual Eligibles and Other Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries

Dual Enrollees: Medicaid’s Role for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries fact sheet

The Medicaid Drug Benefit: Highlights from the KCMU 2003 Survey of the States (.pdf)

Medicaid Matters for Low-Income Medicare Beneficiaries: A Video

View a webcast of this policy briefing

Full side-by-side comparison of the full House and Senate Medicare prescription drug bills

provides comprehensive data on the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic on African Americans. Based on the most recent data and research on the epidemiology of HIV/AIDS among African Americans, the report includes an overview and epidemic profile, as well as data on major trends, access to and use of health services, and perceptions of HIV/AIDS.

Chartbook (.pdf)