Medicare is a critical source of health insurance coverage for virtually all older women in the U.S. and for many younger women who have permanent disabilities. Because women have longer life expectancies than men, more than half (57%) of the people covered by the program are women. In 1999, there were 21 million women on Medicare 19 million ages 65 and over and another 2 million women under age 65 with disabilities who received Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. This fact sheet highlights the health needs and financial security concerns of women on Medicare. Prescription drug coverage, supplemental insurance, and out-of-pocket costs are highlighted as key issues for women.
This issue brief describes and analyzes expansions of Medicaid and SCHIP, tax credits for individually-purchased insurance, and tax credits for employment-based health insurance as options to expand health coverage of the low-income population.
A fact sheet summarizing Medicaid spending and enrollment trends in Georgia and Rhode Island drawn from a briefing in February 2001.
This policy brief details the eligibility and benefit structure of Medicaid showing what portions of enrollment and spending are mandatory or optional.
Link to Retructuring Medicaid Financing: Implications of the NGA Proposal
The third in a series of reports on implementation issues and challenges in the first year of S-CHIP finds that non-Medicaid S-CHIP programs faced more administrative challenges. Success with enrollment appeared primarily related to administrative decisions, including a lower band of S-CHIP income eligibility, and the lack of premiums.
An analysis of the National Governors Association proposal to restructure Medicaid, including the financial impact of the core of the proposal. The report considers possible responses to the reforms and outlines some issues to consider as policymakers think about reforming the program.
Link to “Medicaid Mandatory and Optional Eligibility and Benefits”
The fourth in a series of reports on implementation issues and challenges in the first year of S-CHIP finds that states have been able to enter arrangements with plans for their S-CHIP population fairly easily.
This report documents the findings of a study examining access to health insurance coverage in the individual market for people with health problems. Seven hypothetical consumers with varying health conditions were defined and insurers and HMOs in eight different markets around the country were asked to consider them as though they were real consumers applying for coverage.
A photographic journey
One of the world’s most celebrated war photographers, Mr. Don McCullin in August last year traveled to southern Africa to see for himself the human devastation of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “I thought I had seen everything, but really, I was not prepared for this” says McCullin.