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This update on Medicaid enrollment in 50 states demonstrates that in June 2004, a total of 41.3 million persons were enrolled in Medicaid, an increase of 1.6 million or 4.1 percent from June 2003. Medicaid enrollment nationally has increased at every six-month interval since December 1998. Report (.pdf)
This issue paper is an effort to begin an assessment of health care needs in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and to review some of the policy options available to the federal government to ensure access to health care for those affected by Katrina. The brief begins with a summary of the implications for the health of the population and its access to needed care. It then outlines the implications for affected states – those…
This update shows that enrollment in SCHIP grew by 25,000 to 3,950,000 in 2004, reversing a four quarter decline in enrollment since June 2003, but still slightly below the program's enrollment peak. Report (.pdf)
This report analyzes survey data to describe the characteristics of two groups of nursing home residents who are 65 years or older: those who are discharged back to the community over a one year time period and those who remain in nursing homes for 90 days or longer. Over the last several years, some states have turned their attention to returning nursing home residents to community settings through nursing home transition programs. The findings provide…
How to Link to Medicaid Benefits: Online Database The Kaiser Family Foundation encourages non-profit organizations, government agencies, academic institutions, and other organizations to link to its online information. To link to the database, please use the following graphic, title and url. Title:Medicaid Benefits: Online Database Kaiser Family FoundationURL:http://www.kff.org/medicaidbenefits/Graphic: (right click on the graphic and select "Save Picture As" to save it to your computer) Thank you for your interest. Please let us know when you…
This brief describes the main concerns with the Census Bureau’s CPS health coverage estimates and how analysts have attempted to adjust for problems, and concludes with implications for how the CPS might be enhanced in order to improve the measurement of health insurance coverage. Issue Paper (.pdf)
This series of case studies examines how eight states (Alabama, California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Texas, and Washington) from around the nation responded to their budget crises from 2003 to 2005, with a focus on how Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Programs were affected. Additionally, an overview of the eight states' experiences was published in the journal Health Affairs. Health Affairs article (free access)Three Years Of State Fiscal Struggles: How Did Medicaid And…
This brief assesses the extent to which recent Section 1115 waivers have helped reduce the number of uninsured people and finds that there has been a net gain in coverage of 426,329 people under recent waivers. Issue Paper (.pdf)
Over the last four years, the Commission has been tracking the national development of the three main Medicaid HCBS programs that states can operate. The Commission also began to survey the policies, such as eligibility criteria and waiting lists that states can use to control the growth of spending on the waiver programs. This brief presents the latest data on the development of home and community-based service programs in Medicaid. Issue Paper (.pdf)
The Kaiser Family Foundation has produced three documentaries to mark the 40th anniversary of Medicare and Medicaid. The documentaries examine the social needs that led policymakers to create these programs, the expectations of what they would achieve and the reality of these programs today. Key policymakers, staff officials and members of Congress involved in the creation and implementation of Medicare and Medicaid are interviewed. Extensive use of historic video helps tell the story of these…
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