States Focus on Cost Containment as a Loss of Federal Stimulus Funds Means State Costs for Medicaid Will Jump in FY 2012 October 27, 2011 News Release NEWS RELEASE Thursday, October 27, 2011 New 50-State Survey Finds Cuts In Provider Payments And Changes In Delivery Of Services WASHINGTON, D.C. – Faced with the end of stimulus money and a continuing weak economy, Medicaid officials in virtually every state are enacting a variety of cost cutting measures as states’…
Questions About Essential Health Benefits October 18, 2011 Perspective The Institute of Medicine (IOM) recently issued its long-awaited report on defining the essential health benefits under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). As expected, the committee preparing the IOM report did not recommend which specific services should be covered, but rather discussed what the process should be for defining the essential benefits,…
50 Million Uninsured: The Faces Behind the Headlines October 14, 2011 Event Almost 50 million Americans lacked health insurance in 2010 — about a million more than in 2009. Who are the uninsured? Why do so many Americans lack coverage? What are the trends in coverage among different segments of the population? What do these trends mean for the health care system…
Inside Deficit Reduction: What It Means for Medicare October 11, 2011 Event Proposals to generate Medicare savings abound, from the various commissions recommending change, members of Congress and others. Which proposals will, or should receive serious considerations by the Congressional super committee in its quest to find $1.2 trillion or more in savings by its November 23 deadline? What impact would these…
Pulling it Together: Business and Health Care Costs October 11, 2011 Perspective Hidden away on page 218 of our annual Employer Health Benefits Survey is a table that shows what employers think of the main strategies they have to control health care costs. More specifically, the table shows what the person in the firm responsible for its health benefits thinks, which is…
Long-term Services and Supports: A Rebalancing Act October 3, 2011 Event The ongoing debate over the federal budget and deficit reduction presents a balancing act for policymakers, as many compelling interests compete for scarce dollars. But for 10 million older adults and people with disabilities who need long-term services and supports, there is a “rebalancing act” in progress. The aim is…
Kaiser Health Tracking Poll — October 2011 October 1, 2011 Poll Finding The October health tracking poll finds a more negative overall public mood about the health reform law, driven largely by changes in support for the law among Democrats. The poll also asked the public’s impressions of the Massachusetts health reform law enacted under then- Gov. Mitt Romney, who is now…
California's "Bridge to Reform" Medicaid Demonstration Waiver October 1, 2011 Fact Sheet This issue brief provides an overview of California’s “Bridge to Reform” Medicaid Demonstration Waiver, which was approved in 2010 and will make up to roughly $8 billion in federal Medicaid matching funds available to California over a five-year period to expand coverage to low-income uninsured adults and preserve and improve…
Uniform Coverage Summaries for Consumers October 1, 2011 Issue Brief This brief explains the proposed federal rule that requires private health plans to provide a short, easy-to-read uniform summary of benefits and coverage to all health insurance applicants and enrollees. The rule, which implements a provision in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), is intended to make it simpler for consumers…
Connecting Eligible Immigrant Families to Health Coverage and Care: Key Lessons from Outreach and Enrollment Workers October 1, 2011 Issue Brief Beginning in 2014, health coverage options will significantly expand under health reform through an expansion in Medicaid eligibility and by making tax credits available to help individuals purchase coverage through new Health Benefit Exchanges. Given their high uninsured rate and limited access to private and public coverage, one group who…
