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  • Getting into Gear for 2014: Shifting New Medicaid Eligibility and Enrollment Policies into Drive

    Report

    On January 1, 2014, many key provisions of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will start to go into effect, including the expansion of Medicaid to low-income adults and the launch of new Medicaid eligibility and enrollment processes, which are designed to move toward a coordinated enrollment system across health coverage programs, including Medicaid, CHIP, and the new Health Insurance Marketplaces. Over the past year, states have made steady and significant progress preparing for these changes, but readiness varies considerably as 2014 nears, and implementation work and ongoing process improvements will continue into the foreseeable future. To provide greater insight into the status of implementation, this report provides an overview of key state Medicaid eligibility and enrollment policies slated to go into effect based on data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

  • To Switch or Not to Switch: Are Medicare Beneficiaries Switching Drug Plans To Save Money?

    Issue Brief

    This analysis finds that relatively few Medicare beneficiaries have switched Part D prescription drug plans voluntarily during the annual open enrollment period -- even though those who do switch often lower their out-of-pocket costs as a result of changing plans. The vast majority (87% on average between 2006 and 2010) stayed in the same Part D plan, even though the plans can change premiums, deductibles, cost-sharing amounts, and their list of covered drugs each year. Higher rates of plan switching were observed in PDPs that increased premiums, increased deductibles, or dropped coverage of brand-name drugs in the coverage gap.

  • Medigap: Spotlight on Enrollment, Premiums and Recent Trends

    Report

    Medicare supplemental insurance, also known as "Medigap," is an important source of supplemental coverage for nearly one in four people on Medicare. Traditional Medicare has cost-sharing requirements and significant gaps in coverage; Medigap helps make health care costs more predictable and stable for beneficiaries by covering some or all Medicare costs, including deductibles and cost-sharing.

  • The Single Streamlined Application Under the Affordable Care Act: Key Elements of the Proposed Application and Current Medicaid and CHIP Applications

    Report

    The Affordable Care Act (ACA) makes a number of changes to simplify the Medicaid enrollment process. As part of these changes, beginning in 2014 all states will be required to use a single, streamlined application provided by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services unless they receive approval to use an alternative application.

  • Health Reform and State Workforce Challenges: An Early Look at Five States

    Report

    This report provides an early look at state efforts to prepare for health reform, examining the experiences to date in five states (Connecticut, Michigan, Massachusetts, North Carolina and Washington). The report finds that the state political environment and expected leadership transitions create uncertainties and are already factoring into state strategies on health reform implementation.

  • Medicaid Enrollment: June 2011 Data Snapshot

    Issue Brief

    This snapshot finds that between June 2010 and June 2011, while enrollment continued to grow as an additional 2.2 million people enrolled in Medicaid programs nationally, enrollment growth in the program slowed as the economy started to improve. Enrollment growth over this period was 4.4 percent, down significantly each of the two prior annual periods.