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As part of The Faces of Medicare, a collection of fact sheets profiling the characteristics and health needs of different groups of Medicare beneficiaries, highlights key facts about Medicare's low-income population, who have have greater health needs than those with higher incomes. Fact Sheet
This report is an update to the July 1995 case study on managed care in Tennessee released as part of the Kaiser/Commonwealth Low-Income Coverge and Access Project.
Medicaid and State-Funded Coverage for Adults: Estimates of Eligibility and Enrollment Lack of health insurance coverage for low-income adults remains a pressing policy challenge. In 2002, low-income adults who were uninsured accounted for nearly half of the uninsured population. This report provides an overview of nonelderly adult eligibility for and enrollment in Medicaid and state-funded coverage, nationally and in 13 study states. Executive Summary (.pdf) Full Report (.pdf) Appendix (.pdf)
This paper describes the nature of employer coverage; its decline, especially among low-wage workers and low-income families; and the factors that are undermining its reach. Issue Paper Issue Paper
Premium assistance programs use federal and state Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) funds to purchase private coverage. Overall, few states have premium assistance programs, but interest in premium assistance remains high. This brief examines six state premium assistance programs (in Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Oregon, Utah, and Virginia) that allow families to choose to receive a subsidy to apply to the purchase of private coverage rather than to receive direct Medicaid or SCHIP…
In 2000, there were over 32 million foreign-born residents in the U.S. Immigrants often face barriers to health coverage and health services. The disparities confronting immigrants can be similar to those faced by low-income working families generally, but immigrants also face other barriers, including linguistic issues and eligibility changes that have limited their ability to qualify for Medicaid. These new or updated publications address issues related to how race, immigration status, and language affect insurance…
Developed as part of a nonpartisan public education initiative of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the League of Women Voters Education Fund, this guide provides basic facts about five key health policy topics candidates are discussing in the 2000 election. These topics include health coverage for the uninsured, managed care and patients' rights, Medicare reform, prescription drug coverage for seniors, and long-term care. The guide frames each area and describes major proposals that…
This brief, the third in a series, examines changes to citizenship documentation requirements under the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009. The law extends the requirement to document citizenship that applied in Medicaid to CHIP as well. At the same time, it modifies current requirements to reduce the paperwork burden on families and states and helps ensure that eligible children and others are enrolled and receive needed health care without delay. Brief (.pdf)
This brief reviews Medicaid's role in covering preventive care for women, presents findings of importance to women from the survey, and discusses the implications for women on Medicaid following the implementation of health reform.
This issue paper explores the potential for increasing enrollment in children's health insurance programs through "Express Lane Eligibility." Express Lane Eligibility is the accelerated enrollment of low-income uninsured children already participating in other income-comparable publicly funded programs, such as WIC or school lunch, into Medicaid or CHIP. The paper reviews Express Lane Eligibility's potential impact on Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, analyzes different models, discusses key challenges with implementation, and suggests steps states and localities can…
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