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This policy brief examines health coverage for low-income parents after the 1996 welfare law broke the historical connection between Medicaid coverage and welfare. Many states have altered their rules and some have expanded coverage for low-income working parents. Policy Brief
This report, prepared by Marilyn Moon of The Urban Institute and Robert Friedland and Lee Shirey of Georgetown University's Center on an Aging Society, reviews the income and assets of the current Medicare population, provides an overview of asset tests used to determine eligibility for programs assisting low-income Medicare beneficiaries, and considers how alternative policy options would affect eligibility for these programs. The authors find that beneficiaries with low incomes tend to have minimal assets.…
This testimony was delivered by Tricia Neuman, a vice president of the Kaiser Family Foundation, at a Senate Finance Committee hearing on the Bush Administration's Proposals for Medicare Modernization. The statement, which draws upon a report prepared for the Foundation by Health Policy Alternatives, Inc., provides an overview of existing prescription drug discount card programs, describes some of the features of the Administration's recently released proposal for a Medicare-endorsed discount card program, and raises some…
This report presents the results of eight focus groups conducted in several languages throughout California to explore the knowledge and opinions of parents of potentially eligible children about the Medi-Cal program, California's Medicaid program. The study found that participants were confused about eligibility requirements, found the enrollment process onerous and demeaning, and had suggestions about how they could be better educated about the program. Policy Brief: Medi-Cal Eligibility And Enrollment (.pdf) Report: Barriers to…
Medicaid Eligibility for Families and Children September 1998 Measured by enrollment, Medicaid is the largest health insurer in the country. According to the Urban Institute's estimates, Medicaid covered 41.3 million Americans in 1996; Medicare, in comparison, covered 38 million. Moreover, millions of low-income Americans without private health insurance coverage are eligible for Medicaid but are not enrolled in the program. For example, researchers at the Agency for Health Care Policy Research recently estimated that in…
The Senate and House of Representatives each approved legislation in June of 2003 that would establish outpatient prescription drug coverage for Medicare beneficiaries as part of Medicare program reform. Among the key differences in the House and Senate bills that still must be addressed are the treatment of Medicaid beneficiaries and the structure of low-income subsidy programs. The way in which these issues are resolved will have major implications for Medicaid beneficiaries, other low-income individuals,…
In 2002, the state of Washington eliminated state-funded Medicaid look-alike coverage for certain immigrant families. These families then became eligible for more limited coverage in the state's Basic Health program. This report details the process of this transition and the outcomes for coverage and access for these individuals. Report (.pdf)
Health Coverage for Low-Income Americans: An Evidence-Based Approach to Public Policy This report offers an evidence-based framework for developing public policy approaches to covering low-income Americans. The first part of the report is devoted to the question: What is the role for publicly sponsored health insurance? The second part turns to seven central issues in structuring a publicly sponsored health insurance program for the low-income population. The report outlines each of these issues, provides a…
This policy brief reviews the literature and examines the impact of Medicaid and SCHIP on coverage, access to care and health for the nation's low-income children. Issue Brief (.pdf)
Currently, eleven states cover parents with SCHIP funds via a federal waiver. This paper examines these programs and considers them within the context of the states' efforts to cover children. Issue Brief (.pdf)
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