Medicaid Coverage of and Spending on GLP-1s November 4, 2024 Issue Brief This brief examines the implications of rising prescriptions for costly GLP-1 drugs for state Medicaid programs as more states consider covering the drugs for weight loss. It examines recent trends in Medicaid prescriptions and gross spending on GLP-1s, and explores the potential implications of expanding coverage obesity drugs for Medicaid programs.
Section 1115 Waiver Watch: Medicaid Services for Traditional American Indian and Alaska Native Health Care Practices November 19, 2024 Issue Brief In October 2024, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) approved the first ever Section 1115 waiver demonstration amendments that would allow Medicaid and CHIP coverage of traditional health care practices for American Indian or Alaska Native (AIAN) people in Arizona, California, New Mexico, and Oregon. This Waiver Watch reviews disparities in health and health care for AIAN people and summarizes the key features of the approved waivers.
Proposed Coverage of Anti-Obesity Drugs in Medicare and Medicaid Would Expand Access to Millions of People with Obesity November 26, 2024 Blog This policy watch examines the implications of new proposed regulations that would allow Medicare and require Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity, including a relatively new class of highly effective but costly drugs known as GLP-1s.
With or Without ACA Repeal, ACA and Medicaid Cuts are Looming December 5, 2024 Perspective In this JAMA Health Forum post, Executive Vice President Larry Levitt explores why the incoming Trump administration and Republican majorities in Congress are likely to pursue budget cuts in Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act and why such efforts are likely to boost the number of uninsured Americans.
