Thursday, April 17, 2003

Section 1115 Waivers
"The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured is closely following waiver activity to provide information on how these waivers are impacting the uninsured and affecting Medicaid and SCHIP and the coverage provided to low-income beneficiaries. This page will be updated with our latest materials on waivers including state-specific information and general reports on waiver issues and policies." Included are links to a February 2002 report, a policy brief on Section 1115 waivers and fact sheets on waivers for California, Delaware, Maine, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah (all in Adobe Acrobat format).  
  

NAMI Offers 10-Point Antidote to Medicaid Rx Restrictions
Mental Health Weekly story at Medscape - "With momentum growing toward states' imposing access restrictions to psychotropic drugs in their Medicaid programs, the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) has issued a 10-point policy that is part association strategy document, part outline of alternatives for states." [Viewing Medscape resources requires registration, which is free].  
  

Improving The Quality Of Medicaid Personal Assistance Through Consumer Direction
A web exclusive edition of the journal Health Affairs. See also the story at the MIMH Policy Information Exchange - "Medicaid recipients with disabilities who direct their own supportive services were significantly more satisfied and appeared to get better care than those receiving services through home care agencies, according to initial findings of a demonstration project jointly supported by HHS and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. With self-direction, the recipients’ satisfaction and quality of life were improved substantially and unmet needs for care were reduced, without compromising health or safety, the study found." The findings are also available in Adobe Acrobat format.