Monday, June 13, 2005

Increasing Premiums and Cost Sharing in Medicaid and SCHIP: Recent State Experiences Issue paper from the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Unisured - "Over the past few years, a number of states have implemented new or increased existing out-of-pocket costs for beneficiaries in their Medicaid, SCHIP, or other public coverage programs. This brief reviews the key findings from this recent activity, including the impact on enrollment in public coverage programs, access to care, and providers."  
  

The Latest Data on Mandatory and Optional Populations and Benefits in Medicaid Page at the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured web site with links to an issue paper and background report - "With discussions on restructuring Medicaid occurring in state capitols and Washington, two new reports provide the latest data on how much of Medicaid's spending is for covering mandatory versus optional populations and services. The analysis shows that although optional populations account for 29 percent of Medicaid enrollment, 60 percent of all Medicaid spending (whether for mandatory or optional populations) is optional and 86 percent of optional spending is for the elderly or individuals with disabilities. The issue paper is a brief summary of the data and the discussion of the practical implications for policy changes and the background report is a more detailed examination which includes the methodology of the analysis and many charts and tables."  
  

Former CMS Administrator Scully Says Medicaid Reform Plan Unlikely This Year Item in the Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report - "Congress is unlikely to develop a plan to reform Medicaid this year, despite the fact that the program's problems are "100 times" worse than those of Medicare, former CMS Administrator Tom Scully said Wednesday, CQ HealthBeat reports. Speaking at a meeting of the American Association for Homecare, Scully said a comprehensive Medicaid reform plan would require approval from the governors, and no governor would be willing to accept the funding reductions that would be required of some states..."