Medicaid and Children's Health: Federal Issues

Children's Health
Medicaid

Federal Issues: Children's Health

From Families USA:

9 Million Children and Counting: The Administration's Attack on Health Coverage for America's Children examines how the President's two vetoes of CHIP reauthorization legislation, combined with the August 2007 CMS directive, will jeopardize health care for thousands of children. And the President's proposed fiscal year 2009 budget would hurt children's coverage even more. (February 2008)

Kids Waiting for Coverage: How Many Are in Your State? provides national and state-by-state estimates of the numbers of uninsured children who could be covered under the House and Senate CHIP reauthorization bills, as well as a discussion of how successful CHIP has been since its enactment in 1997. (September 2007)

Screening for Medicaid and State Children's Health Program (SCHIP) Eligibility is intended as a reference to help determine whether someone may qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP coverage. Each question includes federal and state-specific information. (Originally published in 2004, updated 2007)

SCHIP and Children's Health Coverage: Leveling the Playing Field for Minority Children examines the important role that SCHIP plays in reducing disparities in access to care, as well as how the SCHIP reauthorization process can be used to further this effort. (December 2006, updated June 2007)

When One Size Doesn't Fit All: the Importance of State Flexibility in SCHIP Eligibility looks at how different costs of living in different parts of the country affect how far a dollar goes, and how this relates to state choices to set SCHIP eligibility limits higher than twice the federal poverty level. (April 2007)

Press Release: Federal Court Likely to Enjoin Rule Requiring 500,000 Foster Children in Medicaid to Document Citizenship (September 19, 2006)

Comments from 20 National Organizations on CMS’s Interim Final Rule on the New Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirement. (August 11, 2006)

Comments from 80 State and Local Organizations on CMS's Interim Final Rule on the New Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirement. (August 11, 2006)

President Bush's Fiscal Year 2007 Budget: Analysis of Key Health Care Provisions includes discussion and commentary on Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Medicaid, and Medicare. (February 22, 2006)

Several bills have been introduced in the House and Senate aimed at changing the Medicaid program. Families USA has prepared this document to help you keep track of all this legislation. Click here for a list of Senate and House bills, including their sponsors. (November 15, 2004)

Families USA and 83 other organizations sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) with comments on the proposed regulations for the Medicaid and SCHIP Payment Error Rate Measurement (PERM). The groups expressed concern that, if implemented, the regulations would have potentially harmful implications for Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program and for the millions of children, families, people with disabilities, and seniors who rely on these programs for their health care lifeline. (October 27, 2004)

Statement: President Allows $1.1 Billion in Children's Health Insurance Funds to be Withdrawn from the States Tonight (September 29, 2004)

$1.1 Billion in Children's Health Insurance Funds to Be Returned to U.S. Treasury Funds that Could Provide a Year of Health Coverage for Almost 750,000 Uninsured Children Will Be Withdrawn from the States on September 30. (September 2004)

Statement: President to Allow $1.1 Billion in Children's Health Insurance Funds to Be Removed from the States (September 23, 2004)

Compelling New Letter from Coalition of Disability Groups Opposes Administration's Move to Block Grant Medicaid (March 2, 2004)

Share of Medicaid and SCHIP Funding Paid by the Federal Government, State by State (Rev. March 2004)

The Immigrant Children's Health Improvement Act (ICHIA): A Good Investment in America's Future | en español (December 11, 2003)

Congress Passes the "SCHIP Fix"! Fact Sheet | Table of State-by-State Estimates (August 7, 2003)

The Bush Administration's Fiscal Year 2004 Budget: Analysis of Key Health Care Provisions (February 7, 2003)

Special Report: Children Losing Health Coverage: 900,000 Children in Jeopardy of Losing Health Coverage | Press Release (September 12, 2002)

Immigrants and the Medicaid and SCHIP Programs: Public Charge Guidance Released This memo by Families USA's legislative staff explains the Immigration & Naturalization Services' recent clarification of "Public Charge," an issue that affects immigrants' eligibility for Medicaid and SCHIP Programs. (May 28, 1999)

Response to HCFA's Release of SCHIP Enrollment Figures: Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, comments on the Health Care Financing Administration's release of SCHIP enrollment figures. (April 20, 1999)

President Clinton's FY2000 Budget: Families USA's legislative department provides this overview of the President's budget proposals for Medicaid, CHIP and Medicare. (February, 1999)

From the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality:

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), created in 1997, has been a major factor in improving health coverage rates for children. Changes in Children’s Health Insurance Status, 1996-2005: Estimates for the U.S. Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population under Age 18 examines trends in children’s health insurance coverage by race/ethnicity and finds that improvements have been particularly dramatic for minority children. (September 2006)

From The American Academy of Pediatrics:

Summary of SCHIP Provisions

Summary of Title XXI (SCHIP)

Comparison of Major State Options

Current State Medicaid and Maximum SCHIP Eligibility

Updates on The Children's Health Insurance Program:

Update, February, 1999 provides the latest information on the status of the CHIP program at both the state and federal level. Also included are updated figures on allotments and matching rates for 1999.

Family Coverage Options Under Chip, The State Children's Health Insurance Program:This report discusses the use of CHIP funds and other resources in covering the costs of health insurance for uninsured families. (August, 1998)

CHIP Resources for Advocatesis a 500-page notebook containing the most useful resources to help state advocates working on implementation of the new children's health insurance program. (June, 1998)

From The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

Poor Children First—Or Last? Watch What the Administration Is Doing, Not What It Is Saying examines President Bush’s claim that CHIP violates the “poor children first” principle, revealing that the opposite is true. (October 2007)

The White House has claimed that increasing the federal tobacco tax to pay for a CHIP expansion is bad policy because 1) It would primarily be paid for by low-income people, since most smokers have low incomes, and 2) It would create a “middle-class entitlement.” Expanding Children’s Health Insurance and Raising Federal Tobacco Taxes Helps Low-Income Families discredits these claims and explains why using a tobacco tax increase to fund CHIP would be beneficial. (October 2007)

The Administration’s Dubious Claims about the Emerging Children’s Health Legislation: Myth and Reality explains how a number of recent Administration claims about SCHIP reauthorization legislation, such as that it would advance a “Washington-run, government-owned” health plan designed to pave the way for a single-payer system, do not reflect reality. (July 2007)

Medicaid Documentation Requirement Disproportionately Harms Non-Hispanics New State Data Show: Rule Mostly Hurts U.S. Citizen Children, Not Undocumented Immigrants uses newly available data that provide further evidence that the requirement, purportedly aimed at preventing undocumented immigrants from improperly obtaining Medicaid, is instead overwhelmingly affecting eligible U.S. citizens. (July 2007)

In considering the pending reauthorization of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), some have recommended that Congress use federal funds to subsidize the purchase of private health insurance rather than to expand public health programs such as Medicaid or SCHIP. Comparing Public and Private Health Insurance for Children provides evidence that public health coverage is less expensive than private insurance and provides comparable, and in some cases better, access to health care for children. (May 2007)

The Ins and Outs of Delinking: Promoting Medicaid Enrollment of Children Who are Moving In and Out or the TANF System discusses the decreases in the Medicaid rolls since the TANF regulations have changed.

From The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services:

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the National Conference of State Legislatures have released a new guidebook aimed at helping more families become enrolled and stay enrolled in Medicaid programs. The guidebook, "Continuing the Progress: Enrolling and Retaining Low-Income Families and Children in Health Care Coverage," is a directory of successful state strategies that can assist those interested in promoting coverage among low-income families and in simplifying Medicaid procedures. The guide also includes state-to-state information about current application and enrollment processes for children in Medicaid and separate child health programs. You may retrieve the document at http://www.hcfa.gov/init/outreach/examples.htm

From The Child Welfare League of America:

The Foster Care Independence Act of 1999, Extends Medicaid and Other Services for youths transitioning from Foster Care. June, 1999)

From the Children's Partnership:

The Express Lane Eligibility Web Siteis designed to provide advocates, community leaders, and policymakers with the tools they need to provide health insurance to more than 4 million uninsured children enrolled in such public programs as Food Stamps and School Lunch. The site aims to increase children's health coverage by connecting Medicaid and SCHIP with other public programs, such as WIC and Food Stamps. This Web resource provides a central clearinghouse for information on Express Lane Eligibility strategies, including research, resources, and real-world examples to help communities and states undertake Express Lane Eligibility. (November 2002)

From Covering Kids:

Facts on Uninsured Kids includes statistics on 1999 Federal Poverty levels and on uninsured children by race, age and Hispanic origin.

From the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families and Lake Research Partners:

Election Survey Finds Broad Support for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) notes that more than eight in 10 voters favor increasing spending on the SCHIP. This summary outlines the results of the survey and describes the outcomes of other public opinion surveys about health coverage for children. (December 2006)

From The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA):

The Child Health Insurance Program page of the HCFA web site is an invaluable resource for child health advocates. The site offers the latest developments on the program including state plan submissions, state-by-state contact information, and more. A summary of the Title XXI Legislation from the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 is posted on the site. Also posted are a series of question and answer fact sheets in response to some of the questions regarding the program.

From The Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau:

The Health Resources and Services Administration's Maternal and Child Health Bureau has released Child Health USA 2001, its 12th annual report on the health status and service needs of the nation's children. To assess the Bureau's progress toward achieving its vision of a nation where all people enjoy equal access to quality health care, the Bureau compiled this report of secondary data for 59 health status indicators, including health care financing, physician visits, and hospital utilization, as well as state-specific data. The report provides both graphical and textual summaries of data and addresses long-term trends where applicable. (2001)

From HHS (Department of Health and Human Services):

HHS Proposes Changes Allowing States to Expand Medicaid Coverage. See the HHS press release announcing new rules to allow states greater flexibility in determining Medicaid eligibility - a change that could benefit thousands of Americans.

From HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) and USDA (US Department of Agriculture):

Issue Guidance on How States May Ask Questions About Immigration Status and Social Security Numbers(September, 2000)

From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:

Resources on Children and Family Health Coverage provides the information released in a policy briefing on state coverage trends for children and families. These policy reports include:

“Enrolling Children in Medicaid and SCHIP: Insights from Focus Groups with Low-Income Parents”
“SCHIP Turns 10: An Update on Enrollment and the Outlook on Reauthorization from the Program’s Directors”
“Family Coverage under SCHIP Waivers”
“Health Insurance Coverage and Access to Care for Low-Income Non-Citizen Children”

(May 2007)

State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) at a Glance provides basic information about SCHIP, including eligibility information as of June 2006. (January 2007)

From the Kaiser Health Security Watch:

Medicaid’s Role in Family Planning reviews the role of Medicaid in financing and promoting access to family planning services for low-income women. For example, it examines the extent to which women of reproductive age rely on Medicaid for their care, as well as the special status and range of services covered under the rubric of family planning. (October 2007)

From The National Health Law Program (NHeLP):

Reshaping the Health Safety Net for America's Poor: Part Two of this series of reports deals with the State Children's Health Insurance Plan. (October, 1997)

From the National Health Policy Forum:

Title V is a limited source of federal funds that states can use to help address the social, financial, behavioral, and structural barriers to health care for women, children, and families. Many of the children Title V serves also have Medicaid or CHIP coverage. The Title V Maternal and Child Health Block Grant Program highlights the key components of Title V and its interaction with Medicaid and CHIP. (September 2007)

From The Surgeon General:

National Action Agenda for Children's Mental Health report says the nation is facing a public crisis in mental health for children and adolescents. According to the report, 1 in 10 children and adolescents in the U.S. suffer from mental illness severe enough to cause some level of impairment. Yet, in any given year, fewer than 1 in 5 of these children receive needed treatment. The report provides a blueprint for change. (2000)

From the Urban Institute:

Concerns about Parents Dropping Employer Coverage to Enroll in SCHIP Overlook Issues of Affordability addresses the issue of crowd-out—the substitution of public coverage for private coverage. The report compares family medical spending of those who have employer-sponsored health insurance, those who are covered by Medicaid or CHIP, and those who are uninsured. It aims to dispel common misperceptions about CHIP and the people it was meant to serve. (September 2007)

Between 2001 and 2005, Americans have seen a significant decline in employer-sponsored health coverage. Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) were created to provide assistance for low-income families who are especially vulnerable because they cannot afford to purchase private health coverage. The Role of Medicaid and SCHIP as an Insurance Safety Net examines data from across the states to assess the two programs’ effectiveness in offsetting declining employer-sponsored coverage for low-income children and adults. (August 2006)

All under One Roof: Mixed-Status Families in an Era of Reform discusses the dispersal of Medicaid and other services to mixed-status families, that is to say, families in which one or more parents is a non-citizen and one or more children is a citizen. (June, 1999)

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Federal Issues: Medicaid

From Families USA:

Medicaid Alert: A series of issue briefs that examine how the so-called Deficit Reduction Act fundamentally alters many aspects of the Medicaid program, key implementation issues, and strategies advocates can use to mitigate the harm this law could cause to people on Medicaid.

A Temporary FMAP Increase Is Good Medicine for State Economies and Workers discusses how temporarily increasing the federal matching rate for Medicaid (the FMAP) can stimulate state economies. (April 2008)

The Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirement One Year Later examines the citizenship documentation law, including changes that have been made since its implementation in July 2006, as well as its impact on states, Medicaid applicants, and Medicaid enrollees. The issue brief also discusses potential improvements to the requirement contained in the CHIP reauthorization legislation. (September 2007)

Press Release: Federal Court Likely to Enjoin Rule Requiring 500,000 Foster Children in Medicaid to Document Citizenship (September 19, 2006)

Testimony of Ronald F. Pollack, Executive Director, Families USA, before the Senate Special Committee on Aging, on Medicaid Managed Care (September 13, 2006)

Press Statement: Court Expedites Litigation Schedule on Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Law (July 7, 2006)

Cost-Sharing and Premiums: Shifting Costs to Those Who Can Afford It Least explains the new premium and cost-sharing options of the so-called Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) and offers strategies for advocates whose states choose to make changes that could harm people on Medicaid. (May 2006)

Medicaid Benefit Package Changes: Coming to a State Near You? explains the changes that states can choose to make in their Medicaid benefit packages as a result of the so-called Deficit Reduction Act (DRA), as well as the harm that might come from implementing such changes. (March 2006)

Millions Must Now Prove Citizenship to Keep Medicaid Coverage explains the implications of this provision of the so-called Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) and outlines steps advocates can take to mitigate the negative consequences of this new requirement. (February 2006)

Overview: Medicaid and the Deficit Reduction Act 101 discusses highlights of the new law. It divides the law's provisions into two sections: changes that make it harder to get onto Medicaid, and changes that make it harder for people on Medicaid to get services. (February 2006)

Statement: House Passes Budget Bill; Medicaid Beneficiaries Are the Big Losers (February 1, 2006)

Statement: President's Health Care Message Is Most Notable for What Was NOT Said (February 1, 2006)

Statement: House Steamrolls Senate and Demands Medicaid Budget Cuts Harming Poor (December 19, 2005)

Press Release: Over 140 Groups Urge Congress to Reject Medicaid Cuts in House Budget Bill (December 14, 2005) | Letter Sent to the House | Letter Sent to the Senate

Press Release: Senator Gordon Smith Crucial Voice for Defending Medicaid Program (November 30, 2005)

Statement: House Adopts Budget Reconciliation Bill That Will Harm Medicaid Enrollees (November 18, 2005)

Statement: Medicaid Cuts in House Budget Bill Will Cause Enormous Hardships (October 28, 2005)

Press Release: Over 100 Organizations Ask Congress to Establish Emergency Medicaid for Katrina Survivors | Letter (September 14, 2005)

Statement: Proposed Congressional Medicaid Cuts in the Wake of Katrina Are Criticized (September 7, 2005)

Statement: Medicaid Commission's Final Recommendations to Congress Side with Drug Industry (August 19, 2005)

Statement: Medicaid Commission Holds First Meeting 36 Days before Its First Report Is Due (July 27, 2005)

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Analysis of the National Governors Association's Medicaid Reform Proposal (July 2005)

Gearing Up Series--The Holes in Part D: Gaps in the New Medicare Drug Benefit (Part 1 of 2) This brief discusses the three major kinds of gaps associated with the Part D benefit: 1) the financial gap beneficiaries will face; 2) the drug coverage gap; and 3) the enrollment gap. (July 2005)

Gearing Up Series--Filling the Holes in Part D: The Essential Role of State Pharmacy Assistance Programs (Part 2 of 2) This brief examines the key decisions states will have to make when determining how their Pharmacy Assistance Programs can provide wraparound coverage and explains the special role of these programs under the Medicare drug law. It also discusses how these programs can help with enrollment. (July 2005)

Trouble Brewing? New Medicare Drug Law Puts Low-Income People at Risk The Medicare Modernization Act (MMA) was touted as a program that would help all Medicare enrollees, particularly the neediest, obtain prescription drug coverage. Now there is evidence that a flaw in the MMA will cause serious harm to many of the most vulnerable elderly and people with disabilities. | Press Release (July 2005)

Bush Administration Creates "Sham Commission" to Study Future of Medicaid Program (May 12, 2005)

State-Level Impact of Federal Budget Agreement on Medicaid contains tables showing how much money states could lose if Congress adopts its proposed Medicaid cuts, as well as tables showing how many children and seniors could be covered if those cuts weren't made. (Revised May 9, 2005)

Statement: Medicaid Budget Cuts Will Cause Harm to America's Low-Income Seniors and Children (April 28, 2005)

Statement: Forty-Four Republican House Members Urge No Budget Cuts for Medicaid (April 14, 2005)

Statement: Senate Medicaid Vote Protects Health Safety Net for Children and the Elderly (March 17, 2005)

Statement: Budget Committee Cutbacks of Medicaid Require Bigger Cuts Than Bush Proposal (March 9, 2005)

The President's Budget Cuts: Loss of Medicaid Coverage Years for Children Includes state-specific numbers (February 17, 2005)

The President's Budget Cuts: Loss of Medicaid Coverage Years for Seniors Includes state-specific numbers (February 17, 2005)

Medicaid and Minority Health: Why Cutting Medicaid Will Exacerbate Health Disparities analyzes the relationship between Medicaid and minority health, explores the causes of racial and ethnic health disparities, and examines how recent proposals to cut Medicaid will worsen these disparities. (February 11, 2005)

Cut Medicaid--Increase Health Disparities: How Cuts to "Optional" Beneficiaries Will Affect Minority Health explores the lack of true distinction between mandatory and so-called "optional" enrollees. It also analyzes how proposed Medicaid cuts that target "optional" enrollees will exacerbate health disparities because they will have a disproportionate impact on the health care and health outcomes of racial and ethnic minorities, particularly African-American seniors in nursing homes. (February 9, 2005)

To read about the President's New Medicare Proposals in His Budget for Fiscal Year 2005, See The Bush Administration's Fiscal Year 2005 Budget: Analysis of Key Health Care Provisions (February 4, 2004)

Share of Medicaid and SCHIP Funding Paid by the Federal Government, State by State (Rev. March 2004)

Statement: Over 1.2 Million Could Lose Health Coverage under Senate Budget Resolution (March 5, 2004)

The National Governors Association Medicaid Block-Grant, Families USA (June 2003)

Capping Medicaid Funding: The Problem with Block Grants (June 2003)

Proposed Fiscal Relief to States, FY2003-2004 - How Does Your State Fare? (February 21, 2003)

Issue Brief: Preliminary Analysis of New Bush Proposal to Block-Grant Medicaid (February 12, 2003)

Statement: The President's Budget Shortchanges America's Health Care Needs (February 3, 2003)

Medicaid Managed Care Final Regulations Issued In June, the Bush Administration released final regulations implementing patient protections for Medicaid beneficiaries enrolled in managed care. This report summarizes the main provisions of these regulations, including state plan requirements, enrollee rights, and grievance systems. (September 2002)

Bush Administration Issues Final Medicaid Managed Care Rule (June 14, 2002)

Medicaid Managed Care Consumer Protection Regulations: No Patients' Rights for the Poor? A new special report from Families USA (May 2001)

Testimony by Ron Pollack, Executive Director of Families USA, Before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, about the Bush Administration's Medicaid Waiver Policy. This testimony addresses fundamental problems with the Bush Administration's new Medicaid state waiver policy, called the Health Insurance Flexibility and Accountability (HIFA) initiative. It also addresses the Administration's individual tax credit proposal and presents evidence that a $1,000 tax credit will not help low-income people purchase health insurance coverage in the private individual market. (March 12, 2002)

Medicaid Managed Care Regulations Issued: What do they do? Will they be implemented? New Field Report (March 2001)

From the Center for Health Care Strategies:

The Faces of Medicaid II: Recognizing the Care Needs of People with Multiple Chronic Conditions identifies the prevalence of chronic conditions within the Medicaid population, as well as the patterns of health care utilization and the associated cost. The report suggests that the ultimate goal of policymakers should be to develop more appropriate guidelines and care models that will help control costs within publicly financed care. (October 2007)

From The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:

The New Medicaid Citizenship Documentation Requirement: A Brief Overview reviews the federal requirement regarding proof of citizenship and identity. It argues that, rather than preventing illegal immigrants from enrolling (its purported goal), it far more likely to impede coverage for many eligible U.S. citizens. (September 2007)

Health care in the United States has become very expensive, and health care costs in the private and public sectors alike have been rising at a rapid clip. However, Medicaid Costs Are Growing More Slowly than Costs for Medicare or Private Insurance reports new data showing that Medicaid expenditures did not grow at all in fiscal year 2006 and are expected to grow only modestly in 2007. (November 2006)

The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) allows states, with federal approval, to move certain groups of Medicaid beneficiaries into “benchmark” plans that do not provide all of the benefits covered by regular Medicaid. The Illusion of Choice: Vulnerable Medicaid Beneficiaries Being Placed in Scaled-Back “Benchmark” Benefit Packages explains that in certain states, groups of vulnerable beneficiaries that were declared exempt from this law—including the elderly, pregnant women, and people with disabilities—are being placed in scaled-back benchmark plans. (September 2006)

Federal and state officials are discussing possible ways to reduce Medicaid expenditures, and one common proposal is to increase the copayments Medicaid beneficiaries must pay. Out-of-Pocket Medical Expenses for Medicaid Beneficiaries are Substantial and Growing explains that out-of-pocket medical expenses for low-income, adult Medicaid beneficiaries have grown twice as fast as their incomes in recent years. These individuals now spend more than three times as much of their incomes on out-of-pocket medical costs as middle-class adults with private health insurance. (May 31, 2005)

Expanding medicaid coverage to low-income parents reduces number of uninsured children, new research finds. Parental Coverage Also Improves Utilization, Does Not Significantly Erode Employer Insurance.(September 5, 2000)

From The Commonwealth Fund:

Granting states the flexibility to automatically enroll people into Medicaid and SCHIP using information that state officials already have could significantly extend health insurance coverage to uninsured but eligible children and their families, according to Automatically Enrolling Eligible Children and Families into Medicaid and SCHIP: Opportunities, Obstacles, and Options for Federal Policymakers. Unfortunately, legal and technical barriers now prevent auto-enrollment in public health insurance programs. Federal policymakers need to provide states with additional flexibility in determining eligibility and new resources for investing in information technology. (June 2006)

From the Children's Partnership:

The Express Lane Eligibility Web Site is designed to provide advocates, community leaders, and policymakers with the tools they need to provide health insurance to more than 4 million uninsured children enrolled in such public programs as Food Stamps and School Lunch. The site aims to increase children's health coverage by connecting Medicaid and SCHIP with other public programs, such as WIC and Food Stamps. This Web resource provides a central clearinghouse for information on Express Lane Eligibility strategies, including research, resources, and real-world examples to help communities and states undertake Express Lane Eligibility. (November 2002)

From The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA):

Issue Guidance on How States May Ask Questions About Immigration Status and Social Security Numbers (September, 2000)

From the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of the Inspector General:

According to Dual Eligibles’ Transition: Part D Formularies’ Inclusion of Commonly Used Drugs, 18 percent of dual eligibles were enrolled in plans that cover all commonly prescribed medications, while 30 percent were enrolled in plans that cover less than 85 percent of commonly prescribed drugs. In total, drug plans cover an average of 92 percent of the 178 medications most commonly prescribed to dual eligibles. (January 2006)

From The Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA):

State Medicaid Director Letter Regarding Efforts to Improve Eligible Families' Ability to Enroll in Medicaid This letter directs states to review their Medicaid/TANF de-linking efforts and reinstate people who may have wrongly lost Medicaid when they lost welfare. (April 7, 2000)

The Medicaid Bureau Welfare Page includes information and ideas for improving the quality of care and life in nursing homes.

From the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies:

Medicaid Responsiveness, Health Coverage, and Economic Resilience: A Preliminary Analysis (September 27, 2005)

From The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:

Medicaid: Overview and Impact of New Regulations focuses on the six new regulations proposed by the Bush Administration that would cut $12 billion in federal Medicaid spending over the next five years. The brief explains the current policy, the proposed changes, and the likely impact of the new regulations. (February 2008)

Interactive Children’s Health Insurance Coverage Timeline (2007)

A Medicaid Fact Sheet explains the program and gives enrollment statistics and other useful information.

From The Kaiser Family Foundation:

While often not considered to be a “women’s health program,” women comprise the majority (69 percent) of adult Medicaid beneficiaries. Medicaid’s Role for Women examines the wide range of health services offered in Medicaid specifically for women and explains why maintaining these services is important. (October 2007)

With the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act, states can now apply some SCHIP-based principles to their Medicaid programs. Health Coverage For Low-Income Populations: A Comparison of Medicaid and SCHIP examines the similarities and difference between Medicaid and SCHIP, as well as the implications of applying selected SCHIP design features to Medicaid. (April 2006)

Medicaid provides health coverage for more than 52 million people, many of whom would otherwise be uninsured. But does Medicaid go far enough or too far? Who Needs Medicaid? reviews Medicaid’s current eligibility structure, considers a broader model for eligibility, and assesses the implications of recent legislative and policy developments. (April 2006)

Restructuring Medicaid Financing: Implications of the NGA Proposal analyzes the National Governor's Association proposal to restructure Medicaid, including the financial impact of the core elements of the proposal, considers possible responses to the reforms, and outlines some issues to consider as policymakers think about reforming the program. (June 2001)

From the Maternal and Child Health Library:

Knowledge Path: Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) Services is an electronic guide on current, high-quality resources for health professionals and families about providing and strengthening EPSDT services. The resource also includes guidelines for the frequency, timing, and content of health promotion and disease prevention services for infants, children, and adolescents. (July 2003)

From Mathematica Policy Research, Inc.:

New Medicaid Drug Use and Cost Data Highlight Issues for States after Medicare Part D examines a number of Medicaid prescription drug issues that states still need to address after the movement of dual eligibles into Medicare Part D. (June 2007)

Working-age adults with disabilities need adequate health insurance in order to enter or remain in the work force, but their options for coverage are limited. The Medicaid Buy-In program allows adults with disabilities to earn more than the allowable amount and still have Medicaid coverage. In return, participants “buy into” the Medicaid program, typically by paying premiums based on income. Extending Medicaid to Workers with Disabilities: The Medicaid Buy-In Program examines the participation and success of this program in a series of issue briefs. (June 2006)

Inadequate access to private health insurance, which can be expensive and may not cover needed services, is a critical barrier to employment for people with disabilities. Understanding Enrollment Trends and Participant Characteristics of the Medicaid Buy-In Program, 2003-2004 describes enrollment and participation in the Medicaid Buy-In program, part of the federal effort to make it easier for people with disabilities to work without losing health benefits. (January 2006)

From The National Health Law Program (NHeLP):

The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) will have a major impact on how Medicaid beneficiaries renew their coverage, as well as on how new applicants obtain coverage. This Web page provides descriptions of the act, its possible implications, discussions of its legality, and other resources, including reports titled “Role of State Law in Limiting Medicaid Changes” and “The Deficit Reduction Act of 2005: Implications for Advocacy.” (July 2006)

42 U.S.C. § 1983 and Enforcement of the Medicaid Act provides U.S. Supreme Court and Congressional activity-focused background and a docket of cases on the enforceability of particular Medicaid Act provisions. (Updated January, 1999)

Access to Medicaid Since the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (January, 1998)

Medicaid Waiver Repeal: Implications for Post-Waiver Advocacy discusses some implications for advocacy that arise from the Balanced Budget Act's repeal of Medicaid managed care waiver requirements. (September, 1997)

From the National Health Policy Forum:

From the National Immigration Law Center:

Many worry that the new Medicaid citizenship documentation requirements will affect immigrants’ access to care. Immigrants Are Not Affected by the New Medicaid Law explains that the procedures immigrants must follow for obtaining Medicaid coverage have not been changed. The report is also a useful resource for advocates working with immigrants. (June 2006)

From RAND:

Restructuring the Medicaid Program discusses the structure of the original Medicaid program and implications for change.

From The Urban Institute:

The Decline in Medicaid Spending Growth in 1996: Why Did It Happen (September, 1998)

The Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payment Program: Background and Issues: Number A-14 in Series, "New Federalism: Issues and Options for States", is a policy brief which describes the origins and evolution of the DSH program.

Medicaid: Ten Basic Questions Answered

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