States struggling with Medicaid costs look for innovation

News outlets look at three states that are seeking alternate ways to handle Medicaid.

Kaiser Health News: Florida Pushing New Fees For Medicaid Recipients
Florida wants to be the first state in the nation to charge most of its Medicaid recipients a monthly premium as well as $100 for using the ER for routine care. But even supporters acknowledge that the new fees, passed recently by the state legislature as part of a sweeping Medicaid measure, face long odds getting federal approval (Galewitz, 5/15).

The New York Times: Rhode Island's Medicaid Experiment Becomes A Talking Point For Budget Cutters
With Republicans pushing to rein in Medicaid costs, an experiment in Rhode Island is drawing the attention of some conservatives who say it has led to substantial savings without reducing care for the state's poorest patients. ... But an examination of Rhode Island's experience shows it has not yielded the kinds of savings its supporters claim (Roberts, 5/15).

The Connecticut Mirror: Lots Of Agreement On Medical Home Concept, But Little On Details
[A] person-centered medical home [model] centers on having health care providers coordinate patients' care and monitor their health — and receive payment for it. It has support from health care providers, legislators, patient advocates and the Malloy administration, which sees it as central to its overhaul of how Medicaid is administered [for nearly 600,000 recipients]. But many of the key details of the program must still be determined before it rolls out in January (Levin Becker, 5/13).