N.Y. ends plan to force hospitals to curb caesarean sections for Medicaid enrollees

The Wall Street Journal finds that the Cuomo administration plan had expected to cut the number of surgeries in half. Also, a new study finds giving higher payments to dentists helps increase access for children on Medicaid.

The Wall Street Journal: Health Cut Hits Hurdle
In response to safety warnings, the Cuomo administration has pulled the plug on an effort to pressure hospitals to perform fewer cesarean sections. Earlier this year, the state approved a plan that would have reimbursed hospitals at a lower rate for performing unnecessary procedures on Medicaid-enrolled mothers. The goal was to cut in half the percentage of Medicaid-funded C-section deliveries, to 15 percent from 31 percent (Gershman, 7/13).

Other Medicaid news includes a report on Kansas' effort to cut costs and a new study on children getting dental care.

Kansas Health Institute News: Brownback Administration Posts Website For Medicaid Tips
The administration of Gov. Sam Brownback continues to solicit ideas from the public on how to reform the state's Medicaid program. ... The Medicaid Reform Working Group, as the task force is called, is looking for ways to cut $200 million or more in state Medicaid spending in time for fiscal 2013, which begins July 1, 2012 (7/12).

Reuters/Fox News: More Kids See Dentists When Medicaid Rates Rise
Higher payments to dentists who treat kids on Medicaid translate into more of those kids getting regular teeth cleaning, according to a new study. While that's positive news for some states that have upped reimbursement rates over the last decade, researchers worry that budget cuts might put kids' access to dental care in jeopardy. "I actually think things are moving in the right direction," said study author Sandra Decker, of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Hyattsville, Md (7/13).