Feeling the budget squeeze, some states reduce kids' access to care

According to the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, a majority of state-level changes to Medicaid this year reduced benefits or reimbursement rates for children's services.

The Hill: Report: States Cutting Kids' Access To Health Care
More states have cut payments for children's health care services than have raised them this year, according to the National Association of Children's Hospitals. Ten states have enacted laws that cut reimbursement rates for either inpatient or outpatient children's services provided by Medicaid, the group said in a midyear legislative update released Wednesday (Baker, 8/10).

CQ HealthBeat: States Cut Medicaid In 2011
As states grapple with tight budgets, a majority of the legislative changes to Medicaid this year reduced benefits or reimbursements, according to an analysis by the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions. The association found that 10 states passed laws lowering reimbursement rates for inpatient, outpatient or physician services under Medicaid, the federal-state program for the low-income. Four states went in the opposite direction and increased rates for at least one type of service (Adams, 8/10).