Medicaid News and Research

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Medicaid is the United States health program for eligible individuals and families with low incomes and resources. It is a means-tested program that is jointly funded by the states and federal government, and is managed by the states.

USA Today: Mental health system is 'in shambles'

The failure to provide treatment has led to crowded emergency rooms and jails and thousands of untreated people living on the streets, the newspaper reports.

27 Jun 2014

State roundup: Troubles in Kentucky; MD. hospital under review

The team at The Upshot, a Times news and data-analysis venture, compiled six basic metrics to give a picture of the quality and longevity of life in each county of the nation: educational attainment, household income, jobless rate, disability rate, life expectancy and obesity rate.

27 Jun 2014

Medicare boosts anti-fraud efforts, but problems are still rife

Medicare officials recovered about $19.2 billion in fraudulent payments over the past five years, including $210 million through a new system that uses analytics to probe billing patterns, CQ Healthbeat reports. But the recovered sum is dwarfed by the size of the problem, projected to be up to $50 billion a year.

27 Jun 2014

Lower health spending contributed to downturn in GDP

The revision by the Commerce Department finds that health spending was substantially below expectations for the first quarter and subtracted 0.16 of a percentage point from the nation's growth rate.

27 Jun 2014

Study proposes moving open enrollment season

Researchers suggest consumers are not willing to spend money on insurance in the busy fall season as they plan for the holidays so sign-ups in the spring after tax returns are received might be better. Also, a look at consumers' reluctance to shop for insurance

27 Jun 2014

Argus Dental & Vision signs new vision contract with Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare

Argus Dental & Vision, a premier benefits organization, announced a new vision contract with Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare. Beginning July 1, 2014, Argus Dental & Vision will administer vision benefits to eligible Medicare Advantage members of Freedom Health and Optimum HealthCare plans in Florida as well as America's 1st Choice in North Carolina and South Carolina.

26 Jun 2014

First Edition: June 26, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports about the effects of lower health spending on the economy.

26 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Paying for expensive drugs; Supreme Court deliberations

Pharmacy benefit managers are ramping up efforts to rein in the rising prices that drug makers are charging for some prescription medicines.

26 Jun 2014

State highlights: L.A. County to trim new hire retiree benefits; lapses in state education for those with disabilities

Los Angeles County supervisors finalized reforms to health benefits for future employees Tuesday, in a move that is projected to save the county as much as $840 million over the next 30 years. Retiree health benefits became a sticking point in contentious labor negotiations last year. Although not technically part of the contract talks, unions objected to the proposal to reduce retiree benefits (Sewell, 6/24).

26 Jun 2014

Poll: 5 percent of 2013 uninsured now have coverage

The Gallup survey pegged the uninsured rate at 13 percent. Meanwhile, in exchange news, The Denver Post notes increased sign-ups, and Oregon works to retain workers for its troubled marketplace.

26 Jun 2014

House approves trauma care programs, newborn screening changes

The House on Tuesday passed legislation by voice vote to reauthorize trauma care programs. Traumatic injury is the top cause of death for people under age 45, according to the Centers for Disease Control. One of the bills, H.R. 4080, would reauthorize Trauma Care System Planning Grants to boost access to trauma care through fiscal 2019 (Marcos, 6/24).

25 Jun 2014

Viewpoints: Overlooked costs for insurers; Medicaid disparities; dropping doctors from Medicare Advantage

In a Think Tank post Thursday, I wrote about how insurers deciding to participate next year in the health exchanges established under Obamacare could be expecting funds that the federal government may not have legal authority to disburse. But that's not the only potential pitfall for carriers: They could also end up on the hook for payment reductions caused by sequestration (Chris Jacobs, 6/23).

25 Jun 2014

Virginia House obstructs governor's effort to expand Medicaid

Virginia's Republican House Speaker William J. Howell killed a line item veto from Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe that would have allowed the governor to use federal funds to expand the low income health care program.

25 Jun 2014

How will hepatitis C drug affect health care spending?

Elsewhere, pharmaceutical companies are upset over new rules for a drug discount program -- known as 340B.

25 Jun 2014

Texas slow to move those with disabilities out of institutions

Georgia also struggles to move the developmentally disabled out of state hospitals and into community residences, and in Wyoming, cuts are leaving some disabled people with fewer opportunities to get care.

24 Jun 2014