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.

First Edition: February 19, 2014

Today's headlines include reports about the doubts that now surround Arkansas' Medicaid expansion plan -- a compromise plan that has gained national attention.

19 Feb 2014

Physicians’ attitudes about obesity may affect patients’ success in losing weight

Overweight and obese people who feel their physicians are judgmental of their size are more likely to try to shed pounds but are less likely to succeed, according to results of a study by Johns Hopkins researchers.

19 Feb 2014

Discrimination against transgender people need to be addressed by medical establishment

Discrimination against transgender people -as many as one million Americans identify themselves as transgender - should immediately be addressed by the medical establishment, backed by policy change at the national level to provide equal access to quality health care.

19 Feb 2014

Highlights: Ohio gov.'s evolving stances; Conn. social services woes; abortion-ban push continues

A selection of health policy stories from Ohio, Connecticut, South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, California, New York, Oklahoma, Washington, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia and Georgia.

19 Feb 2014

Moving deadlines is 'wrong way' to fix health law; expand Medicaid to close 'racial' health gap

Commentators assess the health law and its implementation.

19 Feb 2014

Medicaid policies create roadblocks for low-income women to obtain "tubes tying" procedure

Tubal ligation - commonly referred to as having one's "tubes tied" - is widely used to prevent unintended pregnancies. However, current Medicaid policies create roadblocks for low-income women trying to obtain the procedure, according to a review written by researchers at Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School and other U.S. institutions.

19 Feb 2014

In Virginia, finance panel advances alternate approach to expanding Medicaid

The state's Senate Finance Committee proposed using funding set aside to pursue an expansion of the traditional Medicaid program to help as many as 400,000 state residents buy private insurance.

19 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 18, 2014

Kaiser Health News staff writer Jay Hancock, working in collaboration with USA Today, reports: "Congratulations. You bought insurance through one of the online Affordable Care Act exchanges, possibly after days or weeks of trying to get the site to work. Don't relax. Joining the plan is only the first challenge. Now you have to understand it. Policies sold through the online portals -- to more than 3 million people so far -- cover essential benefits and put a cap on your out-of-pocket medical costs. But you need to follow the rules" (Hancock, 2/17).

18 Feb 2014

MAXIMUS Foundation distributes grants to 87 local non-profit organizations

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced today that the MAXIMUS Foundation has distributed approximately $206,000 in grants to 87 local non-profit organizations as part of its most recent grant cycle.

18 Feb 2014

'Copper' plans? Health law backers push for new, lower premium coverage

Some health law proponents are urging officials to create "copper" plans that offer lower deductibles, but higher out-of-pocket costs than the health law's gold, silver and bronze plans.

17 Feb 2014

Highlights: N.D. hospital and abortion docs; Calif. sugary beverage bill; aging home care workers in Texas

A Democratic candidate who has explicitly defended Obamacare holds a slight lead in a special congressional election in Florida that both parties are eyeing as a test of the political impact of the healthcare law. A poll released Thursday by the Tampa Bay Times shows Democrat Alex Sink leading her Republican opponent, David Jolly, 42% to 35% among people considered likely to vote in the March 11 special election.

17 Feb 2014

Viewpoints: Parsing Obamacare numbers; experts on long-term care insurance; French cancer care

The monthly announcement of Obamacare's enrollment figures has become an exercise in confirmation bias, starting with the administration itself. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted the "encouraging trends" in yesterday's release, while House Speaker John Boehner opted to highlight its "embarrassing failures." ... The only debate worth having is how to improve enrollment. ... enrollment numbers for Obamacare aren't some referendum on the president's popularity or lack thereof. They're the best way to tell whether the law is working as planned -- and how to adjust if it isn't (2/13).

17 Feb 2014

N.Y., federal officials reach tentative accord on more Medicaid funding

The agreement would add $8 billion to help the state reconfigure the state's health insurance program for low-income residents and aid some struggling hospitals.

17 Feb 2014

Some having new luck with healthcare.gov, but others remain stuck

Quiet fixes to healthcare.gov are helping some shoppers on the troubled website, but some still remain without insurance coverage. In the meantime, insurers are skeptical the latest marketplace enrollment numbers are cause for health law optimism.

17 Feb 2014

Research roundup: Examining readmissions; easing doctor burnout

Despite massive early IT problems, exchange enrollment is accelerating rapidly. While enrollment may not reach 7 million by the end of March, we expect at least 5 million to have enrolled by the close of the initial open-enrollment period. If enrollment falls far short, HHS could extend open enrollment for a fixed period to reach its 7 million target. ... We project that 5 million new beneficiaries will be covered by Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program by the end of 2014. Medicaid managed-care enrollment of non-dual beneficiaries will increase by 20 percent from 2013 to 2014 and by 38 percent from 2013 to 2016. We expect that 75 percent of non-dual Medicaid beneficiaries will be covered by Managed Care Organizations starting in 2015, up from 63 percent in 2012 (Feb. 2014).

14 Feb 2014

First Edition: February 14, 2014

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including reports on the least expensive health insurance markets and efforts to set up skimpier plans under the health law.

14 Feb 2014

More than 1 million people signed up for health plans in January -- bringing the total tally to more than 3 million

According to Obama administration officials, the overall enrollment figure reflects people who enrolled in coverage through the federal or state exchanges from October through January.

14 Feb 2014

Highlights: Vaccine exemption bills rarely become law; Ariz. group urges public hospital changes; Florida foster kids care

Legislation to change whether parents may refuse school vaccinations for their children appears to be common in some states, according to a new analysis. However, those bills are rarely passed into law. Researchers identified 36 bills that were introduced in 18 state legislatures between 2009 and 2012 to change school immunization requirements. Most of those bills aimed to allow more parents the ability to refuse vaccinations for their children (Seaman, 2/12).

14 Feb 2014

Viewpoints: Decoupling jobs and insurance; overblown fear: Medicaid willl take my house

Three blog posts and a column should probably suffice to cover the debate over Obamacare and work incentives, but I don't want to let the topic drop without first stepping back and talking about the actual health policy disagreement here.

14 Feb 2014

HHS enrollment figures indicate sign-ups even in states where officials have opposed the health law

News outlets offer a sampling of state-specific health plan enrollment numbers. Even Oregon, with its non-working exchange, signed up more than 33,000 people.

14 Feb 2014

Medicaid News and Research

First Edition: February 19, 2014

Physicians’ attitudes about obesity may affect patients’ success in losing weight

Discrimination against transgender people need to be addressed by medical establishment

Highlights: Ohio gov.'s evolving stances; Conn. social services woes; abortion-ban push continues

Moving deadlines is 'wrong way' to fix health law; expand Medicaid to close 'racial' health gap

Medicaid policies create roadblocks for low-income women to obtain "tubes tying" procedure

In Virginia, finance panel advances alternate approach to expanding Medicaid

First Edition: February 18, 2014

MAXIMUS Foundation distributes grants to 87 local non-profit organizations

'Copper' plans? Health law backers push for new, lower premium coverage

Highlights: N.D. hospital and abortion docs; Calif. sugary beverage bill; aging home care workers in Texas

Viewpoints: Parsing Obamacare numbers; experts on long-term care insurance; French cancer care

N.Y., federal officials reach tentative accord on more Medicaid funding

Some having new luck with healthcare.gov, but others remain stuck

Research roundup: Examining readmissions; easing doctor burnout

First Edition: February 14, 2014

More than 1 million people signed up for health plans in January -- bringing the total tally to more than 3 million

Highlights: Vaccine exemption bills rarely become law; Ariz. group urges public hospital changes; Florida foster kids care

Viewpoints: Decoupling jobs and insurance; overblown fear: Medicaid willl take my house

HHS enrollment figures indicate sign-ups even in states where officials have opposed the health law

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