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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.

Administration moves health plan sign-ups to mid-November in 2015

On Friday, the Obama administration announced that starting next year, it will push back the start of the sign-up period for those buying insurance until mid-November, rather than mid-October. Republicans called the shift a blatantly political move.

25 Nov 2013

First Edition: November 25, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how political concerns and strategies are taking shape as a result of healthcare.gov's difficulties.

25 Nov 2013

Capsules: Obamacare deadline for Jan. 1 coverage extended one week

Millions of consumers have been frustrated by their inability to sign up for coverage through healthcare.gov, the federal website for residents of 36 states, which went public Oct. 1. While the administration has said the site will work smoothly for most customers by Nov. 30, some advocates had been concerned that consumers still might not have enough time to sign up for coverage that would take effect Jan. 1.

25 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Opposition to Medicaid dooming the South; Obama's 'blank check' for insurers; one woman's quest for coverage

As inapt as those comparisons are, what is distressingly similar today is how the South is once again committed to taking a backward path. By refusing to expand health care for the working poor through Medicaid, which is paid for by the federal government under Obamacare, most of the old Confederacy is committed to keeping millions of its own fellow citizens in poverty and poor health. They are dooming themselves, further, as the Left-Behind States (Timothy Egan, 11/21).

25 Nov 2013

Consumers given more time to get healthcare.gov coverage that starts in January

Administration officials announced Friday that consumers would be permitted to enroll in a health insurance plan on healthcare.gov as late as Dec. 23 for coverage that begins on Jan. 1 next year.

25 Nov 2013

In health law politics, redistribution is a toxic word

"Redistribution is a loaded word that conjures up all sorts of unfairness in people's minds," said William M. Daley, who was Mr. Obama's chief of staff at the time. Republicans wield it "as a hammer" against Democrats, he said, adding, "It's a word that, in the political world, you just don't use."

25 Nov 2013

Will embrace of Medicaid expansion hurt some GOP presidential hopefuls?

Some Republican governors said to have presidential aspirations, including Chris Christie of New Jersey and John Kasich of Ohio, have expanded the program in their own states, even as the party tries to unravel the law.

25 Nov 2013

Research roundup: Meeting the needs of assisted living residents; Medicaid expansion and community health centers; money follows the person

Assisted living facilities provide housing and care to persons unable to live independently, and who often have increasing medical needs. Disease outbreaks illustrate challenges of maintaining adequate resident protections in these facilities. ... Of the 50 states, 84% specify health-based admissions criteria to assisted living facilities; 60% require licensed health care professionals to oversee medical care; ... There is wide variation in how assisted living facilities are regulated in the United States.

25 Nov 2013

Financial analysts say in addition to political turmoil, website problems could send stocks into turmoil

Wall Street health care analysts warned Thursday that a failure to successfully launch HealthCare.gov by Nov. 30 could send Democrats fleeing from Obamacare and industry stocks into turmoil. "If the website is not functioning on Nov. 30, then I think you see a stampede of Democratic legislators in risky elections next year," said Carl McDonald, a senior analyst at Citi Investment Research, at a conference organized by the Center for Studying Health System Change (Cheney, 11/21).

23 Nov 2013

First Edition: November 22, 2013

Today's headlines include reports that the Obama administration will push back 2015 Obamacare enrollment by a month, starting Nov. 15, 2014, instead of Oct. 15, 2014.

22 Nov 2013

Health law opinions: Obama asks you to talk ACA at Thanksgiving; Rove says Dems views on success are 'delusional'

Here's a hypothetical scenario: You're the president. You've just botched the roll out of what should have been your signature accomplishment, a major reform of the health insurance system. The public's hopping mad because you said anyone who liked his insurance plan would be able to keep it, but that wasn't true. So what do you do now? What the actual president did was suggest we all discuss health insurance with their families this holiday season (Andrew Rosenthal, 11/20).

22 Nov 2013

EYLEA Injection gets approval in Japan for treatment of macular edema following CRVO

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that EYLEA (aflibercept) Injection has received approval for the treatment of Macular Edema Following Central Retinal Vein Occlusion from the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare.

22 Nov 2013

State highlights: N.Y. hospitals scramble to sign uninsured up for care; N.C. lawmakers debate Medicaid; Ore. data questions immigrant 'burden' on Medicaid

Many of [New York City's] financially strapped hospitals are scrambling to sign up people for health coverage through New York state's exchange or through Medicaid as they brace for federal cuts to providers of so-called charity care for the uninsured. At Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, the staff is posting insurance information on social-networking websites and giving presentations at churches and mosques. At Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, officials have met with the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce to ensure small businesses know their insurance options. Some hospitals are recruiting patients for coverage plans in emergency-room lobbies (Dawsey, 11/20).

22 Nov 2013

Oregon health law insurance exchange never worked, officials questioned on problems

Oregon residents are facing a state health exchange application deadline in two weeks to get coverage at the beginning of 2014, even as the online aspect of the marketplace still doesn't work -- and never did. In the meantime, Oregon lawmakers question officials on the exchanges problems and when they knew about them.

22 Nov 2013

New Medicaid 'doughnut hole' creating some pressure on states, federal officials

Health law advocates are concerned about low-income residents who are left out of health overhaul in states that are not expanding Medicaid. Meanwhile, in other states, the new enrollment in the joint federal-state program is strong.

22 Nov 2013

Patients to have online access to their prescription data for improved safety

As part of its mission to accelerate the adoption of health information exchange throughout California, the UC Davis Institute for Population Health Improvement's California Health eQuality program awarded $400,000 to L.A. Care, the nation's largest publicly operated health plan, to develop Blue Button functionality.

22 Nov 2013

Study: Patients staying on medications does not lower hospital readmission rates

A targeted effort to help high-risk heart failure patients stay on their medications did improve adherence to drug regimens, but had surprisingly little effect lowering hospital readmission rates, according to a study at Duke Medicine.

21 Nov 2013

State highlights: Mo. doctors propose Medicaid payment reform project; N.C. Medicaid billing problems persist; Calif. nursing home pays $48M to settle fraud case

Some doctors want to make Missouri's Medicaid program a little more like a health club. A proposal outlined by a pair of doctors Tuesday would create a pilot project in which primary care physicians would be paid a flat monthly amount for each Medicaid patient they accept (Lieb, 11/19).

21 Nov 2013

Administration tech official says about 40% of HealthCare.gov remains to be built

Henry Chao, who has overseen much of the work on healthcare.gov, said much of the "back office" work, including the system to send insurers their payments, has not been completed.

21 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: GOP could fix broken health law; crisis tests whether government is capable of offering benefits through complex system; Rubio's cynical attack

Republicans are the only ones who can fix President Obama's broken promise now. The problem is simply stated. Millions will be losing their individual insurance policies that they were promised they could keep. ... What can be done is Congress creating a new option in the form of a national health insurance charter under which insurers could design new low-cost policies free of mandated benefits imposed by ObamaCare (Holman W. Jenkins Jr. 11/19).

21 Nov 2013

Medicaid News and Research

Administration moves health plan sign-ups to mid-November in 2015

First Edition: November 25, 2013

Capsules: Obamacare deadline for Jan. 1 coverage extended one week

Viewpoints: Opposition to Medicaid dooming the South; Obama's 'blank check' for insurers; one woman's quest for coverage

Consumers given more time to get healthcare.gov coverage that starts in January

In health law politics, redistribution is a toxic word

Will embrace of Medicaid expansion hurt some GOP presidential hopefuls?

Research roundup: Meeting the needs of assisted living residents; Medicaid expansion and community health centers; money follows the person

Financial analysts say in addition to political turmoil, website problems could send stocks into turmoil

First Edition: November 22, 2013

Health law opinions: Obama asks you to talk ACA at Thanksgiving; Rove says Dems views on success are 'delusional'

EYLEA Injection gets approval in Japan for treatment of macular edema following CRVO

State highlights: N.Y. hospitals scramble to sign uninsured up for care; N.C. lawmakers debate Medicaid; Ore. data questions immigrant 'burden' on Medicaid

Oregon health law insurance exchange never worked, officials questioned on problems

New Medicaid 'doughnut hole' creating some pressure on states, federal officials

Patients to have online access to their prescription data for improved safety

Study: Patients staying on medications does not lower hospital readmission rates

State highlights: Mo. doctors propose Medicaid payment reform project; N.C. Medicaid billing problems persist; Calif. nursing home pays $48M to settle fraud case

Administration tech official says about 40% of HealthCare.gov remains to be built

Viewpoints: GOP could fix broken health law; crisis tests whether government is capable of offering benefits through complex system; Rubio's cynical attack

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