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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.

Oversight investigation turns up CMS memo warning of 'high' website security risks

But news outlets are reporting that the project manager working on the healthcare.gov website was not made aware of these issues.

13 Nov 2013

State highlights: New Hampshire lawmakers contemplate Medicaid expansion; wide variation in indigent care among California counties

A selection of health policy stories from Massachusetts, Oregon and Iowa.

12 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Shinseki's efforts haven't yet solved VA's problems; treating children with mental illness is complicated; abuse of painkillers

Just in time for Veterans Day, the embattled secretary of Veterans Affairs, Eric K. Shinseki, announced last week that his department had reduced its backlog of overdue disability claims from more than 600,000 in March to about 400,000. "The trend line is in the right direction," Shinseki told reporters, noting that the VA had cut the number of claims older than a year by 93%. With hundreds of thousands of cases still unresolved, Shinseki hasn't gotten much credit so far - but to the surprise of his critics, he's on track to achieve his goal of eliminating the backlog by 2015. Still, that won't solve all the VA's problems; far from it (Doyle McManus, 11/10).

12 Nov 2013

'Crunch time' for Obama on health law; the problems with that apology; young people feeling the sting of higher prices

But today, it's Obama in the spotlight. A president famous for his unflappability, he is now struggling to square assurances that he is on top of the problems confronting his administration with assertions that he was unaware of the problems as they were developing.

12 Nov 2013

Health law overview: At the state level, divided government appears to function better than in congress

Some states have had more success striking compromises that expand health insurance coverage.

12 Nov 2013

In states not expanding Medicaid, hospitals face a squeeze as federal funds dry up

The New York Times examines the dilemma for some safety-net hospitals that will not see a drop in the uninsured but will lose federal money that used to help pay for those patients.

12 Nov 2013

More numbers expected this week on October health law enrollment

In related news, The New York Times reports that state and federal exchanges are using "happy talk" to market the new health coverage options available through the online insurance marketplaces, but they rarely mention the penalty. Other news outlets report on developments from Maryland, Oregon and Colorado.

12 Nov 2013

First Edition: November 11, 2013

Today's headlines include reports about how Republicans are positioning themselves to capitalize on the health law's implementation difficulties in the upcoming election season.

11 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: Campaigning won't help solve health care problems; health law sought 'sturdier safety net;' court's decision on contraception benefit 'goes wrong way'

The Obamacare Web site doesn't work. Hundreds of thousands of insured Americans are seeing their plans summarily terminated. Millions more face the same prospect next year. Confronted with a crisis of governance, how does President Obama respond? He campaigns (Charles Krauthammer, 11/7).

11 Nov 2013

State highlights: Judge allows Medicaid contractor's lawsuit against La. to go forward; Texas pushes for more black mental health providers; Ga. health center grants

A Maryland company fired from its $200 million Medicaid contract can continue to move forward with its wrongful termination lawsuit against Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration, a Baton Rouge judge ruled Thursday. State District Judge Tim Kelley rejected a request from the attorney general's office to delay witness interviews and evidence-gathering until January in the case filed against the state by Client Network Services Inc., or CNSI (11/7).

11 Nov 2013

Research roundup: Pricing and the SHOP exchange; health use in rural vs. urban areas; the health law and AIDS care

Each week, KHN compiles a selection of recently released health policy studies and briefs.

11 Nov 2013

Obama administration pushes GOP-controlled states to accept Medicaid dollars

The White House is pushing Florida and Louisiana to accept the health law's Medicaid expansion -- and the federal dollars that come with it. In the meantime, lawmakers from New Hampshire and Pennsylvania look for ways their states can also expand the state-federal health care program.

11 Nov 2013

USA Today reports 140,000 people have enrolled in plans on marketplaces run by 13 states

State officials say the numbers are low because of snags in the websites and because consumers aren't yet worried about the sign-up deadline. Other news organizations examine some of the marketplace issues in states.

11 Nov 2013

Women taking immunosuppressive medications during pregnancy do not put their babies at risk

Women with chronic autoimmune diseases who take immunosuppressive medications during their first trimester of pregnancy are not putting their babies at significantly increased risk of adverse outcomes, according to a Vanderbilt study released online by the journal Arthritis and Rheumatism.

11 Nov 2013

Officials acknowledge new capacity problems with Healthcare.gov

New Healthcare.gov capacity problems are emerging -- this time as people trying to sign up for coverage get further along in the process, officials said in a conference call Thursday.

11 Nov 2013

First Edition: November 8, 2013

Today's headlines include coverage of President Barack Obama's apology to people who lost their individual market health coverage because of requirements of the health law.

8 Nov 2013

Viewpoints: The battle over one woman's medical story; why Mass. didn't see a wave of cancellations; politicians' love of anecdotes

Edie Littlefield Sundby may not have thought she'd ignite a national debate when the stage-4 cancer survivor asked us to publish her Monday op-ed on losing her oncologist due to the Affordable Care Act. But she certainly has, and it's important to understand why. Mrs. Sundby and millions like her must be denied their medical choices if ObamaCare is going to work as its liberal planners intend (11/6).

8 Nov 2013

Top IT official for Healthcare.Gov resigns

Tony Trenkle, the federal official responsible for Healthcare.gov's launch and security, is moving to the private sector. CBS News reports that Trenkle was supposed to sign off on the site's security before launch but didn't.

8 Nov 2013

Humana offers perspective on how botched Healthcare.gov rollout has affected insurance industry

In a Wednesday call with investors, the company's chief operating officer said Humana assumes that, because of the website problems, the government will extend the open enrollment period beyond its current March 31 cutoff. The insurer also scaled back its estimates of how many people will sign up for new coverage options.

8 Nov 2013

State highlights: Officials seek public watchdog for health system money

Republicans cite their 2.5-point defeat in the Virginia governor's race as proof that Ken Cuccinelli would have reversed his fortunes if he'd hammered earlier and longer on Obamacare, an issue the attorney general said tightened the contest in its final days (Davis and McCormick, 11/7).

8 Nov 2013

Medicaid News and Research

Oversight investigation turns up CMS memo warning of 'high' website security risks

State highlights: New Hampshire lawmakers contemplate Medicaid expansion; wide variation in indigent care among California counties

Viewpoints: Shinseki's efforts haven't yet solved VA's problems; treating children with mental illness is complicated; abuse of painkillers

'Crunch time' for Obama on health law; the problems with that apology; young people feeling the sting of higher prices

Health law overview: At the state level, divided government appears to function better than in congress

In states not expanding Medicaid, hospitals face a squeeze as federal funds dry up

More numbers expected this week on October health law enrollment

First Edition: November 11, 2013

Viewpoints: Campaigning won't help solve health care problems; health law sought 'sturdier safety net;' court's decision on contraception benefit 'goes wrong way'

State highlights: Judge allows Medicaid contractor's lawsuit against La. to go forward; Texas pushes for more black mental health providers; Ga. health center grants

Research roundup: Pricing and the SHOP exchange; health use in rural vs. urban areas; the health law and AIDS care

Obama administration pushes GOP-controlled states to accept Medicaid dollars

USA Today reports 140,000 people have enrolled in plans on marketplaces run by 13 states

Women taking immunosuppressive medications during pregnancy do not put their babies at risk

Officials acknowledge new capacity problems with Healthcare.gov

First Edition: November 8, 2013

Viewpoints: The battle over one woman's medical story; why Mass. didn't see a wave of cancellations; politicians' love of anecdotes

Top IT official for Healthcare.Gov resigns

Humana offers perspective on how botched Healthcare.gov rollout has affected insurance industry

State highlights: Officials seek public watchdog for health system money

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