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: July 2, 2013

Today's headlines include various reports about changes afoot in the insurance marketplace.

2 Jul 2013

State highlights: Calif. bill to fine firms with workers on Medi-Cal fails; Pa. eyes disallowing apologies used against doctors in court-proceedings

A California proposal to fine large companies that have workers on Medi-Cal came up short in an initial vote in the Assembly amid strong business opposition. The proposed fines could reach about $5,000 per full-time employee who receives Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program for the poor. The bill, AB 880, garnered 46 votes in the 80-member chamber Thursday, short of the 54 votes, or two-thirds majority, needed. The measure could come up for reconsideration as early as next week (Terhune, 6/27).

2 Jul 2013

Research roundup: 'Welcome-mat' effect of Medicaid expansion; Setting up shops; California's transition to Medicaid managed care

The number of people eligible for Medicaid who remain uninsured varies from state to state, according to the authors. But the federal health law is likely to increase the rate of enrollment for this group. The potential impact of this increase in Medicaid enrollment, also known as the 'welcome-mat' effect, is unclear.

2 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: A 'clever' fix for contraception coverage; Sanjay Gupta warns doctors to pay attention to health overhaul

Many nonprofit religious organizations have balked at having to insure their employees' birth control -- because they don't believe in artificial contraception -- under the Affordable Care Act. On Friday, the Obama administration announced a solution to this problem. The new health care law guarantees access to preventive services, and contraception falls, appropriately, into that category (Carla Hill, 6/28).

2 Jul 2013

Lawmakers gird for new abortion fight as Texas special session convenes

Texas lawmakers resume debate on proposed abortion legislation as the state legislature opens a special session Monday. Republicans say they will quickly pass new abortion restrictions despite opponents' efforts. Meanwhile, the Congressional Budget Office projected that a House bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks would increase Medicaid costs by as much as $400 million.

2 Jul 2013

Hospitals, doctors consider changes amid Medicare hospital readmissions scrutiny

Hospitals and doctors are feeling the health care law heat as officials try to reduce readmissions and increase quality of care in the Medicare program. PBS NewsHour looks at the law's hospital readmissions penalties and Medpage Today explains what the hospitals are doing.

2 Jul 2013

Budget cuts likely to undermine Medicare anti-fraud efforts

Center For Public Integrity: Medicare Fraud Outrunning Enforcement Efforts Citing massive budget and staff cuts, federal officials are set to scale back or drop a host of investigations into Medicare and Medicaid fraud and abuse - even though cracking down on government waste and cutting health care costs have been top priorities for the Obama administration.

2 Jul 2013

Nearly half of states opt not to expand Medicaid

With most state legislative sessions coming to a close, 23 states and the District of Columbia have agreed to expand the program, as laid out under the health law. Many of the others will leave billions of federal dollars on the table, while a handful are still undecided.

2 Jul 2013

NPC and George Washington SPHHS selects recipient of two-year fellowship in CER policy

The National Pharmaceutical Council (NPC) and the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) today announced the selection of Chuck Shih, Ph.D., as the recipient of a new two-year fellowship in comparative effectiveness research (CER) policy.

2 Jul 2013

First Edition: July 1, 2013

Today's headlines include a variety of weekend news reports, including coverage of the Obama administration's final contraceptive coverage rule as well as a range of other stories on health law implementation issues.

1 Jul 2013

MAXIMUS completes acquisition of Health Management Limited

MAXIMUS (NYSE:MMS) announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Health Management Limited, an independent provider of occupational health care services in the United Kingdom.

1 Jul 2013

Viewpoints: The entitlement crisis is not over; VA needs to deal more effectively with mental health issues; Iowa gives governor new abortion duty

Americans are used to hearing that health care will bust the budget. The Congressional Budget Office projected last year that Medicare, Medicaid and other government health programs would eat up 9.6 percent to 10.4 percent of the nation's gross domestic product by 2037, crowding out many other vital programs. But a new report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development suggests that the United States is not the only country that will struggle to contain public spending on medical care (Eduardo Porter, 6/27).

29 Jun 2013

State highlights: Maine to permit Rx drugs from Canada; Ore. to levy hospital, nursing home assessment tax

For the first time in several years, a state has acted to allow its citizens to purchase prescription drugs by mail from other countries. The idea is to take advantage of those nations' lower prices, which can be half the cost of those at American pharmacies (Rovner, 6/27).

29 Jun 2013

In states that opt-out of Medicaid expansion, low-income residents won't face insurance mandate

A rule published Wednesday exempts low-income people from the health law's requirement to buy insurance if they live in states that decide against expanding Medicaid. News outlets also report on the latest related developments from Ohio, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Oklahoma and California.

29 Jun 2013

D.C. officials plan $47M Medicaid payback after claims processor collapse

A collapse of the company that managed the District's Medicaid claims -- D.C. Chartered Health -- left health care providers without any way to be reimbursed for care they gave under the District's Medicaid program.

29 Jun 2013

CMS proposes Medicare payment adjustment for home health agencies

A proposed rule released Thursday would cause home health agencies to experience a 1.5 percent reduction in their Medicare payments for 2014, which the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services estimates could reduce payments to these facilities by $290 million next year.

29 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 28, 2013

Today's headlines include reports that the high court sent a tentative signal Thursday that it was moving toward hearing a case on the regulation of abortion-inducing drugs.

28 Jun 2013

Treating people in doc's offices instead of ERs may not save as much as thought

Helping people avoid the ER and caring for them in doctors' offices instead may not help save as much money to the health care system as initially thought, a new study suggests.

28 Jun 2013

Viewpoints: Late hospital bills perplex consumers; Personal health data can 'revolutionize' care

Flavio de Pecol hit the trifecta after taking his daughter to the emergency room for a horse-riding injury: hours of waiting, a 16-mile ambulance ride to a different facility and bills for more than $40,000. At least, he thought, that was the end of it. But nearly two years (later), ... De Pecol, of Newport Beach, has received yet another bill, this time for $1,054.53. ... "How can I trust that this isn't a mistake when a hospital takes 21 months to bill me?" De Pecol asked. ... Good questions, and yet another example of the way consumers are at the mercy of the healthcare industry's opaque and byzantine billing practices (David Lazarus, 6/25).

28 Jun 2013

State highlights: Miss. lawmakers ready for special session on Medicaid; Paid sick time approved in NYC; Oregon cuts premium requests

Mississippi lawmakers return to the Capitol at 10 a.m. Thursday for a special session designed to keep Medicaid alive and funded. Much is at stake: Medicaid is a government health insurance program for the needy, and it covers about 644,000 of the state's nearly 3 million residents (6/27).

28 Jun 2013

Medicaid News and Research

First Edition: July 2, 2013

State highlights: Calif. bill to fine firms with workers on Medi-Cal fails; Pa. eyes disallowing apologies used against doctors in court-proceedings

Research roundup: 'Welcome-mat' effect of Medicaid expansion; Setting up shops; California's transition to Medicaid managed care

Viewpoints: A 'clever' fix for contraception coverage; Sanjay Gupta warns doctors to pay attention to health overhaul

Lawmakers gird for new abortion fight as Texas special session convenes

Hospitals, doctors consider changes amid Medicare hospital readmissions scrutiny

Budget cuts likely to undermine Medicare anti-fraud efforts

Nearly half of states opt not to expand Medicaid

NPC and George Washington SPHHS selects recipient of two-year fellowship in CER policy

First Edition: July 1, 2013

MAXIMUS completes acquisition of Health Management Limited

Viewpoints: The entitlement crisis is not over; VA needs to deal more effectively with mental health issues; Iowa gives governor new abortion duty

State highlights: Maine to permit Rx drugs from Canada; Ore. to levy hospital, nursing home assessment tax

In states that opt-out of Medicaid expansion, low-income residents won't face insurance mandate

D.C. officials plan $47M Medicaid payback after claims processor collapse

CMS proposes Medicare payment adjustment for home health agencies

First Edition: June 28, 2013

Treating people in doc's offices instead of ERs may not save as much as thought

Viewpoints: Late hospital bills perplex consumers; Personal health data can 'revolutionize' care

State highlights: Miss. lawmakers ready for special session on Medicaid; Paid sick time approved in NYC; Oregon cuts premium requests

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