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.

Calif. Dems balking on more Medicaid cuts; Big jump in Minnesota Medicaid rolls

Democratic legislative leaders announced Wednesday that they plan to move forward with their proposal to address California's $15.7 billion deficit even though Gov. Jerry Brown hasn't signed off on the plan. ... Democrats refused to cut an additional $1.2 billion on programs for the poor, particularly the welfare-to-work program CalWORKS; childcare; In-Home Supportive Services, which provides care for the sick and disabled in their homes; low-cost health insurance known as Healthy Families; and Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program.

15 Jun 2012

New MAXIMUS podcast series focuses on government health and human services programs

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, announced the launch of a new podcast series that focuses on government health and human services programs.

15 Jun 2012

Positive top-line results from Teva’s GALA Phase III trial on RRMS

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. today announced positive top-line results from the GALA (Glatiramer Acetate Low-Frequency Administration) Phase III clinical trial assessing the efficacy, safety and tolerability of 40 mg/1 ml glatiramer acetate injection (GA) administered subcutaneously three times a week compared to placebo in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS) patients.

15 Jun 2012

Under ACA 90% of Californians below age of 65 will be enrolled in health insurance programs

Nine out of 10 Californians under the age of 65 will be enrolled in health insurance programs as a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), according to a joint study by the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

15 Jun 2012

Health care costs to reach nearly one-fifth of GDP by 2021

New health care cost projections released Tuesday by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicate that the nation's health care spending will keep outpacing economic growth despite a recent slowdown.

14 Jun 2012

Romney sees 'consumer' health care in the post-health law landscape

As the country awaits the health law decision and President Barack Obama appears to be playing down campaign talk about the health law, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney took the opposite approach by offering his vision of health care in America when the law is undone.

14 Jun 2012

State roundup: Mass. bill seeking Alzheimer's care standards moves forward

A proposal to create minimum standards for Alzheimer's and dementia care in Massachusetts nursing homes is one step closer to becoming law. The state Senate Tuesday unanimously passed legislation that would require the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, which regulates nursing homes, to establish minimum standards for facilities with dementia care units. The House approved the proposal last month.

14 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Puzzling slowdown in health spending; Court decision could help end businesses' fears about health law

Economists will debate the causes of the great slowdown in health-care spending that's now underway for a long time to come. ... And last year, preliminary government estimates released Tuesday showed, health care spending once again grew at just a 3.9 percent rate.

14 Jun 2012

Kansas plans next moves in Medicaid overhaul

Kansas officials set public hearings on Medicaid changes. In the meantime, the Kansas Health Institute news service examines difficulties Kentucky has experienced with a similar transition.

13 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 13, 2012

Today's headlines feature reports about new government projections for the nation's health care spending and the latest from the campaign trail.

13 Jun 2012

CMS predicts modest health spending growth, then acceleration

The nation's been enjoying a respite from rising health care costs, but government experts say don't look for it to last. Health care spending will grow faster than the economy for the foreseeable future, says a report Tuesday from Medicare's nonpartisan economic analysts. ... By 2021, health care spending will be growing roughly 2 percentage points faster than the overall economy, about the same rate as the last 30 years.

13 Jun 2012

Disparities in managing depression among HIV-positive pregnant women

It seems logical that programs to screen and manage depression in pregnant, HIV-positive Medicaid patients should already be in place, but they aren't. It's the kind of glaring oversight that Rajesh Balkrishnan, associate professor at the University of Michigan College of Pharmacy, said he finds all the time in his research on health disparities.

13 Jun 2012

Sebelius touts health law for 'bolstering' Medicare

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' comments were made during a White House-sponsored town hall meeting for senior citizens. Meanwhile, new figures from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services indicate that some Medicare beneficiaries are not taking advantage of some of the new benefits.

13 Jun 2012

Medicaid still taking toll on state budgets

Even as state revenues are showing signs of recovering, health costs remain a budget drain, according to a new report.

13 Jun 2012

Obama administration warns about what's at stake in health law decision

Federal officials and health policy experts forecast what the future might hold if the Supreme Court overturns, or upholds the health law. Also, surveys highlight how employers plan to react to the decision, and how the law might help stabilize certain aspects of the insurance market.

13 Jun 2012

INTERACT program can reduce unnecessary hospitalizations in SNFs

There are more than 1.6 million Americans currently living in nursing homes, and approximately 60 percent are sent to emergency rooms and 25 percent are admitted to a hospital in a year. Although hospitalizations are often required for medical reasons, experts suggest that 28 to 40 percent of these admissions could be avoided with enhanced care in the skilled nursing facility (SNF).

13 Jun 2012

First Edition: June 12, 2012

Today's headlines include news about the pressure health costs are placing on state budgets.

12 Jun 2012

Key dynamics in play in long-awaited health law decision

News outlets report on the key issues and underlying statutes that might shape the Supreme Court's upcoming ruling on the health law, and how stakeholders and politicians are planning their next steps.

12 Jun 2012

Medicaid: Managed care contracts, copay proposals make state news

State Medicaid programs -- including both managed care contracts and new copay proposals -- are making news in Ohio, California, Florida and Arizona.

12 Jun 2012

Viewpoints: Hoping that 'Gang of Six' will cut fiscal deal; Sen. Alexander links health law and college tuition increases

The public has a famously low opinion of Congress, even though people tend to hold a less disparaging view of their own representatives. The last two years have been especially tough on the institution's reputation, a response to the body's relentless brinkmanship and paralyzing partisanship in the face of a slow economy. So it is with some trepidation that I throw out a little love for a handful of senators still seeking bipartisan agreement on a plan to bring the federal government back to fiscal responsibility.

11 Jun 2012