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.

Medicare bundled-payments rules expected before 2013 deadline

Regulators will accelerate release of rules implementing bundled payments under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, according to a senior official at the CMS.

20 Jul 2011

PCPCC coalition to trace progress of medical home at Oct. 21, 2011 Summit

Five short years ago, the patient centered medical home was a little-known model with the promise to improve patient outcomes and transform health care delivery. In October, the Patient-Centered Primary Care Collaborative will trace the progress of the medical home in the context if its own five-year history of stakeholder collaboration focused on continued advancement of what is now the rapidly expanding medical home concept.

20 Jul 2011

State roundup: Maine, Minn. GOP want insurance changes

Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) told an enthusiastic crowd at the Heritage Foundation on Monday that his Republican administration thinks "taking off the shackles" from insurers is the way to keep healthcare costs low for rural residents.

20 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Suggestions for reducing Medicare spending; Medicaid cuts hurt; personal health responsibility

Over the past months, Republicans enjoyed enormous advantages. Opinion polls showed that voters are eager to reduce the federal debt, and they want to do it mostly but not entirely through spending cuts. There was a Democratic president eager to move to the center. He floated certain ideas that would be normally unheard of from a Democrat.

20 Jul 2011

First Edition: July 19, 2011

Kaiser Health News staff writer Christopher Weaver reports: "New consumer-controlled health insurance plans could get seed money from the government to increase competition - and maybe cut prices -- under new rules announced Monday by the Department of Health and Human Services".

19 Jul 2011

Magellan sells TREK business to Thermo Fisher

Magellan Biosciences, a global manufacturer of products designed to make diagnostic testing easier, more cost-effective, and less labor intensive, announced that it has sold its microbiology business, TREK Diagnostic Systems, to Thermo Fisher Scientific.

From Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. 19 Jul 2011

State roundup: Strain felt from home care, adult day care cuts

A growing number of states are shifting health care costs to the federal government by finding military veterans who receive Medicaid and signing them up for medical benefits through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Arizona, California and Texas are among the states that are working to replicate a program first launched in Washington State.

19 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: NYT on Medicaid's value; WSJ against exchanges; Chicago Tribune on food deserts

Medicaid is under assault these days from nearly every direction. Governors complain that they cannot afford to put up their share of the money. Congressional Republicans led by Paul Ryan want to reduce the federal contribution by $771 billion over the next decade. ... President Obama has expressed willingness to cut Washington's contribution.

19 Jul 2011

Capitol Hill prepares for politically charged votes on debt limit

With the deadline just about two weeks away, lawmakers continue to struggle to reach an agreement surrounding the effort to raise the nation's borrowing limit.

18 Jul 2011

Health programs among moving parts in debt-deal negotiations

President Barack Obama has signaled that he is open to changes in Medicare and Social Security. Meanwhile, hospitals raise the ire of some lawmakers because of ads designed to protect health program spending, and drug makers are put on notice.

18 Jul 2011

IPAB continues to draw repeal talk

Health exchanges, accountable care organizations, high-risk pools and waivers are among health law hot topics also attracting headlines.

18 Jul 2011

Medicaid 'vulnerable' in deficit talks

The latest GOP proposal being floated in the House exposes Medicaid to heavy cuts because of the plan's cap on federal spending. Meanwhile, some advocates question the commitment of some Democrats to defending the program.

18 Jul 2011

States grapple with reduced federal Medicaid match

Stateline looks at the effect to states of the loss of extra federal matching funds for Medicaid. In addition, other news outlets explore the difficulty of finding physicians who accept Medicaid patients, a financial analysis of cuts in Medicaid funding being considered as part of the debt talks in Washington and the fight in Florida over moving enrollees to a managed care style plan.

18 Jul 2011

Aetna enters agreement to acquire account-based health plan administrator, PayFlex

Aetna today announced that it has entered into an agreement to acquire PayFlex Holdings, Inc., one of the nation's largest independent account-based health plan administrators, with approximately 1 million accounts and approximately 3,300 direct employer customers.

18 Jul 2011

First Edition: July 18, 2011

Today's health policy headlines include the latest news on the debt-ceiling talks as well as reports on IPAB and health exchanges.

18 Jul 2011

Debt-ceiling debate's effect on Medicare, Medicaid likely to have election consequences

Heading into another week of debt-ceiling negotiations, Democrats and Republicans continue to tussle over Medicare and Medicaid. News outlets covered the Sunday talk shows, where the arguments for the next few days were laid out.

18 Jul 2011

Efforts to solve debt crisis may affect Medicaid funding

If the federal debt limit is not raised, several governors said as they gathered here on Friday for the semiannual meeting of the National Governors Association, the ensuing default will harm the economy, make it difficult for states to borrow money and delay some of the vital federal payments that states count on for everything from Medicaid to unemployment benefits.

18 Jul 2011

Plan B gaining traction in debt-ceiling strategy

A proposal offered earlier this week by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is emerging as a means to resolve the current stalemate in negotiations to raise the nation's debt limit. But even as this approach continues to gain momentum, it will face considerable political and procedural hurdles.

16 Jul 2011

Alabama insurance premium hikes may soon come under federal scrutiny

In other state insurance news, the Georgia health plan that covers about 700,000 state workers, retirees and dependents is facing low reserves, and two California insurers announces new coverage for autism therapy.

16 Jul 2011

Children with private insurance more likely to receive comprehensive primary care

Children with public insurance are 22 percent less likely to receive comprehensive primary care than those with private insurance, according to new research from the University of Michigan Medical School.

16 Jul 2011