Medicaid News and Research

RSS

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.

Report: For-profit Medicaid managed care plans have higher admin costs

Commercial Medicaid managed care plans that are publicly traded may not be serving beneficiaries as well as other plans, according a report released Wednesday by the Commonwealth Fund.

16 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Hiaasen on 'insane' insurance; residential facilities' budget nightmares; safety at VA hospitals

If Obama's healthcare plan is struck down in court, lots of politicians will celebrate it as a victory over big government. The dubious reward for taxpayers will be to continue footing the medical bills for 50 million uninsured Americans, and watching the dangerous deficit swell.

16 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 15, 2011

Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including a report that GOP governors are pushing back against federal Medicaid rules.

15 Jun 2011

Rotech commences $283.5 million registered exchange offer

Rotech Healthcare Inc., one of the largest providers of home medical equipment and related products and services, announced today that it has commenced a registered exchange offer to exchange up to $283.5 million aggregate principal amount of its Senior Second Lien Notes due 2018 which have been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended for an equal principal amount of its outstanding Senior Second Lien Notes due 2018, which were issued in a private placement.

15 Jun 2011

Regulators remove restrictions on Aetna's Medicare sales

The sanctions had blocked Aetna Inc. from marketing Medicare plans and enrolling new beneficiaries. Now that they have been lifted, Aetna has indicated it will again promote its Medicare Advantage offerings.

15 Jun 2011

GOP governors seek more Medicaid flexibility

Although not all Republican governors are pushing to change Medicaid into a block-grant program, there seems to be general agreement for seeking greater flexibility in how states spend Medicaid dollars. Reports also persist that some Democratic lawmakers appear open to plans to chip away at Medicaid's requirements.

15 Jun 2011

Roundup: Conn.'s 'moderate' Medicaid cuts; Calif. adult day care threatened; disabled face 'unclear futures'

The national Center for Reproductive Rights filed a federal lawsuit Monday to halt implementation of the requirements that women wanting an abortion must have a sonogram and hear a detailed description of the fetus. The group called the mandates patronizing and an intrusion into the doctor-patient relationship.

15 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 14, 2011

In her latest Kaiser Health News consumer column, Michelle Andrews writes: "When you're calling for an ambulance, chances are good that you won't think to ask for one that's in your health plan's provider network. And in most cases, you wouldn't have much control over who it is anyway. That could leave you with hassles and extra charges for an out-of-network ride".

14 Jun 2011

Texas House approves major changes to Medicaid; N.J. officials release details of cuts

Texas would seek relief from federal Medicaid rules and nudge the needy into private health insurance with taxpayer subsidies under a bill the House tentatively approved Friday. The vote, mostly along party lines, was 97-45.

14 Jun 2011

Response Biomedical NTproBNP Assay does not meet FDA regulatory criteria for CLIA waiver

Response Biomedical Corporation announced that it has received a notification from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that its NTproBNP Assay did not meet the criteria to obtain a waiver under the Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments of 1988.

14 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Private vs. public Medicare; N.J. Medicaid tough choices; IPAB's cost controls

Every once in a while a politician comes up with an idea that's so bad, so wrongheaded, that you're almost grateful. For really bad ideas can help illustrate the extent to which policy discourse has gone off the rails. And so it was with Senator Joseph Lieberman's proposal, released last week, to raise the age for Medicare eligibility from 65 to 67.

14 Jun 2011

Hospital trends mark changes in employment, admission patterns

Meanwhile, in Oregon, hospital profit margins were down in 2010, according to the state Association of Hospitals and Health Systems.

13 Jun 2011

HHS offers Medicaid guidance for same-sex couples

Late last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services clarified that same-sex couples are entitled to the same protections that exist for heterosexual couples when one member enters a nursing home.

13 Jun 2011

Policy issues related to dual-eligible patients, cancer medication coverage attract headlines

The Associated Press reports that seniors are facing Medicare cost barriers which sometimes lead them to not fill cancer drug prescriptions. Also, CQ HealthBeat reports that a special team within the Department of Health and Human Services is working on finding ways to save money and improve care for patients on both Medicare and Medicaid.

13 Jun 2011

Aetna announces acquisition of Genworth's Medicare Supplement business

Aetna today announced that it has entered into an agreement with Genworth Financial, Inc. to acquire Genworth's Medicare Supplement business and related blocks of in-force business. Genworth is a leading provider of Medicare Supplement coverage. The business has more than 145,000 Medicare Supplement members.

13 Jun 2011

Some Democrats may not hold steady against Medicaid cuts

There may be more to read from what wasn't included in Sen. Jay Rockefeller's letter to the White House on Thursday than what was in it.

13 Jun 2011

Mayo Clinic will not participate in ACO program

The Mayo Clinic says it will not be part of a critical piece of national health care reform under the government's proposed rules. The prestigious Rochester clinic is raising questions about accountable care organizations, or ACOs, which are supposed to be updated — and better — versions of health maintenance organizations.

13 Jun 2011

First Edition: June 13, 2011

Reporting for Kaiser Health News, in collaboration with The Washington Post, Lawrence Lindner writes: "The Obama administration's bid to slash funding for training pediatricians at children's hospitals is provoking intense protests from medical educators and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle".

13 Jun 2011

State of Arizona extends Magellan's Medicaid contract

Magellan Health Services, Inc. announced today that the State of Arizona has extended the Company's contract to manage behavioral health care for Medicaid recipients and other beneficiaries of the Maricopa County Regional Behavioral Health Authority through September 30, 2013.

13 Jun 2011