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.

Report cites 15 New York State HMOs for setting consumer restrictions on prescription drugs to boost profits

Some HMOs in New York state are restricting patients' access to so-called single-source drugs, brand-name medications for specific ailments that do not have lower-cost generic versions, according to a report released on Sunday, the New York Daily News reports.

20 May 2008

Some specialty hospitals would benefit from amendment in supplemental war appropriations bill

Several physician-owned specialty hospitals in the states of four Senate Appropriations Committee Democrats would benefit from an amendment to a supplemental war appropriations bill (HR 2642) that would allow the facilities to continue participating in Medicare and Medicaid, CQ Today reports.

20 May 2008

National Community Pharmacists Association to launch ad campaign to lobby lawmakers for policy changes

The National Community Pharmacists Association this week plans to launch a new advertising campaign that asks lawmakers to address two policies that the group maintains has or will result in closures of community pharmacies, CongressDaily reports. As part of the launch of the campaign, about 500 community pharmacists and independent pharmacy owners will visit Washington, D.C.

19 May 2008

Coalition proposes using Medicaid, SCHIP funds to purchase private coverage for uninsured

Officials from the Healthcare Leadership Council, a coalition of health insurers, academics, hospitals and other health care groups, proposed using Medicaid and SCHIP funds to purchase private coverage for uninsured U.S. residents, CQ HealthBeat reports.

19 May 2008

Michigan Judge rules against Blue Cross Blue Shield rate hikes, cites large surplus

A Michigan administrative law judge on Wednesday ruled that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan would not be justified in increasing premiums by 24% to 42% for individual health insurance plans, the Detroit Free Press reports.

19 May 2008

Chronic disease management: Does it improve health and save money?

A study published in the May/June issue of Health Affairs reports on the first randomized trial providing a scientifically valid look at what one might expect from chronic disease management programs that serve low-income individuals. The study result provides good news for state Medicaid leaders struggling to meet the needs of individuals with chronic conditions and also suggests that some disease management efforts, even among relatively low-risk patients, may be an effective strategy.

13 May 2008

Facing the Presidential candidates; pollsters say sweeping health reform unlikely in new administration and congress

Despite the prominent role that health care reform is playing in the 2008 presidential election, leading Republican and Democratic pollsters agree that deep partisan divides among voters -- combined with a worsening economy -- may permit only incremental, rather than sweeping, changes to the health care system. The perspectives of political pollsters William McInturff and Celinda Lake are featured in a far-reaching thematic issue on health reform in the May/June 2008 issue of the journal Health Affairs.

13 May 2008

New York Times examines health care access of undocumented immigrants

The New York Times on Saturday examined access to health care for undocumented immigrant farm workers in the U.S., who often do not have health coverage.

13 May 2008

CQ's Carey looks at new Medicare marketing guidelines, health care provisions added to supplemental war spending bill, House panel approval of health care bills

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, examines proposed marketing guidelines for private Medicare Advantage plans, Medicare and Medicaid provisions that Republicans want removed from a supplemental war spending bill, and a House panel's approval of several health care-related measures in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

13 May 2008

Senate version of supplemental war appropriations bill would delay Medicaid regulations, increase FDA funds

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday plans to mark up a supplemental war appropriations bill that will include language to block for one year seven new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration, as well as additional funds for FDA, CQ Today reports (Higa, CQ Today, 5/7).

8 May 2008

Letter from Bush administration indicates states have more flexibility to prove they enrolled 95% of currently eligible children in SCHIP

The Bush administration on Wednesday sent letters to state health officials to clarify a policy directive issued last year that restricts states' ability to expand their SCHIP programs, CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 5/7).

8 May 2008

Medical research is essential to improving the economy and bettering lives

Health care in the United States is expensive, but its funding is crucial because it also is a major contributor to the economy and can better lives, according to an essay appearing in the June 2008 issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN). Because of the cost of health care, this is not time to shrink the budget at the National Institutes of Health, which funds medical research that leads to potentially curative therapy.

7 May 2008

Lawsuit filed to stop 10% Medicaid provider payment rate reduction in California

A number of groups that represent hospitals, physicians, dentists and other health care providers in California on Monday filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court to prevent a scheduled 10% reduction in reimbursements under Medi-Cal, the state Medicaid program, the Wall Street Journal reports.

6 May 2008

Texas AG Abbott issues opinion allowing prosecution of people involved in Bexar County needle-exchange program

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) on Monday issued an opinion saying that three advocates involved in an effort to launch a needle-exchange program in Bexar County, Texas, "appear to be subject to prosecution" for possession of drug paraphernalia, the Austin American-Statesman reports (MacLaggan, Austin American-Statesman, 5/6).

6 May 2008

Erythropoietin gene linked to severe diabetic eye, kidney diseases

Researchers at the John A. Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah and collaborative institutions have identified a gene called erythropoietin (EPO) that contributes to increased risk of severe diabetic eye and kidney diseases, called retinopathy and nephropathy.

6 May 2008

Senate action on Medicare MD Pay Bill might be delayed due to Medicaid, war funding efforts, AARP lobbyist says

Senate action on legislation to delay a 10.6% Medicare physician fee cut might take a back seat to a supplemental spending bill for the Iraq war and a measure to delay new Medicaid regulations, AARP's lead lobbyist said on Friday, CQ HealthBeat reports. Kirsten Sloan, head of AARP's health legislative team, said efforts on the other two bills might delay the Medicare package until late May or early June.

6 May 2008

CQ's Carey looks at genetic anti-discrimination approval, debate over Medicaid regulations, lLegislation to treat substance abuse among veterans

Mary Agnes Carey, associate editor of CQ HealthBeat, examines the House's approval of genetic nondiscrimination legislation, debate over a measure to place a moratorium on proposed Medicaid regulations by the Bush administration and House-passed legislation concerning veterans' substance abuse treatment in this week's "Health on the Hill from kaisernetwork.org and CQ."

6 May 2008

Uninsured kids in middle class have same unmet needs as poor

Nationwide, uninsured children in families earning between $38,000 and $77,000 a year are just as likely to go without any health care as uninsured children in poorer families. More than 40 percent of children in those income brackets who are uninsured all year see no physicians and have no prescriptions all year, according to new research from the University of Rochester Medical Center.

5 May 2008

New SCHIP enrollees have unmet health care needs

Even with prior private health insurance, patients enrolling in the state children's health insurance program (SCHIP) had unmet health care needs. Instituting a waiting period would further prolong these children's need to address asthma and other chronic health conditions.

5 May 2008

Who pays for health care when workers are uninsured?

Health insurance coverage and unpaid health care for full-time workers and their family members without employer coverage costs the U.S. public $45 billion a year, according to a report from The Commonwealth Fund released today.

2 May 2008

Medicaid News and Research

Report cites 15 New York State HMOs for setting consumer restrictions on prescription drugs to boost profits

Some specialty hospitals would benefit from amendment in supplemental war appropriations bill

National Community Pharmacists Association to launch ad campaign to lobby lawmakers for policy changes

Coalition proposes using Medicaid, SCHIP funds to purchase private coverage for uninsured

Michigan Judge rules against Blue Cross Blue Shield rate hikes, cites large surplus

Chronic disease management: Does it improve health and save money?

Facing the Presidential candidates; pollsters say sweeping health reform unlikely in new administration and congress

New York Times examines health care access of undocumented immigrants

CQ's Carey looks at new Medicare marketing guidelines, health care provisions added to supplemental war spending bill, House panel approval of health care bills

Senate version of supplemental war appropriations bill would delay Medicaid regulations, increase FDA funds

Letter from Bush administration indicates states have more flexibility to prove they enrolled 95% of currently eligible children in SCHIP

Medical research is essential to improving the economy and bettering lives

Lawsuit filed to stop 10% Medicaid provider payment rate reduction in California

Texas AG Abbott issues opinion allowing prosecution of people involved in Bexar County needle-exchange program

Erythropoietin gene linked to severe diabetic eye, kidney diseases

Senate action on Medicare MD Pay Bill might be delayed due to Medicaid, war funding efforts, AARP lobbyist says

CQ's Carey looks at genetic anti-discrimination approval, debate over Medicaid regulations, lLegislation to treat substance abuse among veterans

Uninsured kids in middle class have same unmet needs as poor

New SCHIP enrollees have unmet health care needs

Who pays for health care when workers are uninsured?

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