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.

Michigan hospitals suffer GM's bankruptcy, new Medicaid cuts

Health care could be the next Michigan industry to take a tumble, as hospitals anticipate caring for more uninsured patients in the wake of General Motor's bankruptcy and cuts to the state Medicaid program, the Detroit Free Press reports.

13 Jun 2009

A group of health CEOs want to end Medicare fee-for-service payments

A group of more than a half dozen CEOs from some of America's largest health care providers on Friday called for an end to fee-for-service payments under Medicare, and for incentives to create administrative efficiencies to lower costs to help pay for America's health care reform.

13 Jun 2009

Penn conducts largest national study on hospital patient satisfaction as it relates to nurse work environments

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing conclude patients report higher satisfaction in hospitals that offer better work environments for nurses or fewer patients-to-nurse ratios, according to a new study published in today's issue of Health Affairs.

13 Jun 2009

New report looks at cigarette smoking rates and policies throughout the U.S.

The United States is becoming a nation of haves and have-nots when it comes to tobacco control, according to a comprehensive publication on cigarette smoking prevalence and policies in the U.S. that was released today.

10 Jun 2009

HELP Committee postpones day of reckoning

Democrats on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions released their health care proposal today, but left out for now the two elements Republicans dislike the most -- a new government-run insurance plan and a requirement that employers provide coverage or pay a penalty.

10 Jun 2009

President courts fiscal conservatives in reform push

President Obama is moving quickly to head off opposition to major health care legislation from fiscal conservatives in Congress by vowing to follow strict rules for paying for it without further driving up the already huge deficit.

10 Jun 2009

House Democrats unveil bill that would create insurance exchange, public plan

House Democrats on Tuesday released an outline of their proposal to reform the health care system that would require that all Americans have insurance and that employers provide coverage or pay a penalty, The Associated Press reports. The bill also emphasized preventive care but omitted details about how to cover the costs.

10 Jun 2009

Administration's 'pay-as-you-go' plan will overlook health reform, other health spending

President Obama urged Congress to enact into law tough financial rules requiring them to offset any new spending or taxes, but was clear that where health care is concerned, lawmakers should overlook those rules, Bloomberg reports.

10 Jun 2009

Reports from the White House and Kaiser Family Foundation address health care disparities

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and White House Health Czar Nancy Ann DeParle held a discussion of minority health issues at the White House yesterday, where Sebelius "said the Obama administration is committed to addressing the 'alarming disparity in the delivery of quality health care'," which she said was necessary to lower costs, the Associated Press reports.

10 Jun 2009

Seniors seek help with Medicare's 'doughnut hole'

Senior and elderly advocate groups are calling on Congress to get rid of the "doughnut hole" in Medicare's drug benefit as part of the larger efforts to reform health care, according to The Dallas Morning News.

9 Jun 2009

Washington's basic health plan raises rates to compensate for budget cuts

Washington state's cash-strapped health insurance program, Basic Health Plan, "is resorting to steep premium increases to achieve what [its officials] were loath to do on their own - expel thousands of working-class people," the Seattle Times reports.

9 Jun 2009

Baucus: Comparative effectiveness will be in health reform bill

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., says that a comprehensive health reform package - due out from his committee within the next week or two - will include plans to compare the effectiveness of drugs and other medical treatments so Americans can answer the question: "What are we getting for our money?"

9 Jun 2009

House Democrats unveil reform outline

CQ reports that details are emerging regarding House Democrats' Plan. "The health care overhaul under development by House Democrats would subsidize insurance premiums for families earning as much as four times the poverty level, while expanding Medicaid and improving its payments to health providers."

9 Jun 2009

Michigan doctors flee Medicaid program cuts

Michigan's Medicaid program is growing by as many as 15,000 people a month, but fewer physicians are accepting new patients insured by the program, which physicians say pays too little to cover their costs, the Associated Press reports.

9 Jun 2009

'Roll call' solicits strong opinions on health reform

Roll Call published a special section today that pulls together opinion pieces from 20 major players from all corners of the health care debate, including Tom Daschle, Michael Tanner, Dick Gephardt and Tommy Thompson and Newt Gingrich and Jim Frogue.

9 Jun 2009

Republicans react to Obama insistence on public plan inclusion

President Obama's insistence on having a government-run public insurance option for the middle class risks bipartisan support for reform, Senate Republicans said in a letter to the White House released Monday, The Associated Press reports.

9 Jun 2009

Lawmakers pick up pace on health legislation

House and Senate Democrats are gearing up for what could be a crucial, month-long drive to craft health care legislation before the July 4 recess.

9 Jun 2009

Seniors who use cardiac rehabilitation live longer, study finds

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and a major driver of medical and economic costs, especially among older adults. It has long been established that cardiac rehabilitation improves survival, at least in middle-aged, low- and moderate-risk white men. Now a large Brandeis University-led study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports that older cardiac patients benefit as much from cardiac rehab as their younger counterparts.

9 Jun 2009

Eleven accused of scamming Medicare in Michigan

Eleven people were charged in an indictment unsealed on Thursday with "scamming Medicare to get painkillers," the Associated Press reports.

5 Jun 2009

With shrinking budgets, states cutting health services

As state revenues continue their downturn due to the recession, 16 states are trying to find ways to deal with increased health care costs, The New York Times reports: "The carnage in state budgets is getting worse, a report said Thursday, with places like Arizona being hurt by falling revenue on multiple fronts, like personal income and sales taxes. Other states are having mixed experiences, with some tax categories stable, or even rising, even as others fall off the map."

5 Jun 2009