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.

AACAP reaction to S-CHIP Veto

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry strongly urges Congress to override President Bush's veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (H.R. 976) act.

4 Oct 2007

Michigan Senate approves Medicaid estate recovery bill

The Michigan Senate on Thursday approved legislation that would require the state Department of Community Health to develop a program to recoup costs paid by Medicaid for people who lived in nursing homes or received in-home care services before their death, the Detroit News reports.

2 Oct 2007

Medicare part B premiums to increase by 3.1% in 2008 to $96.40 per month

CMS on Monday announced that the standard monthly premium for Medicare Part B, which covers physician visits and outpatient hospital care, will increase by $2.90, or 3.1%, to $96.40 in 2008 -- the smallest increase since 2000, when the premium remained the same, the New York Times reports.

2 Oct 2007

New York announces funds for hospitals to be closed or merged

The 23 hospitals and seven nursing homes in New York state that will be closed or merged with other facilities will receive more than $360 million to pay for legal costs associated with the closures and to pay debts, state health officials said, the New York Times reports (Kershaw, New York Times, 9/29).

2 Oct 2007

Health and economic benefits of reducing the number of students per classroom in US primary schools

Reducing class sizes in the early grades of elementary school could be among the most cost-effective ways to reduce costs for health care and medical intervention, a new study has found.

27 Sep 2007

Rehabilitation significantly underused after heart attack and bypass surgery

Despite strong evidence that cardiac rehabilitation reduces disability and prolongs life, fewer than one in five people receive rehabilitation services after a heart attack or coronary bypass surgery, according to a Brandeis study in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.

26 Sep 2007

AHRQ and FDA to collaborate in ADHD study

Two U.S. Department of Health and Human Services agencies will collaborate in the most comprehensive study to date of prescription medications used to treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and the potential for increased risk of heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problems.

21 Sep 2007

Merck to face New York State and New York City in joint lawsuit

The drug company Merck is facing joint action from New York State and New York City over the millions which were spent on health programs related to the drug Vioxx.

20 Sep 2007

Hospital comparison web sites can be misleading

A review of six publicly available hospital comparison Web sites suggests that they display inconsistent results and use inappropriate or incomplete standards to measure quality, according to a report in the September issue of Archives of Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

18 Sep 2007

Socioeconomic factors in allergic fungal rhinosinusitis

A new socioeconomic study has discovered that allergic fungal rhinosinusitis (AFRS), a chronic sinus disease affecting many living in the southern and southeastern United States, affects African American more than other ethnic groups.

18 Sep 2007

Largest study ever to look at possible heart risks with ADHD medications

18 Sep 2007

Uninsured community health center patients often have difficulty accessing specialty services

Uninsured patients in publicly funded community health centers face significant obstacles accessing specialty services outside of these centers, a new study finds.

12 Sep 2007

Insurance status, not race, linked to complications in patients with acute appendicitis

In what is being described as an "unexpected finding," new research suggests no correlation between a patient's race and complications with acute appendicitis.

12 Sep 2007

Immigrants and health care: sources of vulnerability

Expanding opportunities for immigrants to obtain legal residency and citizenship may be the best option to offer them better access to health care, according to an article published today by the RAND Corporation in the journal Health Affairs.

12 Sep 2007

Sanofi-aventis announces settlement of average wholesale price suits with DoJ relating to Anzemet

Sanofi-aventis announced today a civil settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve "Average Wholesale Price" (AWP) lawsuits under the federal False Claims Act relating to Anzemet(R) involving one of its predecessor companies, Aventis Pharmaceuticals Inc. (API).

11 Sep 2007

PACE program helps seniors to live independently

As the baby boomer generation faces retirement, there is heightened interest in the best ways to care for older adults and prolong their abilities to live independently. A new study looks at seniors' abilities to perform essential daily functions after entering the PACE program, a large-scale managed-care initiative with 15,000 current U.S. participants.

3 Sep 2007

For some being uninsured is a matter of choice

"While it is true that the number of uninsured has grown, it is equally true that the number of people with insurance has continued to grow steadily," said NCPA Senior Fellow Devon Herrick.

29 Aug 2007

Insulin pens may offer diabetics substantial savings

Diabetics who need to switch from oral medications to insulin could reduce their annual healthcare costs up to $17,000 by using an insulin pen instead of a syringe to deliver their daily dose of medication.

22 Aug 2007

90 percent of seniors now have prescription drug coverage

More than 90 percent of Americans age 65 and older now have prescription drug coverage, compared to more than 75 percent who were covered in 2004, according to a University of Michigan analysis. And poor seniors are as likely to have coverage as the rich.

12 Aug 2007

Why young adults become uninsured and how new policies can help

Since 2003, 16 states have enacted legislation requiring insurance companies to provide health insurance coverage to dependent young adults on their parents, health plans beyond age 18 or 19, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund.

9 Aug 2007