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.

Florida Medicaid beneficiaries sue state to receive home-based care

Nearly 8,500 Florida Medicaid beneficiaries living in nursing homes have filed a federal class-action lawsuit claiming they are being forced to obtain care in nursing homes rather than in the community, the AP/Miami Herald reports.

24 Sep 2008

National Journal examines advocates,' lawmakers' efforts to create domestic HIV/AIDS plan

The National Journal on Saturday examined the efforts of some lawmakers and advocates to call for "renewed attention" to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S., including pushing for a national plan to address the epidemic.

24 Sep 2008

Obama releases new ad criticizing McCain on health insurance regulation

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) on Monday released an advertisement that criticized Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) for his views on health care and an article in which he discusses regulation of the health insurance market, the Boston Globe's "Political Intelligence" reports (Rhee, "Political Intelligence," Boston Globe, 9/22).

24 Sep 2008

Utah preferred prescription drug list savings less than projected

Utah's Medicaid preferred prescription drug list in its first year has reduced spending by nearly $546,000, but the savings fell about $2.75 million short of original estimates by the Utah Department of Health, according to Michael Hales, the director of the state Division of Health Care Financing, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

22 Sep 2008

House, Senate Veterans Committee Chairs push to approve VA budget one year in advance

The chairs of the House and Senate Veterans' Affairs committees are pushing for legislation that would allow Congress to approve funding for veterans' health care programs one year in advance, the New York Times reports.

22 Sep 2008

House Energy and Commerce Committee discusses options for health care reform amidst struggling economy

Lawmakers and witnesses on Thursday at a House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Health hearing discussed several proposals to reform the U.S. health care system, CQ HealthBeat reports. Subcommittee Democrats said that the current economic downturn increased the need for health care reform.

22 Sep 2008

Minnesota lawmakers seek suspension of proposed Medicaid rule that would reduce Federal funding for MinnesotaCare

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) have introduced bills to suspend a proposed federal Medicaid rule that would reduce funding for the state's MinnesotaCare program and that potentially could cut up to 18,000 low- and middle-income beneficiaries from the program, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

16 Sep 2008

Older antipsychotic drugs as effective, offer fewer side effects in children than newer drugs, study finds

The two most frequently prescribed antipsychotic drugs for children and adolescents offer no additional benefit and are more likely to cause side effects than an older, less costly medication, according to a National Institute of Mental Health study published on Monday, the New York Times reports.

16 Sep 2008

Senate Committee approves legislation that would invalidate mandatory banding arbitration provisions of nursing home admission contracts

The Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday approved by voice vote a bill (S 2838) that would ban the use of mandatory arbitration clauses in nursing home contracts, CQ Today reports.

15 Sep 2008

House Committee weighs options for permanent overhaul of Medicare physician payment system

Witnesses at a House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee hearing on Thursday discussed potential methods for overhauling the Medicare physician payment system, CQ HealthBeat reports.

15 Sep 2008

Massachusetts' proposed rule could lead to Federal lawsuit, Partners HealthCare warns

Massachusetts' largest private employer Partners HealthCare on Friday warned that the state could face a federal lawsuit if it implements a proposed rule to increase some companies' contributions to their workers' health coverage, the Boston Globe reports.

10 Sep 2008

Congressional Democrats will not vote on SCHIP expansion legislation this session amid veto threats, increased cost estimates

Congressional Democrats said they will not hold a vote on legislation to renew and expand SCHIP this year, citing an inability to override a promised veto by President Bush, among other issues, the New York Times reports.

9 Sep 2008

Johns Hopkins to assist practices in Medicare medical home demonstration

The Roger C. Lipitz Center for Integrated Health Care at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health has received a $1.7 million grant from the John A. Hartford Foundation to help primary care practices improve the quality and outcomes of health care for older adults with chronic illnesses.

8 Sep 2008

Kentucky Governor, Lt. Governor promote initiative to simplify KCHIP application process

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (D) this week are scheduled to make eight stops on a statewide tour to promote a plan designed to expand health coverage to more children under the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program by 2010, the Kentucky Enquirer reports.

7 Sep 2008

Washington Post examines Rhode Island plan to cap Medicaid spending in exchange for greater flexibility in overhauling program

Rhode Island Gov. Donald Carcieri's (R) request to CMS last month for a waiver to set limits on state Medicaid spending has "alarmed" congressional Democrats and low-income advocacy groups who said the proposal would reduce access to nursing homes, raise out-of-pocket expenses for low-income families and limit eligibility and enrollment of residents in the program, the Washington Post reports.

7 Sep 2008

Free drug samples may end up costing uninsured more

Free drug samples provided to physicians by pharmaceutical companies could actually be costing uninsured patients more in the long run, according to a study done by researchers at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center and colleagues.

7 Sep 2008

Georgia approves HMO fee to help fund state Medicaid program

The Georgia Department of Community Health board on Thursday approved a plan to charge commercial HMOs the same fee as managed care companies that operate the state's Medicaid program in an effort to make up for a 5% reduction in program funding, the Savannah Morning News reports.

4 Sep 2008

HMOs to stay in Florida Medicaid reform program after agency for health care administration agrees to lower payment cuts

Three Florida HMOs have said they will continue participating in a "Medicaid Reform" plan after the Agency for Health Care Administration agreed to reduce payments by an average of 3% on Sept. 1, instead of 5% as previously announced, Florida Health News reports (Florida Health News, 9/2).

4 Sep 2008

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report highlights recent Medicaid news in six states

Three insurance companies that cover 60% of people enrolled in Florida "Medicaid Reform" plans have said they will leave the project and have asked to be assigned no new members, a move suspected to be a result of reductions in Medicaid payments to the plans, Florida Health News reports.

1 Sep 2008

Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale reports WHO's Commission

A child born in a Glasgow, Scotland suburb can expect a life 28 years shorter than another living only 13 kilometres away. A girl in Lesotho is likely to live 42 years less than another in Japan. In Sweden, the risk of a woman dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 17 400; in Afghanistan, the odds are 1 in 8. Biology does not explain any of this. Instead, the differences between - and within - countries result from the social environment where people are born, live, grow, work and age.

28 Aug 2008

Medicaid News and Research

Florida Medicaid beneficiaries sue state to receive home-based care

National Journal examines advocates,' lawmakers' efforts to create domestic HIV/AIDS plan

Obama releases new ad criticizing McCain on health insurance regulation

Utah preferred prescription drug list savings less than projected

House, Senate Veterans Committee Chairs push to approve VA budget one year in advance

House Energy and Commerce Committee discusses options for health care reform amidst struggling economy

Minnesota lawmakers seek suspension of proposed Medicaid rule that would reduce Federal funding for MinnesotaCare

Older antipsychotic drugs as effective, offer fewer side effects in children than newer drugs, study finds

Senate Committee approves legislation that would invalidate mandatory banding arbitration provisions of nursing home admission contracts

House Committee weighs options for permanent overhaul of Medicare physician payment system

Massachusetts' proposed rule could lead to Federal lawsuit, Partners HealthCare warns

Congressional Democrats will not vote on SCHIP expansion legislation this session amid veto threats, increased cost estimates

Johns Hopkins to assist practices in Medicare medical home demonstration

Kentucky Governor, Lt. Governor promote initiative to simplify KCHIP application process

Washington Post examines Rhode Island plan to cap Medicaid spending in exchange for greater flexibility in overhauling program

Free drug samples may end up costing uninsured more

Georgia approves HMO fee to help fund state Medicaid program

HMOs to stay in Florida Medicaid reform program after agency for health care administration agrees to lower payment cuts

Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report highlights recent Medicaid news in six states

Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale reports WHO's Commission

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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