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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.

House hearing to consider more federal funds for state Medicaid programs as part of second economic stimulus package

The House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee on Tuesday plans to hold a hearing that "might turn up the heat on congressional leaders to include Medicaid relief for states in a second economic stimulus package," CongressDaily reports.

23 Jul 2008

WellCare revises past financial statements to include refunds owed to Florida, Illinois Medicaid programs

WellCare officials on Monday announced that the health insurer has revised financial statements from 2004 through mid-2007 to include refunds owed to the Florida and Illinois Medicaid programs, the St. Petersburg Times reports (Hundley, St. Petersburg Times, 7/21).

23 Jul 2008

New study finds working age adults with major chronic conditions grew 25 percent over 10 years

As the number of working-age adults who have major chronic conditions grew between 1997 and 2006, those without health coverage in this group experienced substantial erosion in access to health care, according to a new study by Kaiser Family Foundation researchers published today as a Health Affairs Web Exclusive.

22 Jul 2008

House Democrats plan second, $50 billion economic stimulus package with possible funds for state Medicaid programs

House Democrats are planning a second, $50 billion economic stimulus package that could include funds for state Medicaid programs, CongressDaily reports.

22 Jul 2008

Means testing in Medicare, other entitlement programs could help address financial problems

The U.S. faces a "financial crisis," in part because of spending on entitlement programs, and the "situation will become much worse as Americans age and health care costs rise," Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

22 Jul 2008

Health partnership expands cancer screening services

The Health Partnership of Monroe County, which evolved from the Women's Health Partnership, has expanded its free cancer screenings for women and men and now offers coverage for the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine.

15 Jul 2008

AARP finds U.S. seniors have limited access to home and community-based aervices under Medicaid

A new report by AARP's Public Policy Institute finds mixed results and promising signs among state government efforts to balance long-term care (LTC) options under Medicaid. Unfortunately, according to the report, only four states spent more than 50 percent of their Medicaid LTC dollars for older people providing home and community based services (HCBS). In Pennsylvania, 90% of Medicaid LTC dollars for older people and adults with physical disabilities who have limited financial resources are steered to nursing homes.

14 Jul 2008

GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis found guilty of overcharging Alabama Medicaid Program

An Alabama state court jury on Tuesday found pharmaceutical companies GlaxoSmithKline and Novartis guilty of defrauding the state Medicaid program by charging artificially high prices for medications and ordered the two companies to pay more than $114 million in restitution, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

4 Jul 2008

Back log of 900 whistle-blower lawsuits at Department of Justice

Whistle-blower lawsuits alleging that pharmaceutical companies and government contractors defrauded the federal government have created a backlog of more than 900 cases at the Department of Justice, the Washington Post reports. According to the Post, more than 500 of the cases involve the health care and pharmaceutical industries, as well as Medicare and Medicaid.

3 Jul 2008

Costs pose challenge to Massachusetts health insurance law one year after deadline for residents to obtain coverage

One year after the deadline for Massachusetts residents to obtain health coverage under the state's health insurance law, the percentage of uninsured has declined but the law "still faces a huge challenge: costs," USA Today reports.

2 Jul 2008

President Bush signs war supplemental spending bill that blocks six new Medicaid rules

President Bush on Monday signed into law a supplemental war appropriations bill (HR 2642) with a provision that will delay for one year six new Medicaid regulations proposed by his administration, CongressDaily reports (Sanchez, CongressDaily, 6/30).

2 Jul 2008

Old order Amish, Mennonites reject health insurance, face high costs for care at not-for-profit hospitals

Old Order Amish and Mennonites in Lancaster County, Pa., "suffer from endemic proportions of certain deadly genetic diseases" because they do not marry outside their communities, and, as they "seek lifesaving treatments, the uninsured in these Pennsylvania communities are struggling with escalating costs of care" at not-for-profit hospitals, the Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Jul 2008

War supplemental spending bill that would block Medicaid rules shows 'inability' of Congress to control spending, opinion piece states

"If Congress stops" a series of proposed Medicaid rules "by amending the defense spending bill, it will have demonstrated its inability to control unnecessary spending -- and abdicated its role to set sound policy," Dennis Smith, former director of the Center for Medicaid and State Operations and a senior fellow in health care reform at the Center for Health Policy Studies at the Heritage Foundation, writes in a Washington Times opinion piece.

26 Jun 2008

Mississippi lawmakers should pass legislation to create sustainable funding for Medicaid, Gov. Barbour writes

Mississippi's Medicaid program "has a current $90 million shortfall, but what the program really needs is a fair, permanent, sustainable funding solution for the long term," Gov. Haley Barbour (R) writes in a Jackson Clarion-Ledger opinion piece.

26 Jun 2008

Mailing error left 16,000 Commonwealth Care beneficiaries unaware of coverage cancellation, how to appeal decisions

Massachusetts state officials on Monday said a mailing glitch last month left 16,000 residents without proper notice that they could lose their health coverage under Commonwealth Care and information about how to appeal the decision, the Boston Globe reports.

26 Jun 2008

GOP lawmakers, health care officials raise concerns with proposed health disparities bill at house panel hearing

Republican legislators and representatives of several minority health advocacy groups on Tuesday at a House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee hearing raised concerns over several measures within a proposed bill (HR 3014) intended to reduce racial and ethnic disparities in the U.S. health care system, CQ HealthBeat reports.

26 Jun 2008

Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell says state could save $95 million annually by purchasing Medicaid drugs

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D) says the state could save $95 million annually under a plan to centralize Medicaid prescription drug purchasing within the state Department of Public Welfare, but state Republicans say those savings would be offset by hidden expenses in the plan, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports.

25 Jun 2008

Montana measure to expand SCHIP, Medicaid eligibility to be included on November ballot

Montana State Auditor John Morrison on Tuesday said an initiative to expand SCHIP and Medicaid coverage to as many as 30,000 additional uninsured children will be placed on the state's November ballot, the Missoulian reports.

24 Jun 2008

Drug assistance programs help the medicine go down

A new study of state-subsidized pharmacy assistance programs showed that providing prescription drug coverage for low-income seniors reduces Medicaid and Medicare costs. Moreover, needy seniors enrolled in the programs were able to cut their dose skimping and nursing home admissions in half, according to the Brandeis University research.

24 Jun 2008

Employer health care costs projected to rise by nearly 10% in 2008 and 2009

Employer health care costs are expected to increase by 9.9% in 2008 -- more than double annual inflation rates -- and 9.6% in 2009, according to a study released Tuesday by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the AP/Minneapolis Star Tribune reports.

17 Jun 2008

Medicaid News and Research

House hearing to consider more federal funds for state Medicaid programs as part of second economic stimulus package

WellCare revises past financial statements to include refunds owed to Florida, Illinois Medicaid programs

New study finds working age adults with major chronic conditions grew 25 percent over 10 years

House Democrats plan second, $50 billion economic stimulus package with possible funds for state Medicaid programs

Means testing in Medicare, other entitlement programs could help address financial problems

Health partnership expands cancer screening services

AARP finds U.S. seniors have limited access to home and community-based aervices under Medicaid

GlaxoSmithKline, Novartis found guilty of overcharging Alabama Medicaid Program

Back log of 900 whistle-blower lawsuits at Department of Justice

Costs pose challenge to Massachusetts health insurance law one year after deadline for residents to obtain coverage

President Bush signs war supplemental spending bill that blocks six new Medicaid rules

Old order Amish, Mennonites reject health insurance, face high costs for care at not-for-profit hospitals

War supplemental spending bill that would block Medicaid rules shows 'inability' of Congress to control spending, opinion piece states

Mississippi lawmakers should pass legislation to create sustainable funding for Medicaid, Gov. Barbour writes

Mailing error left 16,000 Commonwealth Care beneficiaries unaware of coverage cancellation, how to appeal decisions

GOP lawmakers, health care officials raise concerns with proposed health disparities bill at house panel hearing

Pennsylvania Gov. Rendell says state could save $95 million annually by purchasing Medicaid drugs

Montana measure to expand SCHIP, Medicaid eligibility to be included on November ballot

Drug assistance programs help the medicine go down

Employer health care costs projected to rise by nearly 10% in 2008 and 2009

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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