New study finds safety net holding together -- but future challenges are likely

A Kaiser Family Foundation study offers a detailed take on how states managed to maintain their health programs in face of the additional burdens brought by the recession (Kaiser Health News is a program of the Foundation).   

Los Angeles Times: Healthcare Safety Nets Kept Intact With Help From Washington
Bolstered by billions of dollars in aid from Washington, states managed to hold their healthcare safety nets together last year despite the fallout from the recession, a new survey shows (Levey, 1/12).

The Hill: Medicaid Survey Shows Improved Coverage, Healthcare Reform Challenges Ahead
More than half of U.S. states allowed more people to get on Medicaid in 2010 or made it easier for them to enroll, according to a new report, helping to prevent a steep increase in the number of uninsured Americans during the economic recession (Pecquet, 1/11).

Kaiser Health News: Federal Funds Allowed States To Maintain Health Care For Poor Children
Even as states grappled with crippling budget deficits and the political fallout of the deeply divisive health care overhaul, they maintained high rates of coverage for children in low-income families—thanks to enhanced federal Medicaid funding (Miles, 1/11).

Reuters: Federal Money Kept States From Cutting Medicaid
Public healthcare programs for those with low incomes and for children stayed steady or expanded in almost all U.S. states in 2010, mostly due to extraordinary federal assistance, the Kaiser Family Foundation said on Tuesday. Kaiser's survey found that 48 states and Washington, D.C., kept their enrollment qualifications unchanged for their Medicaid and children's health insurance programs (Lambert, 1/11).

Health News Florida: Kids' Coverage Could be At Risk
Florida Gov. Rick Scott and other Republican governors are asking the federal government to give them more power to trim Medicaid eligibility to help control costs. But a report released today has a different take on the situation: It credits federal requirements with helping avoid cutbacks in Medicaid and children's health programs, as states have dealt with huge budget shortfalls during the past year (Saunders, 1/11).