State Health Watch Archives – May 1, 2010
May 1, 2010
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Medicaid agencies brace for impact of health care reform legislation
Medicaid directors, who have struggled to meet surging demand for services with plummeting revenues since the onset of the recession, are now faced with an additional 15 million Americans becoming eligible for the program. The newly passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act means major changes for programs, which, in the eyes of some, appear to be "mission impossible." -
Fiscal Fitness: How States Cope: Maryland Medicaid forges ahead with expansions, QI initiatives
As of July 2008, Maryland Medicaid expanded coverage of parents from about 30% of federal poverty level (FPL) to 116%, which was approved by the state's legislature during a special session in November 2007. This particular starting date proved to be significant. -
Mid-year cuts to Medicaid are on the table for more
More than 3 million more people were enrolled in state Medicaid programs in June 2009 compared to the previous June, according to a February 2010 analysis by the Kaiser Family Foundation's Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) in Washington, DC. This is the biggest one-year increase in enrollment since the program's early implementation in the 1960s. Also, for the first time since the early 1990s, enrollment has gone up year to year in all 50 states. -
Medicaid braces for ARRA funding "cliff"
State Medicaid programs face budget shortfalls of $140 billion for FY 2011, if the enhanced federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP) expires on Dec. 31, 2010, according to a February 2010 survey done by the Washington, DC-based National Association of State Medicaid Directors. -
North Carolina Medicaid switches to "opt out" for its duals
In the past, North Carolina's dual-eligibles were unable to participate in the state's care coordination network, unless they opted in. An individual had to request to be assigned to a medical home, in which case they would receive enhanced services, such as disease management. -
Cost-effective care for high-risk youth in Medicaid
This story is the first part of a two-part series on improving care of high-risk youth enrolled in Medicaid. This month, we cover the challenges of this population and new approaches being used. Next month, we examine the impact of improved quality on subsequent contacts with the juvenile justice system. -
Research looks at children in ED
Recognizing and re-emphasizing the fact that children are a distinct population of patients in the ED, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP), and the Emergency Nurses Association (ENA) have released a joint policy statement that includes guidelines for the care of children in emergency departments. The statement was published online in the journal Pediatrics.