Publications: 2012
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Publications are free unless otherwise noted.
At Risk in the Budget Battle: Health Care for Communities of Color illustrates the disproportionate impact deficit reduction could have on communities of color. This fact sheet demonstrates how protecting Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act are important for advancing health equity. 4 pp. (December 2012)
Health Homes in Medicaid: Challenges and Opportunities for Advocates defines Health Homes and discusses their potential to improve care for vulnerable patients, the role that advocates can play, and challenges that states and advocates will face. It includes a chart that summarizes key details of Health Homes in IA, MO, NC, NY, OH, OR, and RI. 19 pp. (November 2012)
Talking Points: Medicaid and the Federal Deficit 4 pp. (November 2012)
Deficit Reduction: Tell Your Legislators to Protect Medicaid outlines points for evaluating deficit reduction proposals and how to talk to members of Congress about these proposals. 4 pp. (November 2012)
What's Wrong with Per Capita Caps in Medicaid? explains this kind of cap, how it's different from what we have today, how such caps would be set, and the many problems with a system that uses per capita caps. 4 pp. (November 2012)
Will Congress Throw Medicaid Off the Fiscal Cliff? answers two basic questions: How did we get here?, and Where are we now? 2 pp. (November 2012)
The Medicaid Upgrade: Required and Optional Medicaid Eligibility Changes for 2014 is a chart that outlines changes that states are required to make and changes that they have the option to pursue in order to make the eligibility process more streamlined and consumer-friendly. 4 pp. (November 2012)
The District of Columbia Health Benefits Exchange Proposal provides answers to questions about how the exchange will work and how it will help District residents and small businesses obtain affordable health coverage. 5 pp. (October 2012)
Exchange Implementation: To Partner or Not to Partner? lists questions to consider in determining whether a partnership exchange would be in the best interest of consumers and small businesses in states that are unlikely to establish state-based exchanges. 6 pp. (October 2012)
State Responsibilities in a Partnership Exchange explains the options for states that choose to implement a partnership exchange, and it describes the functions that partner states will need to perform. 7 pp. (October 2012)
Welcome to the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit for 2013 is an updated illustration that reflects improvements made by the Affordable Care Act that will lessen the amount enrollees will pay when they fall into the "doughnut hole." 1 p. (Updated October 2012)
Brokers and Agents and Health Insurance Exchanges discusses how brokers and agents will interact with the new health insurance exchanges opening in states in 2014 and highlights issues that advocates and states may want to think about. 16 pp. (September 2012)
Cutting Medicaid: Ineffective and Harmful quickly lays out the arguments for why cutting Medicaid is bad for enrollees, for middle-class families, for health care providers, and for states. 2 pp. (September 2012)
To Republicans: Don't Balance the Budget through Medicaid Cuts lays out reasons why Congress shouldn't trade defense spending cuts for cuts to the Medicaid program. These defense cuts are part of the automatic spending cuts that will take effect January 2013 as part of the deficit reduction deal. 4 pp. (August 2012)
The Supreme Court Decision: What It Means for Medicaid gives an in-depth look at the Court's ruling on Medicaid and what advocates can do to make sure their state expands coverage. 8 pp. (August 2012)
Investing in Medicaid Contributes to Better Education explains how Medicaid coverage can actually help children in ways that help them perform better at school. 2 pp. (August 2012)
Talking about the Individual Mandate provides an overview of what the individual mandate means for Americans. 2 pp. (August 2012)
A Closer Look: The Supreme Court's Health Care Decision explains what was at stake in the case against the Affordable Care Act, how the Supreme Court ruled, and the impact of the ruling on the law. 4 pp. (August 2012)
Medicaid's Success: Good Care discusses the quality care that people get in the Medicaid program and its popularity among those who use it. 4 pp. (August 2012)
Worry No More: Americans with Pre-Existing Conditions Are Protected by the Health Care Law provides estimates of how many people will be protected from discrimination based on their health status thanks to the health care law. For the first time, the state reports include county-level data, and they include state-level data that are broken down by age, income, and racial or ethnic group. 21 pp. (July-August 2012)
Being a Woman Just Got a Little Easier: How the Affordable Care Act Benefits Women outlines what women stand to gain under the Affordable Care Act. 8 pp. (July 2012)
Working toward Wellness: A Checklist for Creating Consumer-Friendly Workplace Wellness Programs lays out the components for building a workplace wellness program that promotes health and well-being while protecting participants' health coverage and privacy. Our companion piece includes profiles of five wellness programs from across the country. 12 pp. (July 2012)
Designing the Essential Health Benefits for Your State: An Advocate's Guide describes how states will establish their essential health benefits packages for 2014 and 2015 and explores avenues for advocacy during this process. 16 pp. (July 2012)
Dying for Coverage: The Deadly Consequences of Being Uninsured estimates the number of Americans who are dying prematurely due to lack of health coverage. It includes state-level data that are broken down by week, month, and year that were generated using the methodology originally developed by the Institute of Medicine. 13 pp. (June 2012)
Evaluating Managed Long-Term Care Proposals in Your State: Key Areas for Advocacy provides questions related to consumer input, program structure, plan selection, consumer protections, plan evaluation, and state readiness that advocates should consider as states design their managed long-term care programs. 19 pp. (June 2012)
Managed Long-Term Care in Medicaid: What Advocates Need to Know explains potential benefits and drawbacks of managed long-term care in Medicaid. It also describes alternative options for restructuring long-term care and offers advice for managing expectations for savings. 11 pp. (June 2012)
State Plan Amendments and Waivers: How States Can Change Their Medicaid Programs provides an overview of state plan amendments and waivers and explains what each can mean from an advocacy perspective. 12 pp. (June 2012)
Increasing Cost-Sharing in Medicaid: A Bad Solution to Budget Issues explores how cost-sharing negatively affects Medicaid beneficiaries, Medicaid, and the health care system. 8 pp. (June 2012)
Wellness Programs: Evaluating the Promises and Pitfalls presents an overview of current programs, identifies how their role could soon change, explains how certain programs can limit access to coverage and care, and provides recommendations for policies that will help prevent these programs from limiting access. 23 pp. (June 2012)
When a Health Insurer Leaves the Individual Market: What States Can Do before Certain Affordable Care Act Changes Take Effect in 2014 discusses specific actions states can take to protect consumers who need to buy coverage in the individual market. It examines existing protections and explains how states can supplement them. 14 pp. (May 2012)
Decoding Your Health Insurance: The New Summary of Benefits and Coverage provides national and state-level data on the nearly 173.5 million people with private insurance who will be helped by these plain-language summaries that are required by the health care law. 17 pp. (May 2012)
Good Business Sense: The Small Business Health Care Tax Credit in the Affordable Care Act provides national and state-level estimates of the number of small businesses that will be eligible for this tax credit and of how much the credits will be worth. It also includes data on how many workers could benefit as a result, broken down according to racial and ethnic group. 21 pp. (Families USA and Small Business Majority, May 2012)
Good Business Sense: The New Small Business Health Care Tax Credit in California provides state-specific estimates of the number of small businesses that will be eligible for this tax credit and of how much the credits will be worth. It also includes data on how many workers could benefit as a result, broken down according to racial and ethnic group. 17 pp. (Families USA and Small Business Majority, May 2012)
Alcohol Taxes and Public Health explains the health benefits of higher alcohol taxes, which can also be an important source of funding at the local, state, and federal levels. 4 pp. (May 2012)
A Nation in Need of Dental Care is a fact sheet about how limited access to dental care in the United States has an effect on overall health, productivity, and financial security. 4 pp. (May 2012)
Key Issues in the Final and Interim Final Rules on Establishing Exchanges and Expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act 4 pp. (April 2012)
Medicaid Cuts Will Hurt Illinois' Economy explains how the governor's proposed cuts would damage the state's economy and hurt Illinoisans who depend on Medicaid. 8 pp. (April 2012)
What's Wrong with Premium Support in Medicare? lays out the problems with the Republican proposal that would end Medicare as we know it and turn it into a voucher program. 3 pp. (April 2012)
The Republican Budget Proposal: Ending Medicare As We Know It—Again explains that House Republicans would harm both current and future Medicare beneficiaries by replacing the program with a voucher system and making substantial benefit cuts. The report also provides state-level data on the prescription drug savings that enrollees would lose under this proposal. 12 pp. (April 2012)
Republicans Again Propose Slashing Funding for Medicaid, Medicare, and Other Health Programs details how the Republican proposal would affect the states. It provides state-level data on the federal funding each state would lose, the additional burden on taxpayers, and the rise in the number of uninsured residents. 18 pp. (April 2012)
How the Affordable Care Act Makes the Section 1115 Waiver Process More Transparent: An Advocate's Guide explains the new rules that will give advocates and consumers a bigger voice in the waiver process. It describes when advocates can comment on waivers, and it offers tips on how to take advantage of all the opportunities the new rules provide. 6 pp. (April 2012)
Welcome to the Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit for 2012 is an updated illustration that reflects improvements made by the Affordable Care Act that will lessen the amount enrollees will pay when they fall into the "doughnut hole." (Updated February 2012)
The Medicare Drug Benefit: How Much Will You Pay? presents tables that detail the basic benefit, as well as the low-income benefit for those who are and aren't enrolled in Medicaid. 4 pp. (Updated February 2012)
Getting Covered: Finding Health Insurance When You Lose Your Job is designed to help consumers who've lost their health coverage sort through possible options for new coverage, including COBRA, Medicaid, CHIP, other federal and state programs, and the individual market. 12 pp. (Updated February 2012)
Republican Presidential Primaries: All the Republican presidential candidates support repeal of the Affordable Care Act. This series of Republican presidential primary fact sheets explains the consequences for different states of repealing the law and making drastic structural changes in Medicare and Medicaid.
Making the Most of Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs): What Advocates Need to Know provides an overview of ACOs; the promise they hold; and how they could change Medicare, Medicaid, and the health care landscape. It also identifies key challenges in their development and suggests how advocates can get involved in ways that benefit patients. 12 pp. (Updated February 2012)
Emphasizing Preventive Care and Wellness in Medicare
This series of fact sheets discusses how Medicare is taking an important step forward, thanks to the Affordable Care Act, to provide more preventive and wellness care to beneficiaries. These fact sheets highlight how beneficiaries can take advantage of these benefits and how advocates can answer questions and resolve problems. (Updated February 2012)
For consumers: Medicare's Preventive Care Benefit: What It Means for You (5 pp.) l Medicare's Annual Wellness Visit: What It Means for You (4 pp.)
For advocates: An Advocate's Guide to the Preventive Services Benefit in Medicare (6 pp.) l An Advocate's Guide to the Annual Wellness Visit Benefit in Medicare (4 pp.)
Medicaid: Essential to America's Hospitals and Communities provides state-level data highlighting how important hospitals are to state residents at every stage of life, whether or not they are covered by Medicaid. It also explains that hospitals are vital economic engines and that federal Medicaid cuts could harm many communities. 4 pp. (February 2012)
Implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: A 2012 State To-Do List for Exchanges, Private Coverage, and Medicaid gives state advocates an in-depth blueprint for action in 2012, outlining issues to start thinking about and tasks that deserve immediate attention. 10 pp. (February 2012)
A Closer Look at ACOs is a compilation of Families USA briefs done on Accountable Care Organizations. Includes the basics, payment and quality measurements, determining shared savings and losses, and beneficiary assignment and notification processes. 33 pp. (February 2012)
Putting the Accountability in Accountable Care Organizations: Payment and Quality Measurements examines some of the challenges that advocates will face when working with policy makers, insurers, and providers to develop mechanisms that ensure that beneficiaries receive high-quality care at a lower cost. 9 pp. | Determining Shared Savings or Losses 6 pp. (January 2012)
Designing Consumer-Friendly Beneficiary Assignment and Notification Processes for Accountable Care Organizations discusses the challenges advocates will face when developing these processes, and it recommends certain notification requirements and beneficiary protections. 8 pp. (January 2012)
