New on the Web February 2012
From the Alliance for Health Reform: “Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Affordability and Adequacy”
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “Georgia’s Tax Breaks to Increase Use of Health Savings Accounts Did Not Expand Health Coverage: Plan Promoted by Gingrich Group Has Failed to Deliver,” “Romney’s Charge that Most Federal Low-Income Spending Goes for ‘Overhead’ and ‘Bureaucrats’ Is False: For Major Low-Income Programs, More than 90 Percent Goes to Beneficiaries”
From the Commonwealth Fund: "Income Divide in Health Care: How the Affordable Care Act Will Help Restore Fairness to the U.S. Health System”
From Health Affairs: “Employers and the Exchanges under the Small Business Health Options Program: Examining the Potential and the Pitfalls”
From Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: “Health Policy Brief: Medicaid Reform”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: “A Mid-Year State Medicaid Budget Update for FY 2012 and a Look Forward to FY 2013,” “People with Disabilities and Medicaid Managed Care: Key Issues to Consider,” “Briefing, Survey Examine 2012 Data from 50-State Survey of Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment Policies”
From the Kaiser Family Foundation: “Medicare Quiz,” “A Guide to the Supreme Court’s Review of the 2010 Health Care Reform Law,” “Explaining Health Care Reform: How Will the Affordable Care Act Affect Small Businesses and Their Employees?”
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation: “Should States Integrate Health Insurance Exchanges and Medicaid?,” “What Is the Link between Having Health Insurance and Enjoying Better Health and Finances?”
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute: “ACA Implementation in Oregon—Monitoring and Tracking”
From the Urban Institute: “Policy Options to Improve the Performance of Low Income Subsidy Programs for Medicare Beneficiaries”
From the Alliance for Health Reform:
Essential Health Benefits: Balancing Affordability and Adequacy answers the following questions: How do states select and design “benchmark” plans that are both comprehensive and affordable? How will states and HHS ensure that benefits are sufficiently standardized so that consumers and employers can choose plans based on differences in premiums and cost-sharing? And are there opportunities for using the essential health benefits to lower health spending? (February 2012)
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
Georgia’s Tax Breaks to Increase Use of Health Savings Accounts Did Not Expand Health Coverage: Plan Promoted by Gingrich Group Has Failed to Deliver explains how this approach, which was designed to reduce the number of uninsured Georgians by 500,000, has actually increased the number of uninsured people by 319,000. (February 2012)
Romney’s Charge that Most Federal Low-Income Spending Goes for “Overhead” and “Bureaucrats” Is False: For Major Low-Income Programs, More than 90 Percent Goes to Beneficiaries refutes the presidential candidate’s claim by breaking down the administrative costs of programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps). It includes an easy-to-read chart that illustrates these findings. (January 2012)
From the Commonwealth Fund:
The Income Divide in Health Care: How the Affordable Care Act Will Help Restore Fairness to the U.S. Health System explains that the law will narrow the income divide in health coverage and access through expanded Medicaid eligibility, state insurance exchanges, premium tax credits, cost-sharing protections, and the individual mandate. (February 2012)
From Health Affairs:
Employers and the Exchanges under the Small Business Health Options Program: Examining the Potential and the Pitfalls introduces a collection of articles in the February issue of “Health Affairs” that discuss the need for small business exchanges and how they will function. It also examines the difficulties that exchanges will face and the opportunities they will offer to states, employers, and individuals. (February 2012)
From Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
Health Policy Brief: Medicaid Reform explores some of the major ideas for restructuring Medicaid in response to concerns about budget constraints. Proposals include converting the program into block grants, increasing cost-sharing, reducing the Medicaid provider tax, and establishing a blended rate for federal matching funds. (January 2012)
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:
A Mid-Year State Medicaid Budget Update for FY 2012 and a Look Forward to FY 2013 finds that most states are on track with their Medicaid budget and enrollment trends for fiscal year 2012 and do not anticipate the need for significant mid-year cuts. It also finds that states are planning to integrate care for dual eligibles in 2013 in order to improve quality and reduce costs. (February 2012)
People with Disabilities and Medicaid Managed Care: Key Issues to Consider examines issues related to the development and implementation of managed care programs that have the capacity to serve Medicaid beneficiaries with disabilities. (February 2012)
Briefing, Survey Examine 2012 Data from 50-State Survey of Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment Policies discusses the report “Performing under Pressure: Annual Findings of a 50-State Survey of Eligibility, Renewal, and Cost-Sharing Policies in Medicaid and CHIP, 2011-2012.” The report explains that a requirement in the Affordable Care Act was responsible for preserving eligibility in Medicaid and CHIP. (January 2012)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation:
Medicare Quiz offers an opportunity to test your knowledge of Medicare and provides a brief discussion of the correct answers. It is a great interactive tool for educating people about the program. (February 2012)
A Guide to the Supreme Court’s Review of the 2010 Health Care Reform Law explains the issues raised by the cases pending before the Supreme Court, answers key questions about the parties’ legal arguments, and considers potential effects of the Court’s decisions. (January 2012)
Explaining Health Care Reform: How Will the Affordable Care Act Affect Small Businesses and Their Employees? explains the provisions of the law that relate specifically to small businesses, including exchanges, penalties for not providing affordable coverage, and tax credits to assist with insurance costs. (January 2012)
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation:
Should States Integrate Health Insurance Exchanges and Medicaid? discusses the benefits of integration for both states and consumers, such as reduced costs and continuity of coverage. (January 2012)
What Is the Link between Having Health Insurance and Enjoying Better Health and Finances? finds that previously uninsured adults who enroll in Medicaid experience better physical and mental health, reduced financial strain, and improved access to preventive services. (January 2012)
From the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Urban Institute:
ACA Implementation in Oregon—Monitoring and Tracking is the first of 10 state reports that analyze the effects of the Affordable Care Act on coverage, health expenditures, affordability, access, and premiums. It also assesses Oregon’s progress with implementation of the law. The remaining nine reports will examine the following states: AL, CO, MD, MI, MN, NM, NY, RI, and VA. (February 2012)
From the Urban Institute:
Policy Options to Improve the Performance of Low Income Subsidy Programs for Medicare Beneficiaries considers options for better aligning low-income subsidies with the Affordable Care Act, such as extending financial assistance to enrollees with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level. Currently, Medicare offers financial assistance only to people with incomes up to 150 percent of poverty through Medicaid, the Medicare Savings Programs, and the Part D Low-Income Subsidy. (January 2012)
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