New on the Web 69 (June 2010)
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: “Making Health Care More Affordable: The New Premium and Cost-Sharing Credits,” “Understanding the CMS Actuary’s Report on Health Reform”
From the Commonwealth Fund: “Rite of Passage: Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act of 2010”
From Health Affairs: “Lessons Learned: Who Didn’t Enroll in Medicare Drug Coverage in 2006, and Why?”
From the Journal of Community Health: “Beyond Affordability: The Impact of Nonfinancial Barriers on Access for Uninsured Adults in Three Diverse Communities”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: “Medicaid Coverage and Spending in Health Reform: National and State-by-State Results for Adults at or Below 133% FPL”
From the Kaiser Family Foundation: “Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports: Key Changes in the Health Reform Law,” “Financing New Medicaid Coverage under Health Reform: The Role of the Federal Government and States”
From the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum: “Massachusetts Health Reform: Impact on Women’s Health”
From Mathematica: “Financial Incentives for Health Care Providers and Consumers”
From the National Women’s Law Center: “What Women Need to Know about Health Reform: Improving Access to Affordable Preventive Care,” “What Women Need to Know about Health Reform: Insurance Reforms,” “What Women Need to Know about Health Reform: Making Health Care More Affordable”
From the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities:
Making Health Care More Affordable: The New Premium and Cost-Sharing Credits explains what these credits are, who is eligible for them, how much they’re worth, and how they can be used. (May 2010)
Understanding the CMS Actuary’s Report on Health Reform describes some of the report’s key findings and clears up some of the most common misconceptions about the report. It explains that the actuary’s report does not contradict the earlier CBO report, but rather supports its findings. For example, both reports found that reform will expand health coverage to more than 30 million people and slow the growth of health care costs. (May 2010)
From the Commonwealth Fund:
Rite of Passage: Young Adults and the Affordable Care Act of 2010 discusses provisions in the new law that will help young adults gain health coverage. Key provisions include dependent coverage up to age 26, a Medicaid expansion, new health insurance “exchanges,” and subsidies to help people purchase private insurance. (May 2010)
From Health Affairs:
Lessons Learned: Who Didn’t Enroll in Medicare Drug Coverage in 2006, and Why? reveals that only 63 percent of eligible seniors and 69 percent of low-income seniors enrolled in Medicare Part D in 2006. Many eligible seniors reported that premiums were too expensive, enrollment was too difficult, and information about enrollment was hard to find. The findings emphasize the need to improve enrollment policies and procedures. (June 2010) Subscription Required
From the Journal of Community Health:
Beyond Affordability: The Impact of Nonfinancial Barriers on Access for Uninsured Adults in Three Diverse Communities looks at the types of nonfinancial barriers to health care faced by low-income, uninsured adults and how nonfinancial and financial barriers interact. The survey of low-income, uninsured adults in California, Maine, and Texas suggests that, while financial barriers are the most common, many uninsured adults also face nonfinancial barriers to health care. (June 2010) Subscription Required
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:
Medicaid Coverage and Spending in Health Reform: National and State-by-State Results for Adults at or Below 133% FPL shows that the planned Medicaid expansion will greatly increase coverage, and the federal government will pay the majority of the new cost. Any increases in state Medicaid spending will be small compared to what states would have spent without reform. (May 2010)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation:
Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports: Key Changes in the Health Reform Law outlines several provisions, such as the expansion of the home- and community-based services state plan option, the community first choice option, and the CLASS program. Implementation of these provisions presents a new opportunity for states to expand access to home- and community-based services in Medicaid. (June 2010)
Financing New Medicaid Coverage under Health Reform: The Role of the Federal Government and States explains that, while all states will see large increases in federal financing, each state’s share of federal money will depend on factors such as its Medicaid matching rate, decisions about coverage made prior to reform, and participation rates. In general, states that have the furthest to go to meet the new requirements will receive the largest increases. (May 2010)
From the Massachusetts Health Policy Forum:
Massachusetts Health Reform: Impact on Women’s Health finds that the state’s reform efforts have greatly improved health coverage for women across all demographics. Still, there are a number of ways that policy makers could build on this success, such as finding ways to lower costs, expanding efforts to reduce disparities among women, and researching the long-term effects of reform on women’s health. (June 2010)
From Mathematica:
Financial Incentives for Health Care Providers and Consumers looks at health reform’s efforts to employ financial incentives to promote the use of effective health services and discourage the use of marginally effective services. Under reform, HHS will study the effectiveness of wellness programs, the impact of incentives on consumer behavior, and the effectiveness of different types of rewards to ensure that these incentives not only control costs, but also improve the quality of care. (May 2010)
From the National Women’s Law Center:
What Women Need to Know about Health Reform: Improving Access to Affordable Preventive Care looks at how women will benefit from provisions in health reform that expand coverage for preventive care in private plans, Medicare, and Medicaid, and that eliminate cost-sharing for those services. (June 2010)
What Women Need to Know about Health Reform: Insurance Reforms explains how women will benefit from these reforms given that plans have routinely discriminated against women by using gender rating, treating domestic violence as a pre-existing condition, and denying coverage because they’ve had a c-section or breast cancer. New insurance reforms and the “exchanges” will make it easier for women to get coverage in a private market that treats everyone fairly. (June 2010)
What Women Need to Know about Health Reform: Making Health Care More Affordable explains that, on average, women are poorer and spend a greater share of their income on care than men. Therefore, provisions aimed at preventing medical bankruptcy and increasing access to affordable coverage, whether through public programs or the private market, will greatly benefit women. (June 2010)
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