New on the Web 83 (August 2011)
From the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families and Family Voices: “Medicaid and Its Role for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN): A Family Perspective”
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured: “Proposed Models to Integrate Medicare and Medicaid Benefits for Dual Eligibles: A Look at the 15 State Design Contracts Funded by CMS”
From the Kaiser Family Foundation: “Explaining Health Reform: Uses of Express Lane Strategies to Promote Participation in Coverage,” “Health Insurance Exchange Development: Innovation in the States,” “The Innovation Center: How Much Can It Improve Quality and Reduce Costs–and How Quickly?”
From the National Association of Children’s Hospitals: “2011 State Legislative Action on Children’s Health Care: Mid-Year Fact Sheets”
From the National Health Law Program (NHeLP): “The ACA and Health Disparities,” “Nonprofit Hospitals and Community Benefit”
From statehealthfacts.org: “State Action towards Creating a Health Insurance Exchange”
From Stateline: “States Save by Moving Vets from Medicaid’s Rolls to VA’s,” “Will Health Insurance Ever Get Cheaper?”
From the Urban Institute: “Consider Savings as Well as Costs: State Governments Would Spend at Least $90 Billion Less with the ACA than without It from 2014 to 2019”
From the Urban Institute Press: “Long-Term Care for the Elderly”
From the Georgetown University Health Policy Institute Center for Children and Families and Family Voices:
Medicaid and Its Role for Children and Youth with Special Health Care Needs (CYSHCN): A Family Perspective provides personal stories from families of CYSHCN about the importance of Medicaid in their lives. It also explains the high stakes of the ongoing deficit reduction efforts that could threaten Medicaid funding. (July 2011)
From the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured:
Proposed Models to Integrate Medicare and Medicaid Benefits for Dual Eligibles: A Look at the 15 State Design Contracts Funded by CMS summarizes states’ preliminary proposals to better coordinate care for people who are enrolled in both programs. The 15 states are as follows: CA, CO, CT, MA, MI, MN, NC, NY, OK, OR, SC, TN, VT, WA, WI. (August 2011)
From the Kaiser Family Foundation:
Explaining Health Reform: Uses of Express Lane Strategies to Promote Participation in Coverage discusses how these strategies could significantly aid states’ implementation of the coverage expansion under health reform; create the most consumer-friendly user experience possible; and optimize the investment of public dollars in modernized, efficient enrollment systems that support the vision of the Affordable Care Act. (July 2011)
Health Insurance Exchange Development: Innovation in the States is a video of panel discussions with state leaders and stakeholders that explores states’ progress on implementing the exchanges; it also identifies next steps. A podcast is also available. (July 2011)
The Innovation Center: How Much Can It Improve Quality and Reduce Costs–and How Quickly? presents a panel discussion of questions related to the new Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. The center will test new health care payment and service delivery models that can potentially enhance quality and reduce health care costs. The panel covers the center’s early projects, how likely it will be to achieve its goals, and how the center plans to administer its $10 billion budget. (July 2011)
From the National Association of Children’s Hospitals:
2011 State Legislative Action on Children’s Health Care: Mid-Year Fact Sheets summarize trends in response to budget shortfalls. Topics include health coverage and Medicaid and CHIP financing. (August 2011)
From the National Health Law Program (NHeLP):
The ACA and Health Disparities examines provisions of the Affordable Care Act that seek to address health disparities by improving data collection, prevention of chronic illnesses, workforce development, and health care quality. Unfortunately, the law does not guarantee that funding will be available to implement these provisions. (July 2011)
Nonprofit Hospitals and Community Benefit describes the criteria for obtaining nonprofit status, the problems with the current system, and the legislative and regulatory changes that have been introduced to address those problems. It also suggests opportunities for advocates to use these new tools to advance the health rights of low-income uninsured and under-insured patients. (July 2011)
From statehealthfacts.org:
State Action towards Creating a Health Insurance Exchange is an easy-to-read table that includes regularly updated information on the status of states’ work on implementing exchanges. The chart also notes the structure and type of exchange that each state seeks to enact. (August 2011)
From Stateline:
States Save by Moving Vets from Medicaid’s Rolls to VA’s describes a new practice that states are using to reduce their health care costs. States find military veterans who receive Medicaid and sign them up for medical benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). In order to be eligible for VA health benefits, veterans must have served for 24 months continuously or for the full period for which they were called to active duty. (July 2011)
Will Health Insurance Ever Get Cheaper? addresses the problems with rate review, noting that too many states lack or fail to exercise the authority to guarantee that health insurance premiums are affordable. Under the health care law, the federal government offered most states a $1 million grant to improve their rate review capabilities. (July 2011)
From the Urban Institute:
Consider Savings as Well as Costs: State Governments Would Spend at Least $90 Billion Less with the ACA than without It from 2014 to 2019 presents national and state-level estimates of the costs and savings that will result from health reform. While there would be considerable variation in costs and savings by state and region, the law will reduce state spending on such items as uncompensated care and care for individuals with mental illness. (July 2011)
From the Urban Institute Press:
Long-Term Care for the Elderly is a book that outlines a plan for identifying the best financing and delivery approaches to improve the quality of long-term care. The author proposes several policy interventions that would enhance and expand the supply of caregiving professionals. (July 2011)
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