- ACA Implementation & State Health Reform
- Coverage and Access
- Federal/State Issues
- Medicaid and CHIP
- Population and Public Health
- Providers and Services
- Acute Care
- Assisted Living
- Behavioral Health
- Child Development Services
- Chronic Care Management
- Community Health Centers
- Developmental Screening
- Early Childhood Services
- EPSDT
- Family Planning
- Federally Qualified Health Centers
- Home & Community Based Services
- Long Term Services & Supports
- Medical Homes & Health Homes
- Mental Health
- Nursing Homes
- Oral Health
- Preventive Care
- Primary Care
- Safety Net Providers
- Quality, Cost, and Health System Performance
- ACOs
- Adverse Event Reporting
- Care Transitions
- Comparative Effectiveness
- Cost Sharing
- Delivery System Reform
- Fraud and Abuse
- Health Care Workforce
- Health Information Technology
- Managed Care
- Medical Homes & Health Homes
- Medical Malpractice
- Patient Safety
- Payment Reform
- Performance Measurement
- Provider Payment Policy
- Quality Oversight
- Specific Populations
- Adolescents
- Childless Adults
- Children
- Children with Special Health Care Needs
- Dual Eligibles
- Elders
- Families
- Low Income People
- Parents
- People with Chronic Conditions
- People with Developmental Disabilities
- Transitional Youth
- Vulnerable Populations
- Young Adults
- Youth
- Youth in Foster Care System
- Youth in Juvenile Justice System
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What a Difference a Dollar Makes: Affordability Lessons From Children's Coverage Programs
States are responsible for on the ground implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), including expanding coverage options through Exchanges and other health insurance programs. This brief examines the affordability of current children's coverage options and coverage under ACA. It also draws on lessons from the Children's Health Insurance Program, which can serve as a model for states as they implement affordability provisions in ACA.
April 2011» -
Financing State Coverage Expansions: Can New Medicaid Flexibility Help?
As states like Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine continue to implement their health reforms, other states are also considering ambitious coverage expansions. Financing is a key concern. In the past, states interested in drawing down federal Medicaid funds to expand coverage had two primary mechanisms available to them: filing a state plan amendment using available optional eligibility categories and income disregards, or applying for a Section 1115 waiver. Under the first approach, states are required to provide all the Medicaid mandatory benefits, and to cover all people who meet the eligibility standards, with full federal financial participation guaranteed. The waiver approach gives states flexibility in areas like benefit design and eligibility, but limits the amount of federal financial participation because of budget neutrality requirements.September 2007 -
What Families Think about Cost-Sharing Policies in SCHIP
This paper reports on findings from a series of focus groups with parents of current and former SCHIP enrollees in Alabama, Nevada, New Hampshire, and New Jersey. The focus groups were designed to explore parents’ feelings about and experiences with cost sharing. The groups addressed the following topics: attitudes about paying premiums and copayments, opinions about premium and copayment amounts, and aspects of the premium payment process (such as periodicity, billing and payment methods, and penalties for late and missed payments). The focus groups were an invaluable tool in studying SCHIP, yielding nuanced, multifaceted results not attainable from surveys or analysis of enrollment data. The groups provided in-depth insight into parents’ experiences with their state SCHIP programs and the cost-sharing elements of those programs.October 2005» -
Tough Choices: A Policy Maker’s Guide to Cost Containment Actions Affecting Children in Medicaid and SCHIP
This paper examines cost containment strategies in Medicaid and SCHIP and their potential impact on children enrolled in these programs. It is designed to help states think through cost control measures, the potential savings to be realized from such actions, and their impact on children and families. It identifies a menu of cost containment options that states have considered, along with the pros and cons of those options.February 2004»
