Medicaid

Report Finds Disparities in Children’s Health Insurance Coverage

by Victoria Bailey

Around 3.6 million children in the US are uninsured, but coverage varies by race, state, and income, highlighting stark disparities in children’s health insurance coverage, according to a report...

Top 10 Highest Performing Medicare, Medicaid Health Plans

by Editorial Staff

The top-performing Medicare and Medicaid health plans for the 2020-21 plan year earned exceptional quality scores based on the plans’ customer satisfaction, preventive care, and treatment...

OIG: Medicaid Managed Care Plans Submit Incomplete MLR Reports

by Victoria Bailey

Almost half of medical loss ratio (MLR) reports from state Medicaid managed care plans were incomplete, indicating the need for CMS to increase states’ oversight of MLR reporting, the Office of...

HHS Procures Federally-Covered COVID-19 Treatment Doses For Uninsured

by Kelsey Waddill

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will cover doses of the coronavirus monoclonal antibody treatment bebtelovimab for the uninsured and underinsured, the department...

NC Hospitals Propose to Fund Medicaid Expansion, Reform CON Laws

by Victoria Bailey

The North Carolina Healthcare Association (NCHA) has submitted a proposal to lawmakers that aims to overcome the stall in negotiations and pass Medicaid expansion. The proposal was delivered to Senate...

Uninsured, Publicly Insured Report Unfair Treatment in Patient Experience

by Kelsey Waddill

Coverage type may be a factor in unfair treatment in the patient experience among the uninsured and those with public insurance coverage, according to an Urban Institute study. “Unfair treatment...

States Plan Medicaid 1115 Demonstration Waivers for Incarcerated People

by Mark Melchionna

States across the country are working with the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to obtain Section 1115 demonstration waivers to...

OR Introduces Coverage for Mental Health Mobile Crisis Intervention Services

by Kelsey Waddill

The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has approved a proposal from Oregon’s Medicaid program, Oregon Health Plan, to cover community-based substance abuse and mental healthcare...

Public Charge Final Rule Published, Pursues Health Equity For Immigrants

by Kelsey Waddill

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released its public charge final rule which clarifies how HHS and states will supply benefits for noncitizens—namely, that the use of most public...

Uninsurance, Medicaid Coverage Could Delay Colon Cancer Diagnosis

by Kelsey Waddill

Health insurance type is a risk factor for delayed diagnosis of colon cancer, according to a research letter published in JAMA Network Open. The researchers noted that less than four out of ten...

15M Beneficiaries Will Lose Medicaid Coverage When PHE Ends

by Victoria Bailey

Around 15 million beneficiaries will lose Medicaid coverage when the program’s continuous enrollment provision ends with the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE), according to a report from the...

VA Medicaid Expansion Lowered Member Financial Concerns During COVID-19

by Kelsey Waddill

Virginia Medicaid beneficiaries experienced fewer financial concerns during the coronavirus pandemic due to Medicaid expansion, according to self-reported data published by Health Affairs. “Our...

State Medicaid Programs Boosted HCBS Waiver Adoption for Senior Care

by Kelsey Waddill

State Medicaid programs’ adoption of and investment in home and community-based service waivers for seniors grew in the past 20 years, an article in Health Affairs found. “Our results...

CMS Proposes Reporting Requirement for Medicaid, CHIP Quality Measures

by Victoria Bailey

CMS has released a proposed rule that aims to establish reporting requirements and standardize quality measures across Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to help identify...

Private Sector Outreach Did Not Make Up For Navigator Program Funding Cuts

by Kelsey Waddill

When federal funding for the Navigator program was reduced significantly, private companies did not make up for the lack of outreach, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open. “Many...

HHS, CMS Approve Extended Medicaid Postpartum Coverage in 3 States

by Victoria Bailey

HHS and CMS announced that Hawaii, Maryland, and Ohio have been approved to extend Medicaid postpartum coverage for 12 months after pregnancy, increasing maternal healthcare access for an additional...

States See Patient Experience Shifts in the First Year After Medicaid Expansion

by Kelsey Waddill

Medicaid expansion can alter the characteristics of states’ Medicaid populations, which is a factor that policymakers need to consider when formulating standards for quality of care and patient...

Hepatitis C Treatment Rates Reveal Care Disparities in Public, Private Coverage

by Kelsey Waddill

Treatment initiation rates for hepatitis C indicate care disparities for individuals who are not White as well as those who are younger and male individuals, a report from the Centers for Disease...

Payers Praise Inflation Reduction Act, Warn About Pharmaceutical Loopholes

by Kelsey Waddill

When the Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act on August 4, 2022, payers and payer organizations met the proposed law with largely positive reactions, though some payer groups pointed out areas...

How Long COVID Could Impact Health Insurance Coverage, Eligibility

by Victoria Bailey

The presence of long COVID may spur changes in health insurance coverage, as people with employer-sponsored health plans may have to cut back their hours or stop working, according to data from the...