Blog

1. 5 Great New Ways for States to Help People Get (and Keep) Medicaid Coverage

   Posted May 23, 2013 at 10:30am by Sarah Bagge

   On May 17, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a list of five great options states can use to ensure that low-income people get and keep Medicaid coverage when the new simplified, streamlined enrollment system opens in October 2013. (It’s important to note that those determined eligible for Medicaid before the end of the year won’t receive benefits until January 2014, unless they are currently eligible for Medicaid.) 

2. New Results from National Health Insurance Survey Show How Many Americans Will Benefit from the Affordable Care Act

   Posted May 16, 2013 at 10:16am by Sarah Bagge

3. Medicaid Provides Comparable Access to Health Care at Much Lower Costs than Job-Based Coverage

   Posted May 16, 2013 at 10:00am by Amy Traver

   Last week, the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured released a study suggesting that people with Medicaid enjoy similar access to health care at lower cost than they would experience if they had job-based coverage. Here’s a detailed breakdown of the study’s findings:

4. New Oregon Health Study’s Findings Reaffirm That Medicaid Is Good Health Coverage

   Posted May 8, 2013 at 3:00pm by Amy Traver

   New findings from the Oregon Health Study reaffirm that Medicaid is good health coverage: The study showed that Medicaid beneficiaries were more likely than the uninsured to receive needed health care services (including preventive care), they experienced improved mental health as a result of coverage, and they were more financially secure. 

5. Q&A for Navigator Grant Opportunities

   Posted May 8, 2013 at 10:15am by Elaine Saly

   The Affordable Care Act provides for the establishment of navigator programs to conduct outreach and provide assistance with enrollment in coverage through new health insurance marketplaces or “exchanges.” The navigator programs will be established in each state, whether the state is operating its own marketplace, partnering with the federal government to operate the marketplace, or having the federal government operate the marketplace to ensure access to affordable coverage for state residents.

6. Care Coordination: Better Care at a Lower Cost

   Posted May 3, 2013 at 4:00pm by Amy Traver

   Comprehensive care coordination promises to be a key strategy in new care delivery models that aim to improve patient health and reduce waste in the health care system. The Affordable Care Act has made it easier for states to address our country’s rising health care costs by investing in care coordination. 

7. New Health Coverage Application Forms Will Help Consumers Sign Up for Coverage

   Posted May 2, 2013 at 11:15am by Sarah Bagge

   On Tuesday, the Department of Health and Human Services released three new application forms that consumers will be able to use to sign up for coverage beginning on October 1. These consumer-friendly applications ask for all the information needed to see if an individual or family will qualify for free coverage from Medicaid or CHIP, or if they qualify to buy a plan in the new health insurance marketplace, and if so, whether they will get premium tax credits to help pay for this coverage. 

8. Why the DC Cancer Consortium Opposes “Tobacco Rating”

   Posted April 30, 2013 at 9:00am

   The DC Cancer Consortium and our 75 organizational members are committed to reducing the toll of cancer in the District of Columbia, particularly among low-income and underserved populations. That is why we so strongly oppose tobacco “rating.” 

9. Arkansas Consumer Advocates Win Medicaid Expansion

   Posted April 29, 2013 at 12:15pm by Amy Smoucha

   Recently, despite initial opposition, significant pressure from political interest groups, and the daunting task of getting support from the required 75 percent of legislators, the Arkansas legislature voted “yes” on the Medicaid expansion. This victory was made possible by an effective advocacy campaign that mobilized the people of Arkansas to call upon their elected leaders to do the right thing—an ideal strategy in a state where the motto is, “The People Rule.”

10. Lawmakers Should Not Delay Medicaid Expansion due to the President’s Proposal to Postpone Hospital Payments Cuts

    Posted April 24, 2013 at 9:45am by Dee Mahan

    Some lawmakers see the one-year delay in scheduled cuts to the Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Program (DSH) in the President’s recently released budget proposal as a reason to delay the Medicaid expansion in their states. They claim that hospitals won’t be hurt if Medicaid isn’t expanded because DSH, which helps hospitals offset the cost of treating people who can’t afford to pay for their care, will still help hospitals continue to provide care to the uninsured.