Medicaid

The Employment Policy and Measurement Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, published a report on financing transition services. Multiple funding streams, or braiding of resources, are used to fund the services and supports available for transition-age youth seeking employment or higher education. This report examines who the payers of last resort are based on different regulatory and legal requirements.

The LEAD Center published a policy brief that examines the impact of employment programs on health care costs for working-age people with disabilities. People with disabilities are responsible for a disproportionate amount of healthcare spending each year, mainly through Medicare and Medicaid. Employment of people with disabilities shows a "protective impact" on health, which would ultimately help to lower public spending on health care for this population.

States provides data to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) on factors related to key application, eligibility and enrollment processes using the Medicaid and CHIP Performance Indicator Project. The data is then used to inform CMS on the operations of the programs in each state and to share state performance data publicly. Data collection for this project began in October 2013 and is reported monthly. Enrollment reached 72.4 million people for Medicaid and CHIP in August 2015.

The Kaiser Family Foundation published an issue brief of the role of Medicaid for People living with dementia. Individuals with dementia generally require a multitude of medical and behavioral health services. Medicare covers some services for this population but there are gaps where Medicaid may need to fill in for payment of long term services and supports (LTSS) for low-income people. This brief includes a fact sheet for explain the role of Medicaid for people with dementia.

The annual 2013 Medicaid Managed Care Enrollment Report created by the Division of Managed Care Plans and the Data and Systems Group in the Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services at CMS, with assistance from Mathematica Policy Research, was released this week. Data on Medicaid enrollment is collected from every state, territory, and the District of Columbia, and is broken down into categories by program, population, and state. The report provides tables with nationwide data and data by state.

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured released a report that provides an overview of Medicaid enrollment and spending during state Fiscal Years (FY) 2015 and 2016. The results were gathered from interviews with state Medicaid directors as part of the 15th annual survey of Medicaid directors. Enrollment and spending significantly increased in Fiscal Year 2015, which was the first full year that the Affordable Care Act expansions were implemented.

The Integrated Care Resource Center released a brief that offers tips for engaging providers in integrated care programs for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees. Integrated care programs are successful when a broad spectrum of providers are engaged in the process. This brief provides states with tips on how to engage physicians, hospitals, nursing facilities, and community-based service providers that serve Medicare and Medicaid enrollees.

The Milbank Memorial Fund released a new study, the Role of State Medicaid Directors: A Leadership Imperative. This study was authored by Andy Allison, a former Kansas and Arkansas Medicaid Director. The study focuses on the current climate of Medicaid policy, organizations and leadership. There is a specific focus on how the administration is structured for Medicaid in the states and the adequacy of state investments in the role and compensation of these leaders.

The United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a report on July 30, 2015, addressing key issues in Medicaid and the compilation of previous recommendations the office has made to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). The recommendations fall within four overarching areas of access to care, transparency and oversight, program integrity, and federal financing approach.

The white paper examines the impact that managed care organizations can have on cost and quality of care for older adults and people with disabilities. The National Council on Disability found that MCOs can lower the costs of services for these populations. However, MCOs must face the challenge of training staff on person-centered planning and competency for the quality of care to genuinely increase. This provides an analysis of the positives and negatives of MCOs and where to move from here.