State/Agency Information

The Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has updated and improved the Medicaid Benefits Online Database, an interactive tool providing easy access to information on services provided by each state's Medicaid program. This site contains Medicaid Benefits survey data from 2003 and 2004 with information about benefits covered, limits, co-payments and reimbursement methodologies for the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the Territories.

The Wisconsin Department of Health & Family Services is designing an integrated state-local quality management system for the state’s HCBS long-term care programs. The Long Term Care Functional Screen (LTCFS) is a key element of their program, used for eligibility determination and rate settings. This paper explores ways to discover accuracy in the Level of Care determination process and describes an approach to LTC FS building on enhancements of current efforts and incorporating new activities.

This memo is from Gale Arden, Director of the Disabled and Elderly Health Programs Group. The letter offers clarity on the changes brought about by the Medicare Modernization Act and prescription drugs for persons who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid (dual eligibles).

This event sponsored by the Kaiser Family Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund gathered former Medicare and Medicaid and other health policy experts to mark the 40th anniversary of these two health care programs. Also shown at the briefing was a new documentary, Medicare and Medicaid at 40, about the history, politics and impact of Medicare and Medicaid that included perspectives from people involved in the original 1965 debate and implementation of the programs.

A bill to amend title XIX of the Social Security Act to require States to disregard benefits paid under LTC insurance for purposes of determining Medicaid eligibility, to expand partnerships between States and insurers, to amend the IRS Code of 1986 to allow individuals a deduction for qualified LTC insurance premiums, the use of such insurance under cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements, and a credit to establish HCBS services as an optional Medicaid benefit.

CMS recently hosted a teleconference to provide an overview of the recently released draft 1915 (c) Medicaid Waiver Application. The presentation offered information on the development of the application including incorporation of comments from states; the protocol for use of the application in its draft form; design and development of the web based application including plans for Beta testing; information on CMS training events and the roll out plan which includes an evaluation component.

This tool kit has been designed as a result of three years of collaboration building workshops in 33 different states. The impetus arose from the need to disseminate the latest information on aging and intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) and to find ways in which agencies can collaborate to assist caregivers and care recipients. This tool kit is an accumulation of the materials presented at the workshops and provides agencies with resources for forming new partnerships.

SAMHSA’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) webcasts were broadcast March 16, April 6 and May 25, 2005. Titles Included: 1. Self-Direction and Its Relationship to Mental Health-Principles: Tools of Self-Direction. 2. Models of Self-Direction in Mental Health: What's out there? 3. Self-Direction in Mental Health-From Ideas to Action: Funding Self-Directed Care in Mental Health and Helping People Make It Happen. Materials include presentation slides, resource links and discussion questions.

This document was created by the CMS Quality Council, in an effort to delineate and advance a vision for improving of medical care. It provides a summary of CMS's many quality-related initiatives. The goal of the quality roadmap is to ensure the right care for every person every time and to do this by making care safe, effective, efficient, patient-centered, timely and equitable.

KaiserEDU.org is designed to provide students, faculty and others interested in learning about health policy easy access to the latest data, research, analysis, and developments in health policy. This site includes narrated slide tutorials, background reference libraries, and issue modules on current topics and policy debates.