State/Agency Information

Surveying Maryland’s 3,180 dual eligibles who are enrolled in hcbs waiver programs, the author finds that the end-of-2005 transfer of prescription drug coverage from Medicaid to Medicare under the Medicare Modernization Act of 2003 could put these beneficiaries in jeopardy. The experience in MD is likely to be typical for other states. The paper recommends a number of federal policy remedies, including 90-day prescriptions, using open or shared formularies, & lengthening the enrollment period.

This report outlines the annual Medicare Advantage capitation rate for each Medicare Advantage payment area for 2006, and the risk and other factors to be used in adjusting such rates. Attached is a spreadsheet containing the capitation rate tables for CY 2006, a spreadsheet which shows the statutory component of the regional benchmarks and the National Per Capita Medicare Advantage Growth Percentage. The 2006 national per capita Medicare Advantage growth rate is 4.8 percent.

The Compendium contains basic information about each of the Real Choice Systems Change Grantees. The Compendium will help you learn more about how these grants will be used to allow more people of all ages with a disability or long term illness to live and participate in their communities. Real Choice Systems Change Grantees will also find the Compendium useful to identify other Grantees with similar goals and activities. The fourth edition of the Compendium replaces all previous editions.

This document describes IDA, a proposed generic, virtual information service, supporting both operational (e.g., client service) and analytical needs for integrated data. In IDA, source data would stay with the agency that owns it and be made available to an end-user only when permitted by the owning agency. IDA responds to many of the persistent barriers to data integration that confront the State.

A number of states have developed rental housing locators that allow online searches for affordable housing units. These sites range from bare-bones databases of state-financed developments to elaborate sites with multiple search criteria, extensive information about accessibility for persons with disabilities, current vacancy information, and links to local service agencies. This report reviews several web-based sites based on several factors and compares the findings.

This electronic briefing book was distributed at a seminar requested by congressional staff to provide an overview of the Medicare, Medicaid, and State Children’s Health Insurance programs. The sessions featured experts from the Government Accountability Office, Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Congressional Research Service, and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, plus public and private entities. This link contains presentations, handouts, reports, websites, and other resources.

Improving Health and Long-Term Care Coverage for Low-Income Americans This report—the product of a year-long effort to identify changes that would make the 40-year-old Medicaid program more effective—was developed in collaboration with a workgroup of state officials and national experts. The group’s final recommendations identify numerous opportunities for improving the program and are focused on three key areas: eligibility, benefits and financing.

This report compiles both written and verbal evaluations of twenty New Hampshire legislators who attended the Supporting Older Adults and Individuals with Disabilities in Your Community: An Educational Series for Legislators. The series was developed as part of the Real Choice Systems Change initiative in New Hampshire. The purpose of this evaluation was to review what aspects of the Educational Series were beneficial and to recommend improvements for future sessions.

To keep states abreast of Maine’s efforts to achieve comprehensive health policy reform, the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance has partnered with NASHP to chart the progress and implementation of the Dirigo Health Reform Act. There were multiple goals for this study and NASHP and LSPA identified five groups of key stakeholders to interview. This report presents the research of six focus groups.

To keep states abreast of Maine’s efforts to achieve comprehensive health policy reform, the Governor’s Office of Health Policy and Finance has partnered with NASHP to chart the progress and implementation of the Dirigo Health Reform Act. This issue brief addresses benefit design of the health plan, DirigoChoice designed to provide Maine businesses that have 50 or fewer eligible employees, the self-employed, and individuals with an affordable, high-quality option for health coverage.