Affordable Care Act (ACA)

This survey reports on trends in Medicaid spending, enrollment and policy initiatives for FY 2012 and FY 2013. The report describes policy changes in reimbursement, eligibility, benefits, delivery systems and long-term care, as well as detailed appendices with state-by-state information, and a more in-depth look through four state-specific case studies of the Medicaid budget and policy decisions in Massachusetts, Ohio, Oregon and Texas.

The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) has collected and created a number of tools and resources to help states design programs to address the needs of the Medicaid expansion population. This online toolkit shares these resources, including reports, briefs, case studies, and presentations, as well as links to a variety of state and plan materials. The Table of Contents has headers for Anticipated Needs, Benefit Options, Delivery System, Policy and Fiscal Considertations for States.

A new paper provides an overview of the Federal Medicaid Assistance Percentage (FMAP), the formula which is used to determine the federal government's share of the cost of covered services in state Medicaid programs. It also reviews the various temporary changes to the FMAP formula that have taken place over the history of the Medicaid program. Beginning in 2014, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) establishes highly enhanced FMAPs for the cost of services to low-income adults.

Coordination of care activities and concepts include common cross-cutting themes. This report puts forth information regarding components of interventions that should be considered in the design, ongoing operation, and evaluation phases of most coordination of care efforts. It includes definitions, descriptions of funding programs, clinical programs, frameworks, and other state- and federal-level initiatives. The report pays particular attention to efforts germane to behavioral health disorders.

This technical assistance tool is a product of CHCS' Implementing the Roadmaps: Innovations in Long-Term Supports and Services program. Through this program, CHCS is helping participating states to rebalance and better manage an array of long-term services and supports for Medicaid populations. This brief highlights ways for states to participate in the Balancing Incentive Program, which offers enhanced federal financing to fund non-institutionally based LTSS within their Medicaid programs.

This brief establishes a basis for key system transformation activities necessary to create a high quality, person centered care system for older adults and people with disabilities. What is the ideal person-centered system? Read about ways to unite the fragmented system.

This report is designed to offer the collective wisdom and practical insights of state officials and technical experts related to the leadership and interagency coordination needed to implement the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It discusses the role of leadership and a clear vision for reform, and outlines specific strategies being used by states from low-tech solutions to higher-tech tools. This brief then explores the potential of work planning and formal memorandums of understanding (MOUs).

This article takes a look at who is covered by Medicaid and the important role that Medicaid plays in the lives of many Americans. It also examines Medicaid's role under the Affordable Care Act, how growth in per capita Medicaid spending is slower than growth in private health care spending, how Medicaid improves access to needed health care, and which groups receive the majority of Medicaid spending.

This fact sheet describes “Community First Choice Option” – one of the rules that the CMS recently released to expand access to home and community based services (HCBS) for people with disabilities. States that elect the Community First Choice option are eligible for a 6 percentage point increase in their federal medical assistance percentage. Individuals who require an institutional level of care are eligible for the services, which will be offered in community-based settings.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established a voluntary public insurance program for long-term care: the Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act. In October 2011, the Obama Administration suspended the CLASS Act because of the high risk of fiscal insolvency. This article discusses several CLASS Act design and implementation issues, including the voluntary enrollment, the weak work requirement, the lifetime and cash benefits, and the premium subsidy for low-income workers.