Kaiser Family Foundation

KFF has released an issue brief that describes how state Medicaid programs are implementing arrangements aimed at coordinating Medicare and Medicaid for dual-eligible individuals. Dual-eligible individuals receive their primary health insurance coverage through Medicare and receive additional assistance from their state Medicaid program. The brief reports that nearly all states are leveraging strategies to coordinate care for dual-eligible individuals and many states are using multiple strategies.

The Kaiser Family Foundation has released an issue brief discussing the ramifications of the end of the public health emergency (PHE) for Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services (HCBS). This brief includes background information on how states supported Medicaid HCBS during the PHE, and highlights important things to watch in Medicaid HCBS as the PHE comes to and end on May 11, 2023.

KFF released a new report that shares a range of strategies states are using as they prepare to resume Medicaid disenrollment. The twenty-first annual KFF survey of state Medicaid Health Insurance (CHIP) Programs officials found that many states are using an array of strategies to promote continuity of coverage. The report shares findings from all states on their strategies to promote continuous coverage.

KFF’s analysis released March 2, 2023, “Medicaid Enrollment Growth: Estimates by State and Eligibility Group Show Who may be at Risk as Continuous Enrollment Ends”, presents findings from the organization’s evaluation of Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment data. KFF estimates nearly 95 million people enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP in March 2023 – an increase of 23.3 million enrollees with over half of the enrollee increase among adults under age 65 and nearly one-third among children. Also, five states – California, New York, Texas, Florida, and Illinois – comprise over one-third of the increase in Medicaid and CHIP enrollment while the rate of growth in enrollment varies among states.

A new issue brief from Kaiser Family Foundation shares how States can work with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) to prepare beneficiaries for the unwinding process. MCOs deliver to more than two thirds of Medicaid beneficiaries nationally and this article shares insight on the strategic partnerships between states and their MCOs to prepare for the unwinding process.

KFF released a brief “What Happens When COVID-19 Emergency Declarations End? Implications for Coverage, Costs, and Access” (January 31, 2023) that the describes the major health-related COVID-19 emergency declarations made by the federal government since January 2020, and the flexibilities resulting from the declarations. The areas covered in the brief include coverage, costs, and payment for COVID-19 testing, treatments, and vaccines; Medicaid coverage and federal match rates; and telehealth, among other provisions. According to KFF, the list does not include all federal policy and regulatory provisions made in response to COVID-19 emergency declarations.

The KFF recently published two analyses on demographics and program enrollment and spending of Medicare and Medicaid dually eligible beneficiaries or dual eligibles. The article, “A Profile of Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees”, analyzes the demographic, socioeconomic, and health characteristics of dual eligibles using data from the 2020 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey. The second article, “Enrollment and Spending Patterns Among Medicare-Medicaid Enrollees (Dual Eligibles)”, examines national and state-level data on enrollment and spending for Medicare-Medicaid enrollees. The authors used data from the 2019 and 2020 Medicare Beneficiary Summary Files and the 2019 Transformed Medicaid Statistical Information System for this analysis.

The KFF recent analysis, “As States Prepare to “Unwind” the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Provision, Past Patterns Show that Most People Who are Disenrolled from Medicaid Become Uninsured for All or Part of the Next 12 Months”, indicates that many individuals currently enrolled in Medicaid may go without health insurance coverage for several months.

KFF’s “Medicaid: What to Watch in 2023” issue brief provides information on issues and considerations affecting Medicaid this year, including Medicaid Coverage and Financing; Access and Health Equity; and, Enrollment and Access Among People Eligible for Medicaid through Age or Disability.

Paxlovid is an antiviral treatment for people with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms at high risk of becoming seriously ill, including adults 65 and up. It is important for older adults to consider a treatment plan before becoming infected, as Paxlovid could have complications with other drugs and should be evaluated by a medical provider. This article provides more information about Paxlovid and suggests ways older adults can prepare a treatment plan in advance of catching the new COVID-19 variant.