Reports

Health care reform offers opportunities for cash-strapped Medicaid programs to save money and get extra federal dollars. Amid the budget shortfalls that most states are experiencing, state policymakers should carefully consider the new opportunities presented by health care reform and direct their resources to those that will both improve health outcomes and services and realize cost savings or efficiencies.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Healthy Aging Program has released an updated version of its annual Aging At A Glance report. It addresses not only implications of an aging society, and opportunities for improving older adult health, but also how CDC and its partners are addressing these issues. Review the statics and success stories.

Review this ground-breaking study of the revolutionary changes in public policy toward persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities over the past fifty years.

How does the state of Virginia measure how financial incentives affect disabled workers' decision to work? To learn more, read this report which features a model used to predict behavior of individuals, budget costs, and related savings of the Virginia Medicaid Works program, along with the well-being of affected individuals. This frame-work will also be used to predict how proposed changes in the Medicaid Works program would affect behavior.

A study of the severe housing affordability problems of people with disabilities. The study compares the federal Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments of people with significant and long-term disabilities to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Fair Market Rents for modestly priced rental units. Review the report, statistics and fact sheet.

How is the state of Virginia working to better understand its Medicaid program's efficacy? This report aims to develop a framework to understand the incentive effects of the Virginia Medicaid Works program that provides disabled Medicaid recipients the option to earn higher income while ensuring continued Medicaid coverage. By decoupling labor market decisions from Medicaid receipt, the primary objective of the Works program is to increase the employment and earnings of disabled recipients.

This study evaluated impacts on employment and earnings levels among people with disabilities of eliminating the cash cliff aspect of Social Security Disability Insurance, in which beneficiaries lose their entire cash benefit when their earnings become too high. Findings demonstrated that an SSDI offset can have a significant effect on the SGA earnings rate of beneficiaries, but that the effect may be limited to a subset of individuals, and may be enhanced when paired with healthcare protection.

Looking to better understand how states pay for adult day services through the Medicaid program? Comparing adult day services to other LTC provider types, adult day tends to be the most cost effective providers within the waiver or State Plan. This report looks at the scope of services provided by adult day and relates the clinical complexity of the care provided with the Medicaid reimbursement. Analyze the growth of programs in relation to the reimbursement and scope of services provided.

Mathematica released the sixth report in a series that use the latest data available on MFP grants and state efforts to transition Medicaid enrollees to community living and rebalance LTC systems. The report presents survey results showing change in quality of life, quality of care and community integration reported by 803 MFP participants after one year of community living. The authors explore policy implications for MFP and other transition programs.

The Utah Medicaid Work Incentive (MWI) Program began in 2001 as a way to encourage low income people with disabilities to work without fear of losing needed health care services. The program allows people with disabilities to earn above the poverty level to have access to Medicaid as long as their income remains low. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of MWI policy on recipients’ earnings, Medicaid expenditures, and use of other public benefits.