Reports on Health Reform issues from the Kaiser Family Foundation

Key Facts on Health Coverage for Low-Income Immigrants Today and Under Health Reform

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

This fact sheet provides an overview of coverage options for immigrants today and under health reform, and highlights key barriers to enrollment and access.

Key Issues to Consider for Outreach and Enrollment Efforts under Health Reform

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

This report identifies key issues to consider for outreach and enrollment efforts in implementing the coverage expansions under health reform.  It is part of the Health Reform Roundtables series.

Pulling it Together: Small Area Variations and the ACA’s Coverage Expansions

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

In his latest column, Kaiser Family Foundation president Drew Altman spotlights a Foundation analysis showing the highly variable impact that Affordable Care Act (ACA) coverage expansions will have at the local level across the country, and discusses what this might mean for reactions to the law. 

Mapping the Effects of the ACA's Health Insurance Coverage Expansions

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

This analysis estimates the share of the non-elderly population in over 2,000 geographic areas across the U.S. who had family income up to four times the poverty level in 2010 and were either uninsured or buying coverage on their own. The analysis includes an interactive tool that allows users to enter in their zip codes and see the percentage of people in their communities who could be helped by subsidies to help pay for private insurance or eligible for Medicaid starting in 2014 under the Affordable Care Act.

Quality Care for Less Money: Can Regional Successes Go National?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

This Kaiser Family Foundation event features clips from an upcoming PBS documentary with former Washington Post correspondent T.R. Reid – <i>U.S. Health Care: The Good News</i> – followed by a panel discussion examining the issues raised in the documentary and the challenges, constraints and potential solutions for achieving affordable, effective health care in the U.S.

A Mid-Year State Medicaid Budget Update for FY 2012 & A Look Forward to FY 2013

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

This KCMU report finds that, while most states are on track with their Medicaid budget and enrollment trends for FY 2012, some states are trying to close 2012 budget gaps by making mid-year revisions, including restricting additional benefits and provider payment rates. The report builds on findings from Kaiser's most recent comprehensive 50-state Medicaid budget survey.

A Guide to the Supreme Court's Review of the 2010 Health Care Reform Law

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 EST

This brief examines the pending Supreme Court case challenging the 2010 Affordable Care Act, including the key constitutional questions issues and the parties' legal arguments.

How will the Affordable Care Act affect small businesses and their employees?

Tue, 31 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

This fact sheet summarizes key provisions in the Affordable Care Act that may affect small businesses and their employees.  The fact sheet explains the law’s small business tax credits and the Small Business Health Options Program exchanges to be established in each state by 2014, both of which are designed to make it easier for small businesses to purchase insurance for their workers.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll -- January 2012

Thu, 26 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The January Health Tracking Poll probes the public's views and expectations about the Supreme Court case on the health reform law and the public's knowledge and opinions of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's health care positions.

Performing Under Pressure: Annual Findings of a 50-State Survey of Eligibility, Enrollment, Renewal, and Cost-Sharing Policies in Medicaid and CHIP, 2011-2012

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

The annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP eligibility rules, enrollment and renewal procedures and cost sharing practices, found that, despite continued fiscal pressures on states, eligibility policies remained stable in nearly all state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs during 2011.

Briefing, Survey Examine 2012 Data From 50-State Survey of Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment Policies

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

Report and other materials from the Jan. 18, 2012 public briefing on KCMU's annual 50-state survey of Medicaid and CHIP Eligibility and Enrollment Policies.

Establishing Health Insurance Exchanges: An Update on State Efforts

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

This issue brief examines states' progress in setting up the state-based health insurance exchanges through which millions of Americans are expected to purchase coverage under The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) beginning in 2014.

Pulling it Together: 2012: The ACA, and More

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

In his latest column, Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman looks ahead at the wide range of health policy issues and marketplace changes that will be in play inside and outside the Beltway in 2012.

Health Affairs Article: Medicaid Expansion Under Health Reform May Increase Service Use & Improve Access For Low-Income Adults With Diabetes

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 00:00:00 EST

This analysis finds that Medicaid’s role in financing diabetes care will grow when many low-income uninsured people with diabetes become eligible for Medicaid as the program expansions under the Affordable Care Act in 2014.

Performance Measurement Under Health Reform: Proposed Measures For Eligibility and Enrollment Systems and Key Issues and Trade-offs to Consider

Fri, 23 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief seeks to inform the development of performance measures for states' eligibility and enrollment systems under health reform by presenting a list of potential performance measures and identifying key issues and tradeoffs to consider in selecting and developing measures.

The Texas Health Care Landscape

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This fact sheet summarizes the Texas health care landscape, including data on demographics, population health, the uninsured and the state Medicaid program.

The California Health Care Landscape

Thu, 22 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This fact sheet summarizes the California health care landscape, including data on demographics, population health, the uninsured and Medicaid.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll -- December 2011

Wed, 21 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

The December Tracking Poll finds the recent dip in support of the health reform law has been fully reversed, and the concept of health exchanges has wide, bipartisan support.

Changes in Health Insurance Coverage in the Great Recession, 2007-2010

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This issue brief examines changes in health insurance coverage over the last decade, with a focus on how changes in the economy, particularly during the "Great Recession" of 2007 to 2009, have affected coverage and the number of uninsured.

California and Texas: Section 1115 Medicaid Demonstration Waivers Compared

Thu, 15 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This fact sheet compares and contrasts key provisions of the California and Texas Section 1115 Medicaid demonstration waivers, approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in 2010 and 2011, respectively.

Illustrating Health Reform: How Coverage Will Work

Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

A new interactive feature from the Foundation, “Illustrating Health Reform: How Coverage Will Work,” clarifies how individuals and businesses in a variety of situations could be affected by health reform. Featuring the YouToons characters from the Foundation’s “Health Reform Hits Main Street” animated video, the new feature makes it easy to see how people’s health insurance coverage could change under reform.

Case Study: Georgia's Money Follows the Person Demonstration

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief reports on a case study of Georgia's Money Follows the Person demonstration program, describing key features of the program and highlighting recent program experiences.

Georgia's Money Follows the Person Program: Helping People Move Back Home

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief profiles several Georgia residents who have participated in the state's Money Follows the Person demonstration program, which helps transition people from institutional long-term care back into their homes or the community.

Money Follows the Person: A 2011 Survey of Transitions, Services and Costs

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

This report provides an update on the Money Follows the Person demonstration grant program, which provides states with enhanced federal matching funds for 12 months for each Medicaid beneficiary transitioned from an institutional setting into a community-based setting.

Webcast: New CMS Estimates of State-by-State Health Expenditures

Wed, 07 Dec 2011 00:00:00 EST

On Wednesday Dec. 7, 2011 the Kaiser Family Foundation held a live interactive webcast to discuss trends in state health care expenditures and the implications for national and state efforts to constrain health care costs.  The webcast examined new state-by-state estimates of public and private health spending from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Pulling it Together: The Most Popular Provision in the ACA?

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

In his latest column, Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman discusses the importance of a surprise finding in this month’s tracking poll – the most popular provision in the ACA is a requirement that health plans provide consumers with a short, easy to understand summary of their health insurance benefits and coverage.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll -- November 2011

Wed, 30 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

The November Health Tracking Poll takes a closer look at public opinion and knowledge about specific provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) and finds that individual elements of the law are viewed favorably by a majority of the public.  Overall, Americans remain somewhat more likely to have an unfavorable view of the law (44%) than a favorable one (37%).

Financial Alignment Models for Dual Eligibles: An Update

Tue, 29 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

This policy brief provides an update on financial alignment models for dual eligibles based on information in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' July 2011 State Medicaid Director letter and the responding states' letters of intent. It describes CMS's two proposed models and the planning and design process and presents key points from the states' initial expressions of potential interest in testing these models.

Faces of Medicaid

Thu, 10 Nov 2011 00:00:00 EST

This online project of the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured profiles individuals and families from across the country who rely on the Medicaid program and describes the diverse ways in which Medicaid helps them. The nation’s public health    insurance program for low-income people covers millions of children and parents in working families, pregnant women, seniors, and individuals with disabilities. It will expand significantly under health reform in 2014.

Medicaid Eligibility, Enrollment Simplification, and Coordination under the Affordable Care Act: A Summary of CMS’s August 17, 2011 Proposed Rule and Key Issues to Consider

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief summarizes and examines the provisions of proposed regulations issued in August 2011 on Medicaid eligibility, enrollment and coordination under health reform.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll -- October 2011

Fri, 28 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

The October health tracking poll finds a more negative overall public mood about the health reform law, driven largely by changes in support for the law among Democrats.  The poll also asked the public’s impressions of the Massachusetts health reform law enacted under then- Gov. Mitt Romney, who is now a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination.

Connecting Eligible Immigrant Families to Health Coverage and Care: Key Lessons from Outreach and Enrollment Workers

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This report draws on the experience of outreach and enrollment workers who serve immigrant communities to identify the role of Medicaid and CHIP for immigrant families; key barriers eligible, lawfully residing immigrant families face to enrolling in coverage and accessing care; successful strategies to overcome these barriers; and considerations for implementing the coverage expansions under health reform.

Moving Ahead Amid Fiscal Challenges: A Look at Medicaid Spending, Coverage and Policy Trends [Line Return] Results from a 50-State Medicaid Budget Survey for State Fiscal Years 2011 and 2012

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

The 11th annual 50-State Medicaid budget survey tracks trends in Medicaid spending, enrollment and policy initiatives with data for FY 2011 and 2012.

California's "Bridge to Reform" Medicaid Demonstration Waiver

Mon, 24 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This issue brief provides an overview of California’s “Bridge to Reform” Medicaid Demonstration Waiver, which was approved in 2010 and will make up to roughly $8 billion in federal Medicaid matching funds available to California over a five year period to expand coverage to low-income uninsured adults and preserve and improve the county-based safety-net. The waiver also allows the state to enroll Medicaid-eligible seniors and persons with disabilities into managed care plans that meet certain requirements.

The Uninsured and Their Health Care Needs: How Have They Changed Since the Recession?

Fri, 14 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief analyzes the uninsured population and how it has changed over the past decade, especially between 2007 and 2010 when the recession caused many with previously stable coverage to become uninsured. 

Pulling it Together: Business and Health Care Costs

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

In his latest column, Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman explores employer attitudes about their own ability to control health costs based on the Foundation’s annual employer benefits survey.

How Competitive Are State Health Insurance Markets?

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This analysis assesses the competitiveness of state insurance markets for individuals and small businesses to establish a baseline as implementation of the health reform law proceeds.

Medicare Part D Data Spotlight: A First Look at Part D Plan Offerings in 2012

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This data spotlight examines the stand-alone Part D drug plan options available to Medicare beneficiaries in the coming year.

The Uninsured: A Primer

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This primer, updated with 2009 data, reviews the basic profile of the uninsured population, how they receive care, the latest trends in health insurance coverage, and how this population may be affected by health reform.

The Uninsured And The Difference Health Insurance Makes

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This  fact sheet describes the characteristics of the uninsured and explains the recent increase in this population. It also examines the difference that health insurance can make and how health reform is expected to cover millions more people.

Adolescent Health: Coverage and Access to Care

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This issue brief on adolescent health examines access to health services for adolescents, their insurance coverage, and the role of state and federal policies in shaping access to care.

Uniform Coverage Summaries for Consumers

Wed, 12 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This brief explains the proposed federal rule that requires private health plans to provide a short, easy-to-read uniform summary of benefits and coverage to all health insurance applicants and enrollees.

State Options That Expand Access to Medicaid Home and Community-Based Services

Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:00:00 EST

This paper examines various aspects of the Medicaid program that can expand access to home and community-based services (HCBS) and rebalance long-term care spending in favor of HCBS.

The Role of Clinical and Cost Information in Medicaid Pharmacy Benefit Decisions: Experience in Seven States

Wed, 28 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This policy brief provides perspective on the potential for using comparative effectiveness research in Medicaid pharmacy programs by looking at seven states to determine how they currently evaluate relative clinical and cost information about prescription drugs when making coverage decisions for their Medicaid pharmacy benefits.

2011 Kaiser/HRET Employer Health Benefit Survey

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This benchmark annual survey of employers provides a detailed look at trends in employer-sponsored health coverage, including changes in premiums, employee contributions, cost-sharing policies and other relevant information.

Pulling It Together: Rising Health Costs Are Not Just a Federal Budget Problem

Tue, 27 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

In his latest column, Kaiser Family Foundation President Drew Altman looks at the findings from the Foundation’s annual employer health benefits survey from the perspective of employers and families facing rising premiums in a weak economy.

Kaiser Health Tracking Poll -- September 2011

Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

The September tracking poll examines public opinion about the “super committee” and explores the views and experience of individuals who have pre-existing health conditions, in addition to continuing tracking opinion about the health reform law. 

Controlling Health Insurance Premiums: Perspectives from the States, the Federal Government and Industry

Thu, 22 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

The Affordable Care Act creates a process for states and the Department of Health and Human Services to review “unreasonable” premium increases and provide information to consumers about the process. A briefing held by the Foundation in September 2011 addressed how these new rules might work and what the implications may be for the growth in health insurance premiums and the underlying cost of health care.

Five Basic Facts on the Uninsured

Thu, 15 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This issue brief provides basic facts that explain why so many people in America lack health coverage and how being uninsured affects their health and financial security.

A Profile of Medicaid Managed Care Programs in 2010: Findings from a 50-State Survey

Tue, 13 Sep 2011 00:00:00 EST

This comprehensive 50-state survey documents the diversity of state Medicaid managed care programs and explores emerging initiatives to improve care coordination, including managed long-term care and efforts targeted toward dual eligibles. The survey also offers perspective on the directions that Medicaid managed care may take in the coming years.