Medicaid Financing Reform

Federal and state governments should maintain the entitlement nature of Medicaid funding so all who qualify will be covered. Medicaid should not be financed in any way that threatens this, such as through block grants or caps (global or per capita); hard limitations on the availability of federal funding regardless of changes in enrollment, service costs, or service utilization; or financial incentives for states to limit or eliminate access to optional services, such as long-term services and supports Also known as Long-term Care (LTC), LTSS encompass a broad range of assistance needed by people of all ages who have cognitive or mental impairments and who may lack the physical ability to function independently.  In their basic form, LTSS consist of help with self-care and… .

Any efforts to restructure Medicaid should maintain and improve current federal and state consumer protections, and adopt financing policies and payment strategies that enhance and improve access and quality.

Congress should evaluate the federal Medicaid funding formula to determine if it distributes federal funds equitably among states, consistent with Title XIX of the Medicaid Statute.

Congress should enact legislation making the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage formula responsive to state economic cycles on a permanent basis.

States and federal governments must ensure that all Medicaid beneficiaries have meaningful opportunities to exercise their statutory grievance and appeal rights.

They must also ensure that beneficiaries receive access to needed services during appeals

States must ensure that beneficiaries’ grievance and appeals rights are clearly explained and that beneficiaries have access to easy-to-understand materials that are culturally competent and linguistically appropriate.

Federal and state governments should conduct annual reviews to ensure that Medicaid’s rules for paying providers and managed care organizations do not undermine health care access.

States should consider payment incentive systems that reward high quality and improvements in care.

States should ensure that beneficiaries have reasonable and adequate access to providers (including transportation providers).

States should enhance access to care and protect consumer choice by giving beneficiaries greater access to nurse practitioners and other Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (APRNs). This includes removing laws that require APRNs to enter into business contacts with physicians, as these business agreements have no impact on quality of care and unnecessarily restrain trade.

While preserving access, states should contract with cost-efficient, high-quality hospitals, physicians, and other providers to serve Medicaid beneficiaries.

The federal government should require states to have procedures ensuring continuity of coverage for beneficiaries transitioning to Medicare Authorized in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and older and for some disabled people under age 65. This federal program consists of Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance), Part… . The federal government should require states to have procedures (including notices to consumers) for re-evaluating Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI)-related Medicaid beneficiaries for potential non-MAGI-related Medicaid coverage (see below, How the Affordable Care Act Affects Medicaid, for a definition of MAGI.) Such procedures would be used when these individuals become Medicare Authorized in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and older and for some disabled people under age 65. This federal program consists of Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance), Part… -eligible at age 65, or when they are eligible for Social Security Disability Insurance and have completed the two-year waiting period to become Medicare Authorized in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and older and for some disabled people under age 65. This federal program consists of Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance), Part… -eligible (see also this chapter’s section on Health Care Coverage: Medicare Authorized in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and older and for some disabled people under age 65. This federal program consists of Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance), Part… ). This reassessment capability should include an evaluation of eligibility for full Medicaid benefits (including LTSS Also known as Long-term Care (LTC), LTSS encompass a broad range of assistance needed by people of all ages who have cognitive or mental impairments and who may lack the physical ability to function independently.  In their basic form, LTSS consist of help with self-care and… ), Medicare Savings Programs A term used to refer collectively to several programs established under federal law to provide additional financial protections (such as assistance with premiums and/or cost-sharing) to low-income Medicare beneficiaries who meet income and asset criteria. The Medicare Savings Programs… , and the Medicare Authorized in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and older and for some disabled people under age 65. This federal program consists of Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance), Part… Part D Low-Income Subsidy.

 

To improve Medicaid access for people with low incomes, Congress should:

• ensure continuous Medicaid coverage for vulnerable people of all ages, including people with disabilities and the working poor; and
• require all states to have a medically needy program States have the option of providing Medicaid benefits to people who have high medical expenses. People are classified as medically needy when their medical expenses, subtracted from income, result in net income below the Medicaid eligibility standard. that provides full Medicaid benefits to people of all ages when they have exhausted their financial resources for meeting their health care needs; and take steps to ensure that states do not eliminate Medicaid’s optional eligibility categories or alter eligibility criteria to reduce the amount of their Medicare Authorized in 1965 under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act, Medicare provides health insurance coverage for people age 65 and older and for some disabled people under age 65. This federal program consists of Part A (Hospital Insurance), Part B (Supplemental Medical Insurance), Part… payments (known as a “claw-back” strategy) and thereby denying or withdrawing needy beneficiaries’ access to important health benefits.