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Tag: Policy

Preserving Medicaid and Reducing the Program’s Spending

The June edition raises concerns with how Medicaid policymaking is currently being approached and debated. We identify specific areas where excess costs exist in the program and where considerable savings can be achieved without diminishing Medicaid’s current coverage levels.

Jun. 4, 2017 Download 5 slide

KEYWORDS:Expenditures, Medicaid, Policy

Correctional Health: State Prison Inmate Health Costs and Strategies to Improve Re-entry

Volume #42 of our Series identifies the number of state prison inmates in each Medicaid expansion state, and describes opportunities to deliver community re-entry care coordination support.

Nov. 4, 2016 Download 5 slide

KEYWORDS:Expansion, Expenditures, Medicaid, Policy

MCO Procurements: Medicaid Agency Best Practices and Not-So-Best Practices

This edition discusses – with some input from the Health Policy Cows – some do’s and don’ts for states in implementing Medicaid MCO procurements.

Aug. 4, 2016 Download 5 slide

KEYWORDS:Medicaid, Policy, Procurement

Prescription Drug Spending in State Medicaid Programs, Employee Health Plans, and State Prisons

This month’s edition investigates prescription drug spending in all 50 states across three major state health care payers: Medicaid, state employee health plans, and in state prisons. By comparing these expenditures to total health care spending and overall spending in…

May. 1, 2016 Download 5 slide

KEYWORDS:Expenditures, Medicaid, Policy, Prescription Drugs

Removing the Medicare Advantage Program’s Key Disadvantages & Guidance From the Health Policy Cows

The health policy cows are back for April’s report, which presents data and opinions regarding the need to pilot-test implementing managed care in the Medicare arena in a similar manner as typically occurs in Medicaid -- mandatory enrollment of beneficiaries…

Apr. 8, 2016 Download 5 slide

KEYWORDS:Enrollment, Medicaid, Medicare, Policy

Assessment of Medicaid MCO Preferred Drug Policy Options in Louisiana

Over 90 percent of Louisiana’s Medicaid prescriptions are paid for by MCOs. The Louisiana Association of Health Plans engaged us to assess the impacts of a potential policy change to take the preferred drug list (PDL) content responsibility away from…

Apr. 5, 2016 Download Full Report

KEYWORDS:Medicaid, Policy, Prescription Drugs

Assessment of Medicaid Reform Options Prepared for Alaska Legislative Budget and Audit Committee

The Legislative Budget and Audit Committee of Alaska sought information and analyses with regard to other states’ experiences with Medicaid reform and expansion initiatives. This report describes opportunities for Medicaid savings and to reduce pharmacy costs. As well as recommendations…

Apr. 1, 2016 Download Full Report

KEYWORDS:Medicaid, Policy

Health Policy Sacred Cows: Research Findings from the Mainstream Cow Community

This August issue of the Five Slide Series challenges some “sacred cows” in health policy. The format is a bit unusual – we hope you enjoy reading it and that the content is useful.

Aug. 31, 2015 Download 5 slide

KEYWORDS:Policy

Comparison of Medicaid Pharmacy Costs and Usage in Carve-In Versus Carve-Out States

This study examined 35 states and DC that used the Managed Care Organization (MCO) model in their Medicaid program and either included (carved-in) or excluded (carved-out) pharmacy benefits from coverage. The report found that carve-in states outperform carve-out states by…

Apr. 16, 2015 Download Full Report

KEYWORDS:Medicaid, Pharmacy Carve Out, Policy, Prescription Drugs

Modernizing Medicare through Piloting Mandatory Enrollment in Care Coordination Programs

This edition of our Five Slide Series is Medicare-focused, policy-oriented, and qualitative and opinionated in nature. We report on the achievements the Medicaid program has made in the mandatory enrollment MCO model, and convey our thoughts on testing a similar…

Dec. 1, 2014 Download 5 slide

KEYWORDS:Enrollment, Medicaid, Medicare, Policy