Reports by Leighton Ku
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Results by year: 2007 | 2006
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Medicaid Costs Are Growing More Slowly Than Costs for Medicare or Private Insurance
November 13, 2006
Are Medicaid expenditures growing “out of control”? This paper reports new data showing that Medicaid expenditures did not grow at all in fiscal year 2006 and are expected to grow only modestly in 2007. There are good reasons to be concerned about projected increases in Medicaid expenditures over the long term, since health … -
Coverage of Parents Helps Children, Too
October 20, 2006
The nation has made an important commitment to reducing the number of uninsured children. Over the past decade, the creation of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and related changes made by states in their Medicaid programs have boosted children’s enrollment and led to a marked reduction in the … -
Is Medicaid Responsible for the Erosion of Employer-Based Health Coverage?
September 22, 2006
The Census Bureau recently reported that employer-sponsored health insurance coverage in the United States has continued to erode. Between 2000 and 2005, the percentage of Americans with job-based insurance slipped from 63.6 percent to 59.5 percent. Michael Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute, has blamed … -
Survey Indicates House Bill Could Deny Voting Rights to Millions of U.S. Citizens
September 22, 2006
On September 20 the House passed a bill (H.R. 4844) that would, starting in 2010, effectively deny the vote to any U.S. citizen who cannot produce a passport or birth certificate (or proof of naturalization). Although the bill’s supporters present it as a measure intended to prevent non-citizens from voting, the … -
CBO Analysis Finds Increased Revenues Would Offset Increased Entitlement Costs under Senate Immigration Bill
September 15, 2006
The immigration bill passed by the U.S. Senate would affect the federal budget by increasing both the number of legal immigrants qualifying for federal entitlement programs and the number of immigrants filing tax returns and paying income and payroll taxes. On August 18, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) issued a new … -
Documenting Citizenship and Identity Using Data Matches
September 1, 2006
Under the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA), U.S. citizens must document their citizenship and identity when applying for Medicaid or renewing their coverage. The new requirement, which took effect on July 1, could jeopardize the health coverage of substantial numbers of eligible citizens who are unable to secure the required … -
Budget Process Bill Would Result In Deep Cuts In Medicare and Medicaid
Revised August 9, 2006
The Senate Budget Committee has approved a bill (S. 3521) that would radically alter federal budget procedures and could lead to deep cuts over time in the vast majority of domestic programs, including Medicaid, Medicare, and SCHIP. While the odds are slim that the legislation will be considered by the full Senate this year, the … -
Revised Medicaid Documentation Requirement Jeopardizes Coverage For 1 To 2 Million Citizens
July 13, 2006
The Deficit Reduction Act signed by the President in February contains a new mandate requiring the 50 million U.S. citizens who receive Medicaid coverage, as well as all future citizen applicants for Medicaid, to prove their citizenship by providing documents such as birth certificates or U.S. passports. In January, the Center on … -
Using Information Technology To Document Citizenship In Medicaid
June 20, 2006
HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt has stated that federal programs like Medicaid should be leaders in the adoption of information technology to modernize health care systems.[1] On June 9, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued federal guidance with directions to states on how to implement a new requirement that … -
The Slowdown In Medicaid Expenditure Growth
March 16, 2006
It is sometimes claimed that Medicaid expenditures are “out of control.” A careful analysis of recent data and projections indicates, however, that Medicaid growth has slowed considerably in the last year or so, even before the enactment of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. Both the Administration and the Congressional … -
Survey Indicates Deficit Reduction Act Jeopardizes Medicaid Coverage For 3 To 5 Million U.S. Citizens
Revised February 17, 2006
The Deficit Reduction Act signed by the President on February 8th contains a new mandate requiring U.S. citizens covered by Medicaid to prove their citizenship by submitting a birth certificate or passport (or a limited set of similar documents) or else lose their Medicaid coverage. Beginning July 1, 2006, this provision will apply … -
The Administration’s Medicaid Proposals Would Shift Federal Costs To States
February 14, 2006
In its new budget, the Administration proposes net federal Medicaid funding cuts equal to $14 billion over the next five years and $35.5 billion over ten years through a combination of legislative changes and regulatory action. [1] These reductions follow on the heels of significant federal Medicaid cuts ($4.9 billion over five … -
State Budgets Would Be Squeezed Under Budget Conference Agreement
Revised January 6, 2006
The budget reconciliation conference agreement which passed the Senate would have a significant impact on state budgets. The agreement includes numerous changes to low-income programs in which states share costs with the federal government, such as Medicaid, Child Support Enforcement, and TANF. On the whole, CBO estimates indicate that over the next five years, the loss to states from reductions in … -
New Requirement for Birth Certificates or Passports Could Threaten Medicaid Coverage for Vulnerable Beneficiaries
January 5, 2006
The Deficit Reduction Act, which was signed by the President on February 8th, contains a provision that would require all citizens applying for Medicaid or renewing their coverage to produce a passport or birth certificate to prove they are U.S. citizens. There would be no exceptions for any Medicaid applicants or beneficiaries, not even individuals …
