The September meeting opened with a preview of MACPAC’s analytic plan for its upcoming March and June 2016 reports to Congress. With the final federal State Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) allotments now set to take place in fiscal year 2017, developing policies that assure affordable and accessible health care coverage for the nation’s low- and moderate-income children is at the top of the Commission’s 2016 agenda. The Commission held three sessions on the future of children’s coverage, including a general discussion of broad policy approaches; estimates of some of these approaches’ impact on children’s insurance status; and a review of a MACPAC-commissioned study on states’ experiences moving so-called stairstep children from separate CHIP to Medicaid.
The Commission then turned to Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payment policy issues in preparation for MACPAC’s February 2016 congressionally mandated study of DSH. Specific topics included potential improvements to data and the types of hospitals and costs that DSH payments should support.
Also, as part of its continuing effort to improve health care delivery for people with Medicaid, the Commission heard from an expert panel on the various models for integrating behavioral and physical health care, their application in Medicaid, and elements of successful programs.
In addition, staff presented data on Medicaid spending growth and the major factors contributing to that growth.
Presentations
- Approaches for Children’s Coverage in a New Policy Context
- Analysis of State Transitions of Stairstep Children
- Estimates of Children’s Coverage under Different Policy Approaches
- Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payment: Major Policy Questions
- Medicaid Spending Trends
- Behavioral and Physical Health Integration in Medicaid