The Social Security Act requires state Medicaid programs to cover certain Medicaid populations, such as low-income children, their parents, people age 65 and older, and people with disabilities, and certain services, such as inpatient hospital and physician services. But states also have the option to extend coverage to services such as prescription drugs and home- and community-based services, and to other populations, such as adults who do not have dependent children, people with high medical expenses, and disabled children who are living at home.
In January 2017, the chairmen of the Senate Committee on Finance, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee and its subcommittees on Health and Oversight and Investigations asked MACPAC to prepare a report on each state Medicaid program’s coverage of optional eligibility groups and optional benefits, including data on enrollment and federal and state expenditures. This slide set provides background for the forthcoming analysis, including an overview of its methodology, key assumptions, and policy issues for Commissioner discussion.
