Medicaid was established in 1965 as a partnership between the federal government and states to meet the health care needs of low-income Americans. Originally limited to financing medical care for individuals receiving cash welfare payments, over its 50-plus years Medicaid has evolved with regard to the populations it covers, the organization of its delivery systems, and in response to secular changes in the health care system and the broader society.
The June 2017 Report to Congress on Medicaid and CHIP examines three present-day responsibilities of this partnership between the states and the federal government: spending on Medicaid’s mandatory and optional populations and services, the program’s response to the opioid epidemic, and federal and state activities to ensure program integrity in Medicaid managed care.
Chapter 1 responds to a request from the chairmen of the Senate Committee on Finance, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Energy and Commerce subcommittees on Health and Oversight and Investigations for an in-depth look at Medicaid coverage of optional eligibility groups and benefits and the resources associated with them.
Chapter 2 describes how state Medicaid programs are responding to the nationwide opioid epidemic, which disproportionately affects Medicaid beneficiaries.
Chapter 3 examines state program integrity activities in Medicaid managed care, increasingly important as managed care has become the primary Medicaid delivery system in over half the states.
