Surgery News - October 2008 - (Page 9)

OCTOBER 2008 • SURGERY NEWS 9 THE THE E States Try to Fill Gaps in SCHIP Coverage B Y A L I C I A A U LT 20/20 / 0/20 Else vier Global Medical Ne ws E ven though the Bush administration has made it nearly impossible to expand the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and the economic downturn has put a squeeze on Medicaid budgets, many states are keeping children covered and some are even expanding eligibility, according to two new studies by Families USA, a Washington, D.C.–based advocacy organization. In August 2007, the Bush administration issued a directive limiting SCHIP eligibility, going forward, to families with incomes at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. That directive has remained essentially unchanged, although the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced in May that it would look at expansion programs on a case-by-case basis. However, CMS rejected expansion plans by New York and Ohio. New York used state funds to expand coverage to children living in families with incomes up to 400% of the poverty level. Ohio is using state money to cover children who can’t get private health coverage, but the expansion is not through Medicaid or SCHIP, according to the Families USA report, “Detour on the Road to Kids Coverage: Administration Creates Roadblocks, So States Seek Alternative Routes.” Ohio also raised eligibility to the federal ceiling (250% of the poverty level). Indiana, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Wisconsin had planned to raise eligibility for their programs to 300% of the poverty level, but have now scaled that back to 250%, according to the Detour report. Other states—including Colorado, Florida, Iowa, and Kansas—are planning to expand coverage next year. The expansions in Iowa and Kansas, however, depend on a reauthorization of the SCHIP program, according to the Detour report. California is wrangling over its budget, which includes an increase in cost sharing for SCHIP and reduced Medicaid coverage for parents. Rhode Island is also looking at paring back its SCHIP coverage in fiscal 2009 and increasing cost sharing for families. “States are committed to covering kids, but they are clearly hampered by the roadblocks the administration has put up,” said Families USA senior policy analyst Jenny Sullivan in a briefing with reporters. Most states are also feeling the pinch as tax revenues recede while Medicaid costs—increasingly a larger proportion of most state budgets—continue to rise, accord- ing to the second Families USA report, “Precarious Position: States Must Balance Declining Revenues With a Growing Need for Medicaid.” The report found that 16 states and Puerto Rico are looking at budget deficits in fiscal year 2008, and 29 states and the District of Columbia are looking at shortfalls in fiscal 2009. As unemployment rises, more American families will turn to Medicaid for health coverage, said the organization. The Medicaid report cited a study by the Kaiser Family Foundation showing that each 1% rise in unemployment increased Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment by 1 million, leaving states with an additional $1.4 billion obligation. Families USA is pushing for federal relief, such as a temporary increase in the V SION O SIO SION IO matching rate given to states for Medicaid. Congress passed such a temporary fix in 2003, and several bills have been introduced in this congressional session. But it is unclear whether a proposed fix could make it out of Congress this year, said a Families USA staffer in the briefing. ■ http://www.surgitel.com http://www.surgitel.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Surgery News - October 2008

Surgery News - October 2008 Contents Call to Action Issued to Support DVT, PE Prevention Protocol Changes May Increase Donor Organs CMS Targets 2011 for Switch to ICD-10 Opinion: Election 2008 The 20/20 Vision: Children's Health News From the College: Survival Strategy General Surgery: Innovations

Surgery News - October 2008

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