State Health Watch Archives – February 1, 2007
February 1, 2007
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Advice to governors: Innovations to Medicaid can improve quality, savings
In the weeks following the November mid-term elections, a number of health policy think tanks saw an opportunity to make some changes in the nation's approach to health care and issued papers outlining ideas for members of Congress, governors, state Medicaid directors, and state budget officers to consider. -
Fiscal Fitness: How State Cope: The Deficit Reduction Act: States see few fiscal benefits to changes in pharmacy
State Medicaid directors say they don't see much financial benefit to some recent major changes in state pharmacy programs, including changes authorized by the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 (DRA) and use of the Medicare Part D drug benefit. -
Report: Many Medicaid fixes not effective
Profiles of six Medicaid high-cost populations released near the end of 2006 make the point that Medicaid "plays a unique and critical role in meeting the acute care and long-term services needs of millions of seniors ..." -
Two states present plans for reforming Medicaid
While health policy-makers look into ways to more cost-effectively meet the needs of high-risk, high-cost populations, officials from two states presented reports on their Medicaid structural reform efforts at the 2006 conference of the National Association of State Health Policy. -
States are falling behind in tabacco cessation funding
Only Colorado, Delaware, and Maine are funding tobacco prevention programs at minimum levels recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).