Progress On Health Coverage Is Threatened As States Continue To Face Growing Pressures To Control Costs
Kaiser Family Foundation – News Release
October 4, 2004
With continuing budget pressure, all states are planning at least one new cost-containment action for their Medicaid programs in FY2005. Thirty-nine Medicaid directors expect pressure on their programs to grow in FY2005…
A second survey of enrollment and eligibility policies in Medicaid and SCHIP for low-income families shows that while these programs played a critical role in ensuring that even more Americans did not become uninsured, states are taking actions to reduce spending, particularly in SCHIP, that reverse efforts to make health coverage more accessible.
Amid discussions on how to address the nation’s 45 million uninsured, policymakers have proposed expanding public coverage programs and spending more money on outreach efforts to help enroll those who are eligible, but not participating in Medicaid and SCHIP. However, state actions reversing simplified enrollment procedures and increasing cost-burdens on low-income families will make coverage gains more difficult to achieve.
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/kcmu100404nr.cfm
Comment:
The only successful incremental expansions of the past decade have been the introduction of SCHIP and the expansion of Medicaid. But since these are programs for low income individuals, a segment of our population without a political voice, support is waning.
Our national strategy of incrementalism is failing miserably. The numbers of uninsured are increasing, the protection provided by private plans is plummeting, and health care costs continue to skyrocket. It is now more clear than ever that affordable, comprehensive care for everyone will be achievable only by the adoption of a single, universal, national health insurance program.
For those who need a reminder why incremental reforms will not solve the health care crisis: http://www.jabfp.org/cgi/content/full/16/3/257