Gary Claxton, a Kaiser Family Foundation vice president, testified about state-based health reform efforts as part of the Senate Finance Committee's Prepare For Launch Health Reform Summit. His testimony examines the role of Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, as well as the way various federal laws and policies may limit innovation at the state level.

In the fourth installment of the new Kaiser Family Foundation series, "Pulling It Together, from Drew Altman," Kaiser's President and CEO draws on his personal experience in state and federal government and from Kaiser's research to provide some perspectives on state health reform. The essay looks at obstacles and opportunities for reform in the states, and how a small number of pacesetting states could serve as laboratories for a national effort.

“Kaiser Fast Facts” features “QuickTakes” and “Kaiser Slides” – two tools that provide direct access to facts, data and slides about the nation's health care system and programs, in an easy-to-use format. “QuickTakes” presents an inventory of facts-at-a-glance and "Kaiser Slides" allows Web visitors to freely view, download and print graphics and tables of health policy statistics and trends.

This analysis finds that every one percentage point rise in the unemployment rate leads to a 1.1 million increase in the uninsured population and a one million increase in Medicaid and SCHIP enrollment. Another report analyzes the history of Medicaid during recent economic downturns.

This analysis projects the implications of an economic downturn for health coverage and state programs. 

This brief analyzes results from annual 50-state budget surveys of Medicaid directors from 2003 to 2007 to determine how past actions by states and the federal government may impact Medicaid programs during the current economic downturn.

This fact sheet, updated to include information from the recent survey of state Medicaid directors regarding fiscal year 2007 and 2008 actions, summarizes the relationship of Medicaid with state budgets and updates the current fiscal situation in the states and how it is affecting Medicaid programs.

This issue brief finds that Medicaid spending declined for the first time in the program’s 40-plus year history in Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, falling by 0.2 percent. 

The annual 50 state survey on Medicaid and state budget actions reports a 0.5 percent enrollment decline in fiscal year 2007 and that, with an improved economy, 42 states are planning to expand coverage for the uninsured in the next year.

This report, the tenth in an annual series, provides an overview of the status of state AIDS Drug Assistance Programs (ADAPs), including information on key issues such as waiting lists, available HIV drugs and funding.