NPR Series Looks at States’ Efforts To Handle Rising Costs in Medicaid Programs

In a series of reports, NPR this week looks at why states are cutting Medicaid services and increasingly looking to the federal government for help in funding the program, which is the second-largest line item in most states' budgets. NPR examines how the situation is impacting certain states, including Kentucky and Mississippi:

Kentucky: Medicaid costs rose 47% in the past six years. With the state's economy now "lagging," such increases are "unsustainable." Gov. Paul Patton (D) travelled to Washington, D.C., last month to petition Congress for more money (Rovner, NPR's "All Things Considered," 4/10). The report is available online. Note: You will need RealPlayer to listen to the report.
Mississippi: The state will have to reduce prescription drug benefits for Medicaid beneficiaries by 50% and will stop covering most Medicaid nursing home patients beginning July 1. The cuts could lead to the closure of all nursing homes in the state because 80% of nursing home residents are Medicaid beneficiaries (Molpus, NPR's "Morning Edition," 4/11). This report will be available online after noon ET.

Future NPR reports will focus on Michigan's and Oregon's Medicaid programs. In addition, on April 10, NPR interviewed Tim Westmoreland, a research professor at Georgetown University and a director of Medicaid under former President Clinton, about the structure of Medicaid. The interview is available online. Note: You will need RealPlayer to listen to the interview. Additional resources from NPR related to Medicaid also are available online (NPR Web site, 4/11). This is part of the Morning Briefing, a summary of health policy coverage from major news organizations. Sign up for an email subscription.

NPR Series Looks at States’ Efforts To Handle Rising Costs in Medicaid Programs

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