Issue Briefs | Jun 16, 2017

Why Per Capita Caps Aren’t Just Managed Care for States

Deborah Bachrach, Patricia Boozang, and Anne Karl, Manatt Health

The American Health Care Act (AHCA), as passed by the House of Representatives on May 4, 2016, would overhaul federal financing of state Medicaid programs, and for the first time, would cap federal Medicaid funding. As policymakers debate the potential implications of per capita caps, it has been suggested that per capita caps are really no different than Medicaid managed care—a concept with which states are fully familiar and well able to manage. This Manatt Health policy brief tests that hypothesis by examining the similarities and differences between the federal per capita cap and a state’s per capita “cap” in Medicaid managed care spending.


Expert Perspectives

May 17, 2024

State Implications of the Section 1557 Nondiscrimination Rule 

On April 26, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights released a final rule interpreting section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act , which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability. This expert perspective reviews the implications of the rule for state policymakers.

May 16, 2024

Optimizing SMS Strategies for Outreach to Medicaid and Marketplace Enrollees

As states continue to explore new ways to reach Medicaid and Marketplace members with targeted messages and updates about their coverage, many have incorporated SMS text messaging into their communications plans. This expert perspective highlights strategies and recommendations for states that are considering or currently implementing text messaging in their outreach plans to support states as they look to optimize text messaging in their Medicaid and Marketplace communications and outreach efforts.

Mapping State Efforts to Address Medical Debt

The healthcare affordability crisis has resulted in an estimated 100 million Americans, or 41% of adults, holding some form of medical debt. The consequences of medical debt are profound, from financial strain to worsened health outcomes, and there are significant health equity implications. States are moving to eradicate medical debt for low income residents and protect residents from the financial consequences. This expert perspective highlights state action to cancel medical debt and/or prohibit medical debt reporting.