A year ago the hype in healthcare was about state-based reform initiatives. Massachusetts was implementing its law, and several other states – including California – were considering their own proposals for increasing insurance coverage as a first step towards universal coverage and cost containment.
How things have changed in a year. Not only has California’s initiative crumbled under the expected costs to employers, but the economic downturn has undercut states’ healthcare expansion ideas, and may force them to cut back Medicaid enrollment and/or services. This week’s National Journal has an article titled “State’s Rapidly Shifting Gears,” that discusses these and other issues, including how a few years ago states cut their Medicaid payments to providers, so that on average Medicaid pays physicians 69% of Medicare levels, and how pending Federal Medicaid rules and proposals would reduce funding for State Medicaid programs making it difficult for states to reverse these payment reductions.…