A report released July 25 by the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP) said when it comes to healthcare reform, Medicaid health plans are more effective for insuring low income people than private insurance.
The study, titled "Medicaid Health Plans: A Turnkey Solution for Expanding Health Insurance Coverage for the Uninsured," commissioned by ACAP and conducted by the Lewin Group, is based on reviews of Medicaid health plans participating in reform programs in California and Massachusetts.
Both of those states are attempting reform plans with Medicaid as a delivery platform. The report opposes the Administration's view that subsidized health insurance is the better method.
According to Margaret Murray, chief executive of ACAP, states can be well served through Medicaid plans. Medicaid provides a turnkey solution to covering the uninsured because of its existing structures for reaching inaccessible populations and crossing cultural barriers, she said.
"People without regular coverage will not come forward without a lot of education," said Murray, and Medicaid plans have elaborate tracking systems and a structure already in place for finding and enrolling the uninsured. "States can build on what Medicaid plans have already been doing," she added.
The study said that Medicaid health plans can provide:
- experience in serving low-income, higher need clients
- experience working with state government purchasers
- administrative experience
- experience in improving quality and access and controlling costs
- existing provider networks that include safety-net providers
The study also said there could be some challenges with using Medicaid health plans because they have limited or no experience in marketing to groups of potential new enrollees, collecting premiums, administering enrollee cost-sharing and operating multiple benefit plans.