Browse by Publication Type

The MassHealth Waiver: An Update

This issue brief looks at the terms and conditions of the MassHealth Waiver, approved in July 2006, that will run through FY 2008. The July 2006 Waiver approval incorporates the provisions of the health reform law, which enacted some of the changes required in the initial approval of this Waiver renewal, in January 2005. MMPI produced an analysis of the initial approval last year; this brief updates the earlier one to reflect the terms of the Waiver as they now stand.

MassHealth and State Fiscal Health: A New Look at the Effects of Medicaid Spending on State Finances

This report from MMPI and the Massachusetts Budget and Policy Center looks at Medicaid spending in relation not only to total public spending, but also to state revenues and overall economic growth. It concludes that, between Fiscal Years 1994 and 2005, Medicaid spending changed very little in relation to the economy as a whole, and therefore was sustainable given the economic growth over that same period. Looking at Medicaid spending with this broader view provides a new context for policy makers as they think about the Medicaid budget, now and in the future.

Roadmap to Coverage: Synthesis of Findings

In 2003, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation launched a multi-year policy initiative to study the options for expanding coverage to the uninsured in Massachusetts. The “Roadmap to Coverage” initiative aimed to develop concrete solutions for covering the uninsured and to constructively engage stakeholders in the policy debate. With the release of each Roadmap report, the Foundation convened health care, business, labor, and government leaders to examine and discuss the ideas presented.