By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
    Health
    Healthcare organizations are operating on slimmer profit margins than ever. One report in August showed that they are even lower than the beginning of the…
    Show More
    Top News
    bowl of vegetable salad
    Raw Foods: benefits and harms
    November 9, 2021
    pros and cons of the keto diet
    Read This Before You Follow the Keto Diet
    May 18, 2022
    spinal cord injuries
    4 Potential Causes of Spinal Cord Injuries (and How to Seek Compensation)
    May 25, 2022
    Latest News
    Beyond Nutrition: Everyday Foods That Support Whole-Body Health
    June 15, 2025
    The Wide-Ranging Benefits of Magnesium Supplements
    June 11, 2025
    The Best Home Remedies for Migraines
    June 5, 2025
    The Hidden Impact Of Stress On Your Body’s Alignment And Balance
    May 22, 2025
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
    Policy and Law
    Get the latest updates about Insurance policies and Laws in the Healthcare industry for different geographical locations.
    Show More
    Top News
    The key stakeholders involved in improving healthcare policy
    The Key Stakeholders involved in Improving Healthcare Policy
    October 26, 2023
    medical erros avoid
    How to Report Medication Errors and Why It’s Important
    November 17, 2024
    Essential Steps for Developing a Life Care Plan
    Essential Steps for Developing a Life Care Plan
    December 26, 2024
    Latest News
    Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
    June 25, 2025
    When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
    June 20, 2025
    Preventing Contamination In Healthcare Facilities Starts With Hygiene
    June 15, 2025
    Strengthening Healthcare Systems Through Clinical and Administrative Career Development
    June 13, 2025
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Government Pays Bonuses for Increasing Medicaid Expenditures
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Health Reform > Government Pays Bonuses for Increasing Medicaid Expenditures
BusinessHealth ReformPolicy & Law

Government Pays Bonuses for Increasing Medicaid Expenditures

JohnCGoodman
Last updated: August 26, 2017 1:45 pm
JohnCGoodman
Share
3 Min Read
SHARE

In December, HHS announced the bonuses for 15 states that had made “significant progress in enrolling uninsured children in Medicaid.” The 2010 bonuses totaled $206.2 million. They were double the $75 million that was awarded to ten states in 2009. Despite HHS claims, there is no way that it can be shown that the additional children enrolled were previously uninsured or even that they needed taxpayer supported health care. When the 2009 Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization sailed through Congress, it included a bonus program for states that increased Medicaid expenditures by enrolling more children. Cynics would note that in health programs children are used as a relatively inexpensive wedge to start program expansions. Children are the healthiest segments of the population so the program seems inexpensive and later it can be argued that a child’s health depends on the health of his parents and that it is excessively burdensome to exclude parents. Cynics would also note that enrolling more people protects programs against significant reform or cancellation. To get a bonus, a state had to incorporate 5 of 8 federally mandated features into its Medicaid program. All of the mandated features increased expenditures. Some made it easier to commit fraud. Required features included reducing or eliminating asset tests for Medicaid eligibility, ending in-person interviews, providing 12 months of continuous Medicaid coverage upon enrollment regardless of income, and using the same application for both the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance programs. To be eligible, states had to show that they increased child enrollment beyond the increases that would have been expected to result from the recession. In a study of the effect of continuous coverage on utilization patterns in Medi-Cal in 2001, researchers funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation were shocked by the “largely unexpected” finding that the rate of unnecessary ER visits for children with continuous coverage was nearly double that of children who were on and off Medicaid. It is not clear why this result was “unexpected.” The existing literature showed that the uninsured used emergency rooms at about the same rate as the privately insured, and that people with Medicaid coverage, who pay relatively little to use the ER, tend to be disproportionately high ER users. In many states, the state agency that runs Medicaid gets more of its budget from the federal government than from state taxpayers. This creates an obvious conflict of interest for the agency if its federal paymaster wishes to spend more than state taxpayers can afford. In Colorado, a bonus of $13.7 million equaled roughly a quarter of the total amount that the state spent on the 288 FTEs (SIO) in the Executive Director’s Office of the state’s Medicaid oversight agency.

TAGGED:health care businesshealth care reformMedicare
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

women dental care
What Is a Smile Makeover and How Much Does It Cost?
Dental health
June 30, 2025
HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps
Top HIPAA-Compliant Messaging Apps for Healthcare Teams
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
June 25, 2025
recovering from injury
Rebuilding After Injury: Path to Physical and Emotional Recovery
News
June 22, 2025
scientist using microscope
When Healthcare Ends, the Legal Process Begins: What Families Should Know About Probate and Medical Estates
Global Healthcare
June 18, 2025

You Might also Like

Telemedicine Is Growing, But HIPAA Concerns Remain

May 3, 2016
eHealthHealth carePublic Health

Addressing Addiction In Primary Care

September 21, 2018
Hospital Administration

Getting Doctors in Your Doors

October 5, 2012
Business

Nursing Homes Compare Website Adds Valuable Consumer Information

May 4, 2011
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?