On October 26, KFF released a  brief examining care coordination under Medicaid and the health insurance exchanges to be established under the national health care reform law.  Exploring issues raised by a panel of health policy experts convened in August, the brief suggests that the reform law offers opportunities for states to simplify their Medicaid enrollment processes and significantly upgrade their enrollment systems.  The panel participants noted that challenges to improving care coordination remain, and proposed that states begin working now to implement health reform’s measures slated to take effect in 2014.  The brief also suggests that the federal government offer immediate guidance and support to ensure that states successfully implement the new measures

From the executive summary:

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) increases access to affordable coverage by creating a new continuum of coverage and providing assistance to individuals with incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL). Medicaid eligibility is extended to a national floor of 133% FPL and subsidies are provided to individuals between 133%–400% FPL to purchase coverage through new Health Insurance Exchanges. The ACA also requires states to create a coordinated, simple, and technology-supported process through which individuals may obtain Medicaid, CHIP, and Exchange coverage. Further, coordinating delivery of care across these coverage types will be important. To explore key issues related to achieving coordinated and seamless enrollment and care in Medicaid and Exchange coverage the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured (KCMU) convened the second in a series of roundtables with national and state experts focused on health reform implementation on August 31, 2010.

Full Report: Coordinating Coverage and Care in Medicaid and Health Insurance Exchanges (PDF | 752 KB)

Kaiser Family Foundation. (2010). Coordinating coverage and care in Medicaid and health insurance exchanges.