On May 18, the Kaiser Family Foundation released a brief outlining strategies to ensure access to care through Medicaid under the national health care reform law.  Drawing upon a December 2010 round table of federal and state policy experts, the brief highlights current gaps in access to health services under Medicaid and offers strategies to address them.  The authors provide recommendations to increase Medicaid provider participation, improve support for safety net providers, and provide more coordinated and integrated care.  The brief argues that the importance of these issues will grow as Medicaid expands under health reform.

From the report:

Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), 16 million low-income individuals will gain Medicaid coverage by 2019, and another 16 million people are projected to gain private health coverage through new, state-based health insurance Exchanges. This broad national expansion of coverage, largely to a previously uninsured population, will generate new demands for access in a system already short of adult primary care providers and some specialists. Many of the adults gaining Medicaid are expected to be in fair or poor health, have chronic physical and/or mental health conditions, and present with pent-up needs for health care. 

Full report: Ensuring Access to Care in Medicaid Under Health Reform (PDF | 497.82 kb)

Kaiser Family Foundation.  (2011).  Ensuring access to care in Medicaid under health reform.