FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: HHS Press Office
Thursday, April 14, 2011 (202) 690-6343
New rules will make Medicaid more flexible and efficient, helping states provide better care and lower costs
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced four initiatives to give states more flexibility to adopt innovative new practices and provide better, more coordinated care for people with Medicaid and Medicare while helping reduce costs for states and families. The initiatives support the Obama administration’s work to make Medicaid more flexible and efficient and to address long-term cost growth. Several of the announcements also help implement provisions of the Affordable Care Act. Today HHS announced:
- Fifteen states, including South Carolina, will receive federal funding to develop better ways to coordinate care for people with Medicare and Medicaid coverage, also known as dual eligibles, who often have complex and costly health care needs.
- All states will receive increased flexibility to provide home and community-based services for more people living with disabilities.
- All states are eligible to receive more money to develop simpler and more efficient information technology (IT) systems to modernize Medicaid enrollment.
- A proposal by the state of New Jersey for flexibility to expand health coverage for nearly 70,000 low-income residents has been approved.
“Medicaid programs provide health coverage for millions of low-income Americans who otherwise would lack access to health care,” said HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. “With these new resources and flexibilities, states will have new options to make their Medicaid programs work better for the people they serve, while helping lower their costs.”
Filed under: Medicaid | Tagged: Affordable Care Act, flexibility, Health Care Reform, HHS, Kathleen Sebelius, New Jersey, South Carolina | Leave a Comment »
