A project funded by State Health Access Reform Evaluation (SHARE) to inform federal and state implementation of the Medicaid expansions under the ACA by estimating the size and characteristics of rural residents likely to be newly eligible. The study will provide nationally representative information that identifies the extent to which rural residents live in states that have already expanded coverage to low-income adults; how many eligible individuals have participated; the characteristics of the remaining pool of the rural uninsured; and the potential impact of Medicaid expansions on rural primary care and delivery system capacity.
Established in 1992, the mission of the Maine Rural Health Research Center is to inform health care policy making and the delivery of rural health services through high quality, policy-relevant research, policy analysis and technical assistance on rural health issues of regional and national significance. The Center's core funding is provided by the federal Office of Rural Health Policy.
The purpose of this analysis was to identify opportunities for eliminating unnecessary inconsistency and increasing consumer choice and control across Maine's personal assistance services (PAS) programs. Thirteen recommendations were made based on the findings which indicated that Maine PAS programs vary in the level of support they offer but the difference in support cannot necessarily be explained by differences in the level of need. Additionally, Maine PAS programs have been and are currently working toward increasing opportunities for expanding consumer choice and control over services.
[article abstract]: In response to continuing concerns about escalating health care costs and poor quality care, many health plans have adopted a strategy called
Project staff will conduct a telephone survey of parents of 1200 current enrollees, 300
disenrollees, and 300 new enrollees of a sample of the MaineCare population; it will be stratified by traditional
Medicaid, Medicaid expansion, and Separate Child Health Program populations. The survey collects information on
satisfaction with MaineCare providers and services, unmet needs, provider education practices, health status, health
behaviors, insurance, and parent's employment status. The survey instrument was revised in 2006 to include several
measures from the National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH), including medical home, children with special
health care needs (CSHCN), and specific physical and mental health conditions. Because past surveys identified a
high prevalence of overweight among children on MaineCare, the survey instrument also includes a series of items
designed to measure physical activity and nutrition behaviors among children.
More than 95,000 children are enrolled in MaineCare, the State?s Medicaid and SCHIP program, which provides health coverage to low-income children in the Maine. State and federal policymakers are interested in monitoring the health status of children in the MaineCare program and the quality of care they receive. The purpose of this project is to obtain consumer feedback about MaineCare services, to learn about the health status and health behaviors of this population, and to understand reasons parents disenrolled their children from MaineCare. Project staff will conduct a telephone survey of a sample of parents with children on MaineCare, including current enrollees, new enrollees, and disenrollees. Findings from the survey report will be used to improve understanding of the needs of children on MaineCare and to develop quality improvement initiatives.
This is a subcontract to advise and participate in the development of 3 issue papers on the policy implications of findings from a survey of Vermont households on insurance status and related issues.
The purpose of this project is to determine where and how tiered provider networks are utilized, to describe the characteristics of these networks, and to develop insights into strategies used by health plans when implementing and operating tiered provider networks. The concept underlying tiered networks is that health plans may be able to reduce costs and/or improve quality by directing consumers to certain providers and to avoid others. Unlike traditional HMO arrangements, tiered network plans typically allow members to access all providers, not just a subset. Through a variety of tactics, such as the disclosure of provider ?scores? as well as differential cost sharing arrangements, consumers are encouraged to shop for health care services among select and non-select providers.
In collaboration with Mercer Human Resource Consulting, a set of questions will be included in this firm?s 2005 web-based Survey of Employer Sponsored Health Plans. To answer questions that cannot be addressed with a structured response survey, site visits will be conducted, including personal interviews and focus groups, in five case study communities in which tiered provider networks are operational. Finally, to assess the direction and magnitude of changes occurring in tiered network programs, information derived from the analyses of 2005 survey results and site visits will be used to develop a refined set of tiered network questions for the 2006 Mercer survey.
Project staff will conduct a telephone survey of parents of children enrolled in MaineCare through three benefit categories (TANF, Medicaid expansion, and SCHIP, the States' Children's Health Insurance Program). The sample will include 1200 current enrollees, 300 disenrollees, and 300 new enrollees. Findings will include satisfaction with providers, satisfaction with MaineCare services, unmet needs, health behaviors, insurance, and employment status.
This study will examine the impact of program cost sharing features on the access to care for low income persons and populations who face particular barriers to care due to pre-existing health conditions. The Muskie School is seeking the cooperation of the states of Vermont, Maine, and New Hampshire in making this study feasible. Such cooperation would require assisting the research team in accessing claims and administrative databases for persons enrolled in the state access initiatives.
USM Social Dashboard »
Check out our new Social Dashboard to see other ways to stay connected across the USM community.