State Health Watch Archives – October 1, 2008
October 1, 2008
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Expanding health insurance coverage not enough
While expanding health insurance coverage is a necessary and important step in health care reform, it will fail if it is not coupled with actions to address quality and cost, according to officials with a number of quality and other stakeholder organizations. -
Fiscal Fitness: How States Cope: Analysis: States must expand dental services to low-income residents to improve overall health
While dental services often have not received the attention given some other health care disciplines, many communities now are attempting to provide more services targeted to vulnerable, low-income residents. -
The importance of dental care for children
Children's Dental Health Project chairman Burton Edelstein, DDS, MPH, told the Alliance for Health Reform/Kaiser Family Foundation briefing on dental health issues that it is important to focus on children's oral health because "everything that goes wrong in people's oral health throughout a lifetime is initiated during the pediatric years. -
Study sees 'significant' reduction in access to care
One in five U.S. residents reported not getting or delaying needed medical care in the previous 12 months, up significantly from one in seven people in 2003. -
Medicaid expansion programs vary in mental health benefits
Coverage for mental illnesses and substance abuse disorders in state plans and proposals to cover the uninsured generally involve Medicaid expansions, parity, limited coverage, or minimal or no benefits. -
Does West Virginia's Medicaid reform hurt children?
A Georgetown University Center for Children and Families analysis says West Virginia's Medicaid redesign that stresses personal responsibility for wellness has led to limiting benefits primarily for children and hasn't had a significant impact on the stated goals of improving beneficiaries' health and increasing healthy behavior. -
State budgets having problems due to economic downturn
The latest Fiscal Survey of States by the National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) says FY 2008 "marked a turning point for state finances with a significant increase in states seeing fiscal difficulties, in stark contrast to the preceding several years."