National Health Policy Forum

Issue Brief

No. 824
Date: AUGUST 17, 2007
Title:
Medicaid and State Budgets: Clearing
Storm, Foggy Forecast
PDF Doc.
Author: Courtney Burke, Consultant
Summary: This issue brief examines the recent history and trends in state budgets and considers how those trends have influenced the role of the Medicaid program. The paper offers several indicators for predicting the future of states’ fiscal standing, cautioning that, although the “stormy” period from 2001 to 2003 is over, states face many challenges in the near future. This issue brief also poses several questions regarding the appropriate roles of state and federal governments in administering the Medicaid program. These questions become particularly important as the population ages and states increasingly take the lead in developing solutions for covering the uninsured.
Related
Materials:
See also "Medicaid Financing" (The Basics, February 4, 2011), and "State Budget Cuts: How Will Health Care Fare in FY 2009?" (Forum Session, July 11, 2008).