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Medicaid: An Overview

Background

Medicaid, a program financed jointly by federal and state governments, provides medical care and long-term care to many of the nation’s most vulnerable lower-income people. Because Medicaid is the primary payer of public mental health services, states have relied heavily on Medicaid funding for the past two decades. And, it is projected that Medicaid financing of mental health services will reach 60% by 2007. As a result, Medicaid has greatly influenced public mental health care, especially in terms of organization, financing, services covered, and access.

Finding out more about Medicaid: Access the Facts

As a way to provide consumers and families with a better understanding of the many critical, and often confusing, aspects of the Medicaid system, especially as they relate to mental illness, the NAMI Policy Research Institute (NPRI) has developed a comprehensive series of detailed fact sheets entitled "Medicaid Facts -- What You Need to Know" (PDF, 583 KB).   The fact sheets contain relevant background information, summaries of key current issues, and references and reports, among other information. They cover the following topics:

• Medicaid Basics – Key Facts About The Program
• Medicaid and Mental Health Care
• Access to Appropriate Medications
• Medicaid Committees and Prescription Drugs
• EPSDT: Medicaid Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment for Children and Adolescents with Mental Illness
• ACT: Assertive Community Treatment
• FMAP or Medicaid Economics 101
• Medicaid and SCHIP – Health Care Coverage for Lower Income Children: The Role of Medicaid and SCHIP
• The Medicaid Psychiatric Rehabilitation Option
• TEFRA and Medicaid Home- and Community-Based Services Waivers: Options to Increase Access to Children’s Mental Health Services
• Medicaid and the Federal Waiver Policy
• Medicaid Reform
• Glossary of Medicaid Terms
• Bibliography on Medicaid
• Federal Medicaid Reform Initiatives

Download Medicaid Facts -- What You Need to Know now (PDF, 583 KB).

 

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