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Home›Insurance›Industry & Deals›Kansas leads, California trails in Medicaid program sc…

Kansas leads, California trails in Medicaid program scorecard

The Heartland Institute analysis scores states on 16 metrics across program design, fiscal sustainability, integrity, and provider environment, using data from KFF, the Census Bureau, MACPAC, and CMS.

A new 50-state analysis finds the gap between the best and worst state-run Medicaid programs is larger than benefits advisers might expect, with Kansas placing first and California last.

The Heartland Institute, a Chicago-based free-market think tank, publishes the Medicaid Report Card, scoring each state across 16 metrics grouped into program design and enrollment, fiscal sustainability, program integrity and administrative oversight, and market structure and provider environment.

In the scorecard, Kansas leads with 74 out of 100 points, while California ranks last with 22, and the report says the clearest dividing line is fiscal performance.

Insurance Business notes the report was authored by Jack McPherrin and is based on data from the Kaiser Family Foundation, the US Census Bureau, the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. It is built on a framework that favors smaller, more targeted Medicaid programs and says the findings should be read in that context.

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