The new Medicare Part D benefit, which began on January 1, 2006, expanded Medicare to include prescription drugs, and it required beneficiaries to change how they interact with the program. Past experience with low enrollment in a variety of programs designed to aid low-income Medicare...

Describes the experiences of 240 early clients in Personal Preference, the state's cash and counseling demonstration. Notes that 76 percent were still enrolled at the time of the nine-month interview, 17 percent had dropped out, and 7 percent had died. More than 7 out of 10 cash recipients said...

This report presents the first impact analysis results from a three-state demonstration in which disabled Medicaid enrollees eligible for personal assistance services get a cash allowance so they can hire whom they please or use the money to buy equipment or supplies, instead of obtaining...

Presents consumer characteristics and describes consumers' experiences, including who received the cash allowance, how they spent it, and their satisfaction with the program. Discusses how program features addressed key policy concerns about consumer direction in the Medicaid program.

California's Health-e-App Public Access (HeA PA) system enables low-income families to apply online for publicly funded children's health insurance. Findings from a study funded by the California Healthcare Foundation and the David and Lucile Packard Foundation have implications for Affordable...

Examines how a new model of consumer-directed care changes the way that consumers with disabilities meet their personal care needs and, in turn, affects their well-being. The analysis yielded estimated program effects that were large, compelling, consistent across numerous types of measures, and...

Although providing personal care to a family member with disabilities often is rewarding, it can also be emotionally, physically, and financially burdensome. Caregiver burden may be exacerbated if paid personal care services (PCS), such as those provided by Medicaid-certified personal care...

States considering a Cash and Counseling program are likely to be interested in the number and types of eligible beneficiaries it might attract, factors that could deter interested beneficiaries from participating, and possible increases it might create in the total number of beneficiaries...