Government
Medicaid programs struggling, consumer group says
NEWS IN BRIEF — Posted May 7, 2007
Even the best Medicaid programs are not exceptional, and the gap between the best and the worst programs is huge, according to "Unsettling Scores: A Ranking of State Medicaid Programs."
The report was published last month by the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen.
It scored Medicaid programs on eligibility, scope of services, quality of care and reimbursement. Massachusetts ranked as the best overall program, with 645.9 points out of a possible 1,000, and Mississippi worst, with 317.8 points.
The report did not gather new data. For example, physician reimbursement rankings are based on estimates from 1998 to 2003. "Unsettling Scores" can be found online www2.citizen.org/hrg/medicaid/.
Note: This item originally appeared at http://www.ama-assn.org/amednews/2007/05/07/gvbf0507.htm.
