A Medicaid Block Grant Program: Implications for People with Disabilities

SCOPE AND PURPOSE:

NCD’s report examines the underlying rationale for block granting federal Medicaid funding, including the factors fueling current interest in limiting the Federal Government’s role in financing health care and long-term supports for vulnerable, low-income Americans; discusses the key policy choices involved in designing a Medicaid block grant authority; reviews available estimates of the likely impact of a cap on federal Medicaid financial participation, combined with statutory provisions allowing states to exercise greater latitude in determining eligibility, benefits, and other key operational parameters of their Medicaid programs; and analyzes the potential effects of alternative approaches to controlling the growth in federal-state outlays for medical assistance services.