On May 12, 2014, more than 200 congressional and administration staff, journalists , and other Washington, D.C., policy stakeholders convened for a briefing to examine states that are pursuing the Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion through alternative methods and 1115 waivers.
Joe Thompson, M.D., Arkansas' surgeon general described the state's private option program, which covers newly eligible adults by paying premiums for private plans available in the insurance marketplace. Steve Fitton, Michigan's Medicaid director discussed his state's alternative expansion program, which incorporates a financial incentive for practicing healthy behaviors. Alan Weil, J.D., of the National Academy for State Health Policy addressed the range of state alternative approaches nationwide. The briefing was comoderated by Ed Howard, J.D., of the Alliance for Health Reform and The Commonwealth Fund's Sara Collins, Ph.D.
Presentation, materials, and webcast from the briefing are available on the Alliance for Health Reform’s website at: http://www.allhealth.org/briefing_detail.asp?bi=319