Online Database Compares Medicaid Benefits by State, Service

Want a quick reference for Medicaid-covered services in your state? Check out the interactive Medicaid Benefits: Online Database, released Aug. 16 by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured.

The database presents state-by-state information for the years 2003, 2004 and 2006 under a section titled "Benefits by State." Under a "Benefits by Service" section, the database includes information on covered services, ranging from physician care -- listed under "Practitioner Services" -- to targeted case management -- listed under "Other Services." By opening the general topic area and subtopics, physicians can identify the services covered by their state's Medicaid program and review copayments, coverage limitations, type of reimbursement and populations covered.

The online database also provides an interactive map and the ability to compare data across the three years.

The commission, which is the largest operating program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, provides information on and analysis of health care coverage and access for low-income Americans, with a special focus on Medicaid's role and coverage of the uninsured. Family physician Regina Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A., of Bayou la Batre, Ala., is a member of the commission.