New AIS Health Research Indicates Growth and Potential Opportunities in Medicaid Sector

Washington, DC (PRWEB) April 19, 2017

AIS Health researchers conducting the 2017 research cycle for AIS's Directory of Health Plans are seeing significant trends in the Medicaid sector that indicate potential new opportunities for health insurers.

Medicaid enrollment has increased significantly over the past year and is the fastest growing health insurance sector, according to preliminary results from the upcoming AIS's Directory of Health Plans: 2017. In examining data from the first 20 states to respond to AIS's annual survey, researchers are discerning some prominent trends that could bode well for insurers in this sector:

• The Medicaid population is growing, with an average increase of 7.5% over a year ago among the 20 states.
• Members are being shifted from state fee-for-service (FFS) coverage to managed Medicaid plans. While FFS membership is down by 4%, HMO membership has increased by 10%. In some states that have both FFS and managed programs, enrollment is up in both programs due to increased eligibility.
• Regardless of political leanings, Medicaid programs across the country are being overhauled to become more efficient, and these efforts typically involve some opportunities for the managed care industry, whether in traditional HMO contracts or in management services.

Medicaid expansion is one explanation for increases in a few states, however many Medicaid expansion programs have been in force for several years, and many states count significantly more eligibles even without expansion. There continue to be new initiatives in the works in several states. Some states that once rejected Medicaid expansion have revisited it, or are developing their own strategies to get a handle on Medicaid costs.

For a rundown of the Medicaid changes experienced in 20 states over the last year, visit https://aishealthdata.com/dashboard/dhp/demo/dhp, and click on "Medicaid Enrollment Trends Could Herald New Opportunities for Health Plans" in the newsfeed.

AIS's Directory of Health Plans is the most comprehensive resource available on the U.S. health plan market, with enrollment data and contact information for all health plans operating in the United States. By maintaining impeccable research standards and strict methodology through 14 annual editions, the Directory offers true year-over-year comparisons and extremely accurate and sensitive insight into developing trends. AIS Health's independent researchers calculate their results about the Medicaid sector from 2017 enrollment data provided by Medicaid agencies.

Available in various formats, AIS's Directory of Health Plans: 2017 will be available in May for subscribers to the online version, and printed book and USB versions will ship in June. For more information, and to reserve AIS's Directory of Health Plans: 2017, visit https://aishealth.com/marketplace/gdhp14-preorder. For more information on the online version, visit https://aishealthdata.com/dhp.

About AIS Health
AIS Health is a publishing and information company that has served the health care industry for more than 30 years. AIS Health's mission is to provide objective and relevant business and strategic information for health care executives, by developing highly targeted news, data and analysis for managers at health insurance companies, pharmaceutical organizations, providers, purchasers and other health care industry stakeholders. AIS Health, which maintains journalistic independence from its parent company, MMIT, is committed to integrity in reporting and bringing transparency to health industry data. Learn more at http://AISHealth.com and http://AISHealthData.com.

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