Medicaid, one of the largest federal programs in United States, gives grants to states to provide health insurance for over 60 million low-income Americans. This title examines the program's evolution during the presidential administrations of Bill Clinton, George W Bush, and Barack Obama and its pivotal role in the epic health reform law of 2010.

1. Medicaid and the Health Care Crucible 2. Dodging the Block Grant Bullet and Other Signs of Resilience 3. Beyond Welfare Medicine: The Take-Up Challenge 4. Government by Waiver: The Quest to Transform Long-Term Care 5. Demonstration Waivers and the Politics Of Reinvention 6. Reform: The Politics of Polarization 7. Durability, Federalism, and the Future of Medicaid Appendixes 1. Medicaid Expenditures 2. Medicaid Enrollees 3. Medicaid Provisions of Key Debt Reduction Plans References Index

Frank Thompson has written an important and much needed book. This volume represents a major contribution to the literature on state health policy-making, and Medicaid policy in particular, but it is also ideally suited for use in both graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in health policy, federalism, and public policy. Thompson's scholarship is first rate, and his discussion of democratic governance, accountability, and program durability brings a fresh new perspective to the study of state Medicaid reform. In doing so, he provides readers with a way to understand not only the evolution of Medicaid policy, but the political significance of federalism for health care reform.

Frank Thompson has written an important and much needed book. This volume represents a major contribution to the literature on state health policy-making, and Medicaid policy in particular, but it is also ideally suited for use in both graduate and advanced undergraduate courses in health policy, federalism, and public policy. Thompson's scholarship is first rate, and his discussion of democratic governance, accountability, and program durability brings a fresh new perspective to the study of state Medicaid reform. In doing so, he provides readers with a way to understand not only the evolution of Medicaid policy, but the political significance of federalism for health care reform. -- Robert B. Hackey, professor and director, Health Policy and Management Program, Providence College One of the most remarkable developments in the American welfare state over the past half century has been the stunning growth of Medicaid. Once dismissed as Medicare's poor cousin, Medicaid today stands as a key pillar of the US health insurance regime. The expansion of Medicaid was at the center of President Obama's health care reform, and the program is increasingly viewed as a bridge to universal coverage. In Medicaid Politics, political scientist Frank Thompson explains how Medicaid works, why the program has grown, and what forces have shaped both its durability and vulnerability. Timely, thoughtful, and thoroughly researched, this well-written book will inform anyone interested in health policy. -- Eric M. Patashnik, professor of public policy and politics and associate dean of the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy, University of Virginia