A number of states and the District of Columbia currently administer health coverage programs for low-income uninsured individuals who either exceed maximum Medicaid income eligibility thresholds or who are not categoricallly eligible for the Medicaid program, such as childless adults.  The majority of individuals currently covered through these programs will be eligible for other coverage pursuant to the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This issue brief, from SHARE grantee Theresa Sachs and her research team at Health Management Associates, reviews the objectives and structure of 11 health coverage programs in six states and documents the legal, technical, and policy issues that states are already addressing, or need to address, as they review options for transitioning program enrollees to new coverage options under the ACA.  The authors also present possibilities for new uses of state dollars freed up by the infusion of federal funds in 2014.

The brief's maps and tables display one way of analyzing primary care capacity at a state level. The figures include information about the potential need (projected Medicaid eligibility and population characteristics) and capacity (current physician supply) in a visual format.