This week the Senate passed the American Workers, State, and Business Relief Act of 2010 (H.R.4213), which includes a 6-month extension of extra federal help for state Medicaid programs facing recession-induced growth in the number of people relying on them for coverage (the original measure ends at the end of this year).

With the House already having approved a similar measure, the Congress appears poised to pass additional Medicaid fiscal relief for states to the tune of $26.7 billion through June 30, 2011.

In a new analysis, Holding Steady: Medicaid Fiscal Relief and its Implications for America's Children and Families, The Center for Children and Families at Georgetown University explores the role that Medicaid fiscal relief already has played in sustaining affordable coverage for children and their families affected by the economic downturn, as well as what the extension might mean for vulnerable families and states.