CMS Plans To Remove Noncitizens From Medicaid And CHIP
Meanwhile, Iowa Medicaid work requirements are set to go into effect in January. Also: the impact of Medicaid cuts on Black children; provider reimbursement rate cuts in North Carolina; and more.
MedPage Today:
CMS Announces Plan To Disenroll Noncitizens From Medicaid And CHIP
The Trump administration announced a new initiative Tuesday aimed at getting noncitizens disenrolled from the Medicaid program and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). "CMS will begin providing states with monthly enrollment reports identifying individuals whose citizenship or immigration status could not be confirmed through federal databases," the agency said in a press release. "States are responsible for reviewing cases, verifying the citizenship or immigration status of identified individuals, requesting additional documentation if needed, and taking appropriate actions when necessary, including adjusting coverage or enforcing noncitizen eligibility rules." (Frieden, 8/19)
Radio Iowa:
Governor Says Iowa Medicaid Work Requirements Will Go Into Effect Jan. 1
New federal rules that are to go into effect in 2027 will require some Americans enrolled in an expansion of the Medicaid program to prove they’re working at least 80 hours per month, however the law President Trump signed in July lets states implement the changes earlier. Governor Kim Reynolds said the change will take effect in Iowa on January 1, 2026. “We’ll have to align with what the federal government’s regulations are,” Reynolds told Radio Iowa. (Henderson, 8/19)
Bay Area News Group:
Alameda Health System Confronts ‘Nuclear Option’ Budget After Medicaid Cuts
As the county’s safety net hospital, AHS expects to be disproportionately impacted by Medicaid cuts as 70-80% of its funding comes from federal and state healthcare reimbursements. (Hunter, 8/19)
Politico:
Looming Medicaid Cuts Could Hurt Black Children, Advocates Warn
Advocates are warning the Medicaid cuts in President Donald Trump’s tax and spending law will disproportionately harm Black women and children who depend on the program, worsening already disparate health outcomes among Black Americans. Although Black people represent about 14 percent of the U.S. population, they account for more than 20 percent of Medicaid enrollees, according to Pew Research Center — and almost 60 percent of all Black children are enrolled in Medicaid, according to a recent analysis from the NAACP and other advocacy organizations. (Daniels, 8/19)
Becker's Hospital Review:
North Carolina To Cut Medicaid Provider Reimbursement Rates By 3%
North Carolina Medicaid providers will see at least a 3% cut in reimbursement rates beginning Oct. 1, with services like long-term behavioral healthcare, hospital care, nursing homes and physicians seeing 8% to 10% in cuts. The cuts come after state lawmakers passed a stopgap “mini budget” spending plan, which leaves Medicaid with a $319 million shortfall, despite allocating $600 million for Medicaid oversight fund and rebase. (Ashley, 8/19)
Fierce Healthcare:
Young Medicaid Patients Seeking ED Psych Care Face Boarding
More than 1 in 10 psychiatric emergency department visits by young Medicaid patients lead to boarding, with rates of boarding varying widely from state to state, according to a recent analysis. Boarding, or a delay in the time until an ED patient is given an inpatient bed, has been cited as an increasing issue across the country’s EDs. The longer wait for appropriate care not only imposes a potential physical and emotional toll on patients but can increase the costs of care delivery while increasing stress and personal safety risks for staff. (Muoio, 8/19)
In related news about homeless veterans —
The New York Times:
Trump’s Get-Tough Approach On Homelessness May Sweep Up Veterans
In an executive order issued late last month, President Trump instructed government agencies to stop funding Housing First programs which, the order said, “deprioritize accountability and fail to promote treatment, recovery and self-sufficiency.”
Though veterans are not mentioned in the executive order, they are at the heart of the nation’s homelessness crisis. Roughly one in every 11 homeless people is a veteran, according to the government’s annual census, and housing them is a major priority for Congress, which allotted $3.2 billion for that purpose this year. Many who work with homeless veterans said they were blindsided by the president’s new policy. (Barry, 8/19)
In Medicare updates —
Stat:
Elevance Loses Medicare Advantage Star Ratings Lawsuit
A federal judge in Texas struck down Elevance Health’s lawsuit that argued the government unfairly lowered its Medicare Advantage quality ratings — a decision that could cost Elevance $375 million in bonus revenue. (Herman, 8/19)
Modern Healthcare:
Judge Vacates Biden-Era Medicare Advantage Marketing Rule
A federal judge vacated a regulation that would have limited how Medicare Advantage insurance companies can pay for marketing. Judge Reed O’Connor, of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas in Fort Worth, ruled the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services exceeded its statutory authority and violated the Administrative Procedure Act by prohibiting insurance companies from offering marketers volume-based bonuses and other incentives to sell their policies and capping payments for administrative expenses at $100. (Tepper, 8/19)
