Obscure Medicaid Funding Provision In GOP Bill Roils New York Politics
In an effort to attract more Republican votes for the Obamacare replacement bill, House leaders added a provision that shifts some costs from counties onto the state, and that is raising problems in Albany. Also in the news, the impact of adding a work requirement to Medicaid, managed care insurers' reactions to the House legislation, fears in some states about losing expansion coverage and the effect of the Hill debate on efforts in Kansas to expand Medicaid.
The Wall Street Journal:
U.S. Health-Care Proposal Sparks Discord Among Lawmakers In Albany
State lawmakers hashing out a $152 billion budget are contending with a possible complication as Congress weighs a proposal that would shift some health-care costs from New York’s counties to its state government. (Vilensky, 3/21)
The New York Times:
Medicaid Fight Lands In New York, Crossing Party Lines
The governor likened it to an act of war. A Democratic congresswoman called it a brazen case of theft. And a Republican legislative leader suggested it could be a crisis on the level of 9/11. Even as Congress debated a massive and divisive overhaul of the nation’s health care system, a late amendment to the bill seemingly singling out New York’s state government for new financial responsibilities under Medicaid set off a separate political firestorm in the president’s home state, again pitting its Democratic governor against Mr. Trump and his Republican surrogates. (McKinley, 3/21)
Bloomberg:
Cuomo Says GOP Plan To Win Obamacare Repeal Votes Would Harm New York
Governor Andrew Cuomo accused two New York Republicans in the U.S. House of selling out their constituents and risking the state’s economy with a plan to win votes for a bill to replace Obamacare by exempting most counties from paying for Medicaid. The proposal crafted Monday by U.S. Representatives Chris Collins of Lancaster, near Buffalo, and John Faso of Kinderhook, near Albany, would force the state to absorb the $2.2 billion of Medicaid costs paid by counties outside New York City. (Goldman and House, 3/21)
NPR:
Medicaid Work Requirement Wouldn't Shrink Spending Much
If you're poor and you want to keep your health insurance, you may have to go to work. That's the message from Republican lawmakers who Monday night released a series of changes to their plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act.A key change, designed to help attract votes from conservative Republicans, would let state governors require people to work to qualify for health insurance under Medicaid. (Kodjak, 3/21)
Marketplace:
What Would Medicaid Work Requirements Mean For Those Who Receive It?
On Thursday night, the House is expected to vote on a bill to repeal Obamacare. The only hurdle is Republicans themselves. House leaders are desperate to get enough conservatives on board to get the bill to the Senate, so last night they made some changes to it. One sweetener: letting states add work requirements to Medicaid eligibility rules. (Gorenstein, 3/21)
Bloomberg:
GOP Bill's Medicaid Cuts Draw Fire As House Floor Vote Looms
The Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare is drawing strong opposition just ahead of a crucial House floor vote expected on Thursday, driven by the bill’s cuts to the Medicaid health program for the poor. A group representing major Medicaid insurers said on Tuesday that it has “serious concerns” about the GOP bill, estimated to slash $880 billion from Medicaid. Governors, including some Republicans, are also warning that it could blow holes in their budgets and harm constituents. (Tracer, 3/21)
NPR:
Arizona Welcomed Medicaid Expansion, Now Fears Losing Out Under GOP Plan
Connie Dotts is a big fan of her insurance. "I like that we can choose our own doctors," says the 60-year-old resident of Mesa, Ariz. "They also have extensive mental health coverage." Dotts isn't on some pricey plan, either. She's among the nearly 2 million people enrolled in Medicaid in Arizona and one of the more than 400,000 who have signed up since the Republican-led state expanded Medicaid in 2013. (Stone, 3/22)
Kansas City Star:
Proposed Medicaid Changes May Complicate KanCare Expansion Effort
A Republican proposal to replace the Affordable Care Act would effectively block states’ ability to expand Medicaid, thwarting a new attempt by Kansas to expand its own privatized version of the program. Congressional Republicans have continued to push forward with the GOP’s American Health Care Act, which would repeal and replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act, widely known as “Obamacare.” The Republican bill has struggled to find widespread support, even in the Republican-controlled Congress. (Woodall and Wise, 3/21)
