N.H. Becomes Latest State To Ask For Federal Approval To Set Work Requirement For Medicaid
Arkansas, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Utah and Wisconsin are also seeking the new authority for the work mandate for healthy adults. In other Medicaid news, Republican lawmakers in Louisiana blocked managed care contracts, California managed care plans make hefty profits and North Carolina officials begin efforts to revamp the program.
Modern Healthcare:
New Hampshire Submits Request For Medicaid Work Requirement
New Hampshire is making a second attempt to impose a work requirement on its Medicaid beneficiaries, asking the Trump administration to approve a request that was denied by the Obama administration. The CMS posted the waiver application on its site Thursday and is accepting comments through Dec. 2. New Hampshire wants to require adults who are unemployed to either work, train for a job, actively search for work or participate in other work-related activities for up to 30 hours per week. ... New Hampshire joins Arkansas, Arizona, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Utah and Wisconsin in seeking to impose a work requirement on Medicaid beneficiaries. (Dickson, 11/3)
The Associated Press:
$15B In Louisiana Medicaid Contracts Stalled By House GOP
Louisiana House Republican lawmakers Friday blocked high-dollar contract extensions sought by Gov. John Bel Edwards' administration for the managed-care companies that coordinate services for 1.5 million Medicaid patients in Louisiana. The Democratic administration wants to keep the five deals in place for another 23 months beyond their January expiration date. But GOP lawmakers raised concerns about the price tag for the extension: $15.4 billion in federal and state cash. Annually, the deals account for roughly one-quarter of the state's operating budget. (Deslatte, 11/3)
The New Orleans Times-Picayune:
Louisiana House Republicans Delay Medicaid Contracts That Cover 1.6 Million People
The House GOP leadership said the state Department of Health needs to find a way to save more money and they would revisit the contracts in December, after health officials have had more time to cut costs. This was second time the Medicaid contracts haven't gone through in the past three weeks. (O'Donoghue, 11/3)
Kaiser Health News:
Enriched By The Poor: California Health Insurers Make Billions Through Medicaid
Medicaid is rarely associated with getting rich. The patients are poor, the budgets tight and payments to doctors often paltry. But some insurance companies are reaping spectacular profits off the taxpayer-funded program in California, even when the state finds their patient care is subpar. A unit of Centene Corp., the largest Medicaid insurer nationwide, raked in $1.1 billion in profits from 2014 to 2016, according to state data obtained and analyzed by Kaiser Health News. Anthem, another industry giant, turned a profit of $549 million from California’s Medicaid program in the same period. (Terhune and Gorman, 11/3)
Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal:
NC Seeks Input On Medicaid From Providers And Insurers In Reform Initiative
State health officials are taking another step toward reform of the N.C. Medicaid program, this time addressing requirements for physical managed care organizations. In September 2015, the Republican-controlled legislature approved shifting Medicaid from a fee-for-service structure to a managed care structure. ... The Democratic administration of Gov. Roy Cooper revealed in August its proposal for overseeing the approved state Medicaid reform plan. The 77-page plan deals with the Medicaid and the N.C. Health Choice programs. On Friday, DHHS released two requests for information. (Craver, 11/6)
