- The Department of Veterans Affairs is an enormous bureaucracy with hundreds of thousands of employees and the largest health system in the United States. Even before Jackson’s nomination collapsed under accusations related to his behavior, many senators from both parties questioned his lack of managerial experience. But the White House’s muddled handling of the situation may make even those well-qualified for the job reluctant to sign on.
- On the regulatory front, the comment period for the so-called skinny plan rule closed this week. It’s clear the Trump administration wants to expand the availability of short-term plans, but health insurers and other health industry stakeholders worry that healthy people will flock to cheaper, less comprehensive plans, leaving sicker consumers with ever-more-expensive alternatives.
- How states are viewing Medicaid expansion also continues to be a hot topic. In Ohio, a state with a Republican governor who embraced this aspect of the Affordable Care Act, the expansion continues to be a target among GOP gubernatorial candidates who want to succeed him. Meanwhile, sitting Gov. John Kasich is seeking a work requirement waiver that goes beyond many others that have been advanced so far. And a legal challenge to Kentucky’s Medicaid work requirement, which is expected to land in federal court in June, could shape how other red states decide to proceed.
