Alaska Lawmakers Push Forward With Lawsuit To Fight Medicaid Expansion
Meanwhile in Tennessee, the power of the governor to expand Medicaid without lawmaker approval is also at issue. The state's attorney general issued an opinion saying Gov. Bill Haslam could not do so. Haslam has also repeatedly rejected the idea.
Alaska Public Radio:
Legislative Council Prepares For Next Phase Of Medicaid Expansion Lawsuit
The Legislative Council is moving forward with their lawsuit to stop Medicaid expansion. In the meantime, both the legislature and the Walker administration are working with consultants to find ways to reduce the cost of the Medicaid program. (Feidt, 9/16)
The Tennessean:
AG: Haslam Can't Expand Medicaid Without Lawmaker OK
Supporters of Insure Tennessee suffered another loss at the hands of the attorney general this week, and Gov. Bill Haslam potentially lost some leverage, in the ongoing debate over expanding health care coverage to low-income Tennesseans. In a new opinion, Attorney General Herbert Slatery argued Haslam can't implement any form of Medicaid expansion without lawmaker approval. (Boucher, 9/16)
Elsewhere, Florida continues to struggle with the cost of care for low-income residents -
The News Service Of Florida:
Medicaid Projections Cloud Predicted Forecast
Despite a transition to managed care meant to tame huge increases in Medicaid spending, the health-care program for low-income Floridians still threatens to consume almost half of the state's revenue growth, an economist told lawmakers Tuesday. Forecasters expect Medicaid to eat up 45.9 percent of the growth in the state's general revenue over the next three years, according to Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature's Office of Economic and Demographic Research. Baker was speaking to the Legislative Budget Commission, a group of House and Senate lawmakers who have to approve an annual three-year outlook for the state budget. (Larabee, 9/16)
And in other health law implementation news, states do not have ambitious plans to take advantage of the so-called 1332 waiver program, so far -
Politico Pro:
States Thinking Small On Major Obamacare Waiver Program
An ambitious Obamacare waiver program providing states with broad discretion to redesign their health care systems beginning in 2017 is hardly living up to the hype — at least for now. The so-called 1332 waiver program was included in the law to let states pursue their own reforms after Obamacare's coverage expansions took root. The waivers have been touted both as a vehicle for blue states to pursue more progressive coverage schemes and for red states to help undo a law that Republicans say is far too prescriptive. (Pradhan, 9/16)
