Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Another 4,100 Dropped From Arkansas' Medicaid Rolls After Failing To Properly Report Work Hours
Modern Healthcare: 4,100 More Arkansans Lose Medicaid Over Work Requirements
More than 4,100 Medicaid expansion enrollees in Arkansas will lose coverage for the rest of 2018 because they did not comply with the state's work requirement policy, state officials announced Monday. That's on top of the 4,353 people who were dropped from Medicaid rolls last month. (Meyer, 10/15)
The Associated Press: Arkansas Drops 4,100 More From Medicaid Over Work Rule
The figures released by the state Department of Human Services show another 4,800 people will lose coverage if they don't meet the work requirement by the end of this month. Arkansas' rule, which was implemented earlier this year, requires some beneficiaries to work 80 hours a month. Those beneficiaries lose coverage if they don't meet the requirement for three months in a calendar year. The state last month announced more than 4,300 people lost coverage because of the requirement. More than 76,000 people on the program were subject to the requirement. (Demillo, 10/15)
The Hill: 4,000 More People Lose Medicaid Coverage In Arkansas Under New Work Requirements
Opponents of Arkansas's work requirements have worried that it would lead to coverage losses, not because people weren't working, but because they weren't filing reports. It's unclear why so many people aren't meeting the monthly reporting requirements, but experts think it could be due to lack of awareness or confusion over the new program, although the state says it has conducted an extensive outreach campaign. (Hellmann, 10/15)
In other news —
Politico: Scott Walker, In Fight For Political Life, Slow-Walks Medicaid Work Rules
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker sought for years to put Medicaid recipients to work. Now federal officials have given him most of what he wanted, but he‘s delaying the process for fear the changes will doom his flailing reelection bid, say three federal officials familiar with the deliberations. “Wisconsin’s been stalling,” said one official, adding the Trump administration has been ready to formally approve and announce the state’s new work requirements for weeks. “It’s ended up being a lot of hurry-up-and-wait.” (Diamond, 10/16)
KCUR: This Year's Race For Kansas Governor Could Make Or Break Medicaid Expansion
Few issues split Kansas politics like the Obama-era expansion of Medicaid. Unlike 33 other states, Kansas still expanded its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act. The decision would pay for the health care of thousands of people who don’t currently meet the program’s stringent eligibility requirements. fThe state’s program, KanCare, pays for the health care of 400,000 low-income Kansans — mostly children, pregnant women, and elderly or disabled citizens. It costs the state more than $3 billion a year. (Ujiyediin, 10/15)
