Ariz. Sets Public Meetings On Governor’s Plan To Overhaul Medicaid
Gov. Doug Ducey has recommended a plan to get about 350,000 able-bodied adults off the government health plan. News outlets also report on North Dakota's efforts to improve its Medicaid system and South Carolina's decision to offer nutritional counseling to some Medicaid enrollees.
Arizona Republic:
Ducey’s Medicaid Reform Plan Raises Questions, Concerns
Arizona’s 1.6 million residents who get health insurance through Medicaid will hear more details this week on Gov. Doug Ducey’s plan to overhaul the public program for the poor and disabled. The Ducey administration is holding six community forums to answer questions about the governor’s plan to modernize the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, known as AHCCCS. ... The Republican governor earlier this month described his plan as a path off government assistance for about 350,000 low-income, able-bodied adults. They would be required to pay a larger share of their health-care costs, establish health-savings accounts, search for employment and face a five-year Medicaid eligibility limit. (Alltucker, 8/16)
Bismark (N.D.) Tribune:
Medicaid System Goes Online In October
A multimillion-dollar IT project for the state’s largest agency is on track to be completed this fall after being delayed for years and costs rising from $62.5 million to more than $97.9 million. Department of Human Services officials said the state’s new Medicaid Management Information System project had experienced a series of delays and changes in its budget, missing a federal deadline of Oct. 1 last year to go live. The tentative go-live date for the new system is Oct. 5. (Smith, 8/17)
The Associated Press:
Medicaid Offers Nutrition Counseling To Combat Obesity In SC
Poor, obese South Carolinians covered by Medicaid can get help slimming down through nutritional counseling sessions aimed at stemming chronic and costly health problems. The Department of Health and Human Services added the weight-loss services this month for the estimated 184,000 Medicaid-covered adults with a body mass index of 30 or more, which is the definition of obese. That roughly translates to a 5-foot-8 adult weighing more than 200 pounds. (Adcox, 8/15)
