Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
At Meeting With Constituents, Sen. Heller Defends His Mixed Record In Health Law Debate
The Hill: Heller Says He Helped Save Medicaid In ObamaCare Repeal Bill
Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) defended his record on ObamaCare repeal on Wednesday, telling voters he had helped save Medicaid from cuts in a Senate bill. “There’s only one reason why Medicaid was kept in that final version and that’s because of me,” Heller said at a talk in Las Vegas, according to the Nevada Independent. (Delk, 8/23)
Nevada Independent: Heller Touts Himself As Nevada's Foremost Republican Champion For Immigrants, Opposes Arpaio Pardon
His mixed record on the Obamacare overhaul efforts this summer included a vote for a “skinny repeal” bill that left Medicaid intact but removed insurance mandates on individuals and employers. “The individual mandate I thought was atrocious, was wrong and shouldn’t have been in Obamacare at all,” he said. “I don’t think your government should tell you to buy something that you can’t afford. And if you can’t afford it you pay a fine. Yet 90,000 Nevadans pay the fine.” Estimates from the Congressional Budget Office indicate that about 16 million people would lose coverage over 10 years under the skinny repeal bill. In the past, he’s said he wouldn’t support a bill that takes insurance from large numbers of people. (Rindels and Gray, 8/23)
Politico Pro: State’s Request To Trim Medicaid Expansion Poses Dilemma For HHS
A looming Trump administration decision on Arkansas’ request to pare back Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion could have an ironic unintended effect: encouraging more states to expand their programs. Arkansas, which expanded Medicaid in 2014, has asked for the federal government’s permission to reduce income eligibility to the federal poverty line, shedding roughly 60,000 low-income adult enrollees who now pay virtually nothing for care. ... by letting a state tap into potentially billions more in federal funds without fully embracing Obamacare’s expansion, it would also set a precedent that could make the program more appealing for the 19 states that have so far resisted. (Pradhan, 8/23)
And in other Medicaid news —
New Hampshire Union Leader: Granite Status: HHS Head Warns State Could Lose Medicaid Money
Health and Human Services Commissioner Jeffrey Meyers added to the palace intrigue this week about the Trump administration’s ultimatum to New Hampshire about the Medicaid expansion program, calling on the state to get rid of provider donations to support the program or risk losing the whole $400 million program. Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley, R-Wolfeboro, rebutted the claim of former Gov. Maggie Hassan that it was legislative leaders, and not her, who first knew there was going to be a compliance problem with the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services. (8/24)
Jackson (Miss.) Clarion-Ledger: Public Records, Emails Remain Obstructed As Medicaid Lawsuit Stalls
Public records documenting the Mississippi Division of Medicaid's actions leading up to its award of a $2 billion contract remain shielded from public view. The judge who will decide whether Medicaid acted appropriately in awarding the managed care contract first ordered no more evidence be presented, without his written approval, in the case. Then, on the request of Medicaid and one company who won the contract, Hinds County Chancery Court Judge William Singletary temporarily sealed the stack of public records attorneys said would show Medicaid Director David Dzielak violated conflict of interest laws. (Wolfe, 8/23)
