Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Backlog In Kan. Medicaid Applications Prompts Delay In Dying Patients Admission To Nursing Homes
Topeka Capital Journal: Nursing Homes Hesitate To Take Dying Patients Awaiting KanCare Coverage
When Kansas hospitals prepare to discharge patients who need hospice care and are waiting on Medicaid coverage, nursing homes may not be willing to take them, health care providers said. A long-running backlog of Medicaid applications has hit the bottom lines of Kansas nursing homes in recent years. Beneficiaries of Kansas’ privatized Medicaid program, KanCare, have waited months to see their applications approved while their nursing homes provide care for which they aren’t paid. (Kite, 12/3)
The Associated Press: Louisiana Spent $718,000 On Dead Medicaid Patients: Audit
A new audit says the Louisiana Department of Health improperly paid $718,000 over four years for Medicaid patients who were no longer receiving services because they had died. Legislative Auditor Daryl Purpera's office released a report Monday (Dec. 4) that says the department spent the money between July 2013 and August 2017 for 712 deceased Medicaid patients. Most of the improper spending involved payments made to managed-care companies that oversee services for most of Louisiana's Medicaid patients. (12/4)
CNBC: Nearly 60 Percent Of Top Health Insurers' Revenue Comes From Medicare And Medicaid
Almost 60 percent of the combined revenue of the top five insurers in the United States comes from the government-sponsored health programs Medicare and Medicaid — and has more than doubled since the passage of Obamacare, a new report says. The analysis, published in the journal Health Affairs, suggests that policymakers could improve the viability of Obamacare marketplaces, which sell individual health plans, by requiring insurers that benefit from other government coverage programs to sell Obamacare coverage. (Mangan, 12/4)
