Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Civil War Over Partial Medicaid Expansion Rages In Administration, But Trump Tables Discussion Until After Midterms
The New York Times: Trump Spurns Medicaid Proposal After Furious White House Debate
Hoping to head off a full expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, some senior officials in the Trump administration and Republican governors have been pushing hard for a smaller expansion to satisfy a growing political demand in their states. But President Trump decided on Friday to shut down the debate until after the midterm elections, administration officials said. The debate has divided the Trump administration between top officials at the Department of Health and Human Services and hard-liners, mainly at the White House, more determined to snuff out the Affordable Care Act. (Pear, 7/30)
In other Medicaid news —
Denver Post: Kaiser Permanente Says It Will No Longer Be A Medicaid Provider For 2,500 Patients
Kaiser Permanente Colorado said Monday it has notified about 2,500 patients that it will no longer serve as a Medicaid provider in some areas of the state. Kaiser Permanente stopped providing health services as a Medicaid provider in its northern, southern and mountain service areas on June 30. It will continue providing care to Medicaid patients in the Denver-Boulder area. (Seaman, 7/30)
Kansas City Star: Kansas Drug Abuse Task Force Barred From Medicaid Expansion
Members of the Governor’s Task Force to Address Substance Use Disorders, including Mission Hills Republican Sen. Barbara Bollier, said last week they were frustrated that the chairman of the task force formed by Gov. Jeff Colyer has discouraged them from discussing expansion and kept any mention of it out of meeting minutes. That led Barnett to say Monday that some of the best treatment options for opioid addiction would come through Medicaid expansion. (Marso and Shorman, 7/30)
