CMS To Seek More Private Partnerships To Lower Medicare, Medicaid Expenses

Modern Healthcare: CMS: We Will Lean On Private Sector To Address Costs, Disparities
The federal government will increase its partnerships with private companies and community groups in 2022 to bridge health disparities and reduce costs for publicly-covered patients, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure said during the J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday. "Our role with the private sector is really partnering and trying to align goals," Brooks-LaSure said, adding that companies like Walmart "absolutely" play a role in lowering drug costs for Medicare, Medicaid, Children's Health Insurance Program and the Affordable Care Act exchange customers. (Tepper, 1/11)

In other Medicaid news —

WICS/WRSP: After Legalizing Midwives, Illinois Lawmakers Look To Cover The Service With Medicaid  
Springfield lawmakers want to expand Medicaid to cover in-home birthing services. A bill that has already passed in the House would expand Medicaid coverage for midwife services. The voucher program would include coverage for home birth services, in-home prenatal care, and postpartum services from certified professional midwives. In December, Gov. JB Pritzker, D-Illinois, signed a law that allows for the professional regulation of midwives in Illinois, a practice that had been illegal in the state since 1992. (Emerson, 1/11)

Missouri Independent: Timing Unclear For $5.3B Bill To Support Missouri Medicaid Expansion, State Pay Raises
Gov. Mike Parson is in a hurry to get a $5.3 billion spending bill passed by Feb. 1, but exactly when the bill will reach the House floor for debate is uncertain. The House Budget Committee spent about five hours Monday digging through the details of the bill that will fund Medicaid for the remainder of the year, give pay raises to state employees and distribute federal pandemic aid for schools. (Keller, 1/11)

Austin American-Statesman: Fact-Check: Did Texas Turn Down $100 Billion When Republicans Rejected Medicaid Expansion?
Announcing his candidacy for governor, former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke said Texas has left billions of dollars on the table by failing to expand Medicaid during Gov. Greg Abbott's tenure. "Expanding Medicaid, which if we had done at the beginning of the Abbott administration, would have brought in $100 billion to this state's economy," O'Rourke said at a Nov. 19 rally in Houston. Texas is one of 12 states that hasn't expanded Medicaid coverage, which is backed mostly by federal funding. (Mizan, 1/9)

KHN: Left Behind: Medicaid Patients Say Rides To Doctors Don’t Always Come 
Tranisha Rockmore and her daughter Karisma waited at an Atlanta children’s hospital in July for their ride home. Karisma had been at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to have her gastrostomy tube fixed, Rockmore said. The 4-year-old, who has several severe medical conditions, has insurance coverage from Medicaid, which provides transportation to and from nonemergency medical appointments through private vendors. After being told that a ride would not be available for hours, Rockmore said, she finally gave up and called her sister to drive them home to the South Georgia town of Ashburn, more than 160 miles away. (Grapevine and Miller, 1/12)

Axios: Scoop: Medicaid-Focused Circulo Acquires Primary Care Startup Huddle 
Circulo Health, an Ohio-based insurance startup focused on people who use Medicaid, has quietly acquired primary care provider Huddle Health, Axios has learned. Circulo is also said to have partnered with telehealth startup Brave Health to deliver tele-psychiatry services. Much of the recent healthcare buzz has focused on using tech to provide affluent people with more convenient, comprehensive care. That’s left people who use Medicaid or Medicare — notably, those most in need of care — behind. (Brodwin, 1/11)