Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
D.C. Weighs Reshuffling Coverage For Medicaid Patients
The Washington Post: Medicaid Contracts Would Shift Poor D.C. Residents’ Health Care Amid Pandemic
The D.C. Council is scrutinizing a move by the Bowser administration that would reshuffle health coverage for hundreds of thousands of the District’s sickest and poorest residents. At a hastily scheduled meeting on Thursday, lawmakers grilled administration officials about the city’s plan to cut costs by assigning all Medicaid patients to managed-care plans and splitting them randomly among three health-care providers: MedStar, AmeriHealth and CareFirst. (Zauzmer, 8/27)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Returning To Normal Could Be Expensive For State, Health Agency
The agency that provides health care to about 2 million Georgians is requesting almost a $400 million increase in its state budget next year. The request is not totally because of the COVID-19 pandemic but, in part, in anticipation that things will be closer to normal when fiscal 2022 starts July 1. (Salzer, 8/27)
Georgia Health News: Community Health Looks Ahead To Big Financial Hole To Fill Next Year
Enrollment in Medicaid, which covers the poor and disabled, and PeachCare, the program for uninsured children, has increased by 223,000 from March through July during the peak of the COVID-19 crisis, according to state figures. That increase is linked to many people losing jobs and health insurance during the pandemic’s first few months, and therefore needing government coverage, mainly for their children. But state officials say Medicaid and PeachCare members’ use of medical services has been lower than normal during the pandemic, probably because many people have skipped appointments or check-ups out of fear of contracting COVID-19. (Miller, 8/27)
