Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Despite Possible Political Dangers, Georgia Governor Takes Steps Toward Partial Medicaid Expansion
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia To Pursue Medicaid, Obamacare Waivers
Gov. Brian Kemp will ask the Georgia Legislature and the federal government for flexibility to improve access to government-funded health insurance for the state’s poor and middle class. His administration told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Thursday that it will back a measure that seeks two separate federal “waivers” to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act to tailor new programs to Georgia’s needs. (Bluestein and Hart, 2/7)
Kaiser Health News: Shrinking Medicaid Rolls In Missouri And Tennessee Raise Flag On Vetting Process
Tangunikia Ward, a single mom of two who has been unemployed for the past couple of years, was shocked when her St. Louis family was kicked off Missouri’s Medicaid program without warning last fall. She found out only when taking her son, Mario, 10, to a doctor to be treated for ringworm. (Galewitz, 2/8)
NPR: Utah Lawmakers Want To Shrink A Voter-Approved Expansion Of Medicaid
Utah residents may have thought they were done fighting about Medicaid expansion last November. During the election, voters approved a ballot measure to expand the health program for low-income residents to cover 150,000 uninsured people in the state. But when Utah lawmakers opened a new legislative session in late January, they began pushing through a bill to roll back the scope and impact of that expansion. "We voted for this on Nov. 6. We were very clear about what we wanted," says Andrew Roberts, a spokesman for Utah Decides, the group that organized the Medicaid expansion referendum, known as Proposition 3. (Neumann, 2/8)
Arizona Republic: Pregnant Women Covered By AHCCCS May Soon Get Better Dental Coverage
For a third straight year, oral-health advocates are pushing Arizona legislation that would give dental care to pregnant women covered by Medicaid. Supporters say good oral health during pregnancy contributes to healthier babies and may instill dental habits that will help prevent cavities, gum disease and other dental woes. (Innes, 2/7)
