Federal Judge Rejects Ky. Governor’s Suit Against Residents Fighting To Stop Changes To Medicaid Expansion

The Associated Press: Kentucky Governor Loses Another Round In Medicaid Fight
Kentucky’s Republican governor lost another round Monday in a legal fight over his efforts to revamp the state’s Medicaid program to require poor people to get a job to keep their benefits. The latest setback for Gov. Matt Bevin came in his home state when a federal judge dismissed his lawsuit that sought a ruling validating the Medicaid changes. (Schreiner, 8/20)

The Hill: Judge Dismisses Bevin Lawsuit Against Kentucky Medicaid Activists
A federal judge in Kentucky on Monday dismissed a counter-lawsuit brought by Gov. Matt Bevin (R) against the group of citizens who sued to stop his plan to implement controversial Medicaid work requirements. The judge ruled that Bevin's lawsuit “does not explain how the Commonwealth would be injured” by the challenge to his proposed Medicaid restrictions. (Weixel, 8/20)

Louisville Courier Journal: Matt Bevin's Attempt To Sue Kentuckians Over Medicaid Plan Is Rejected
Bevin spokeswoman Elizabeth Kuhn released a statement saying the case was dismissed on "procedural grounds and did not address the substance of the case" but added the administration believes the matter should be "considered in Kentucky by a Kentucky judge." She added: "We respect today's decision by the court and will continue to pursue the case in Washington D.C." (Yetter, 8/20)

Lexington (Ky.) Herald-Leader: Matt Bevin Loses Another Medicaid Waiver Lawsuit. This Time, It’s One He Filed In Frankfort
The case was essentially a countersuit against the same 16 people who successfully sued to block Bevin’s Medicaid changes this summer in a Washington, D.C. federal court — a fact that U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove noted in his dismissal order. Bevin already chose to participate as a defendant in the suit in Washington, where a different judge ruled against him and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in June, Van Tatenhove wrote. Given that, Bevin failed to show what injury the Frankfort court was supposed to redress for him, Van Tatenhove wrote. (Cheves, 8/20)

The Associated Press: Louisiana Uninsured Rate Drops Since Expansion Of Medicaid
A new study shows the number of Louisiana adults without health insurance has been cut in half since the state expanded its Medicaid program. The Louisiana Health Insurance Survey has been conducted by LSU every two years since 2003. It found 11.4 percent of non-elderly Louisiana adults were uninsured in 2017. That’s about 321,000 people aged 19 to 64. In 2015, the rate was 22.7 percent. (8/20)

The Associated Press: As Maine Waffles On Medicaid Expansion, Residents In Limbo
Maine residents seeking health coverage under voter-approved Medicaid expansion are in limbo as Republican Gov. Paul LePage’s administration refuses to say definitively whether it plans to provide it. An advocacy group has said LePage’s administration signaled through an attorney that Maine is going to reject people applying for Medicaid expansion. But the attorney, Patrick Strawbridge, said Monday that he couldn’t comment on how the state will handle Medicaid applications. (Villenueve, 8/20)

Des Moines Register: Iowa Medicaid Company Forced To Provide Special Wheelchairs To Disabled Clients
A Medicaid company must pay for specialized wheelchair equipment it denied to disabled clients after losing three simultaneous court battles challenging whether Iowa can force it to provide health services. The appeals by UnitedHealthcare — each involving a severely disabled Iowan who can't walk independently — lingered for more than a year while the managed care provider denied doctor and state orders that it pay for the specialized equipment. (Clayworth, 8/20)