Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Feds Approve Arizona Plan To Revamp Medicaid, But Reject Several Key Provisions
Arizona Republic: Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's Plan To Modernize Medicaid Wins Approval
Gov. Doug Ducey’s plan to modernize Arizona’s Medicaid program won approval Friday from the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, but the approved plan does not include a job-search requirement or five-year limit on benefits that the governor had sought. The letter from Acting CMS Administrator Andrew Slavitt states the Arizona Medicaid demonstration, called Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) is extended five years through Sept. 30, 2021. The changes call for recipients to contribute to an account "similar to a Health Savings Account – to be used for services not currently covered by Medicaid, including dental, vision, weight loss and more," AHCCCS said in a news release. (Theobald, 9/30)
Tucson.com/Arizona Daily Star: Feds Reject Parts Of Arizona Plan To Make Medicaid Changes
Federal officials have rejected a bid by Arizona lawmakers and Gov. Doug Ducey to require Medicaid recipients to work and to limit their lifetime coverage to five years. In a letter Friday to state officials, Andrew Slavitt, the acting administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said such limits would “undermine access to care and do not support the objectives of the program.” Slavitt also rebuffed the state’s attempt to impose a charge on recipients who earn less than the federal poverty level. (Fischer, 10/1)
