Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Feds Deny Wisconsin's Request For Drug Testing Of Medicaid Enrollees
The Washington Post: Trump Administration Allows Wisconsin To Question Medicaid Applicants About Risky Behavior
The Trump administration is allowing Wisconsin to become the first state to compel certain poor residents to disclose behavior such as drinking and exercise to qualify for Medicaid — and to charge more to people whose behavior the state judges as risky. Federal health officials, however, rebuffed an unprecedented effort by Wisconsin to impose drug tests on Medicaid applicants. The rejection placed a limit on the flexibility the administration has been urging states to embrace for the vast safety-net health insurance system, though illicit drug use can be an item in a health-risks questionnaire. (Goldstein, 10/31)
The Associated Press: US Rejects Wisconsin's Drug-Testing Plan For Medicaid
President Donald Trump’s administration on Wednesday rejected a plan from Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker to require drug screening and testing for adults on Medicaid with no dependent children, but approved a wide array of other get-tough changes to the program. Walker, who is seeking a third term in Tuesday’s election, argued the changes would better prepare Medicaid recipients to get a job. Walker’s administration agreed to revise the drug-testing plan amid concerns identified by the federal government and commenters, Seema Verma, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, said in a letter to the state. (Bauer, 10/31)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Feds OK Work Requirement For Some Who Receive BadgerCare Plus
Federal officials signed off Wednesday on Gov. Scott Walker's plan to require some people to work to receive health insurance through the BadgerCare Plus program, drawing attention to one of the governor’s initiatives less than a week before the election. The requirement would apply to healthy people who have no dependent children, who are under 50 and who haven’t worked for four years. (Boulton, 10/31)
