Fired-Up Wisconsin Governor Says He’s Not Giving Up On Medicaid Expansion, Even After Lawmakers Block Plan
"I’m here today with a message for the people of Wisconsin: I’m going to fight like hell for Medicaid expansion and I need your help to get it done," said Gov. Tony Evers (D-Wis.) Meanwhile, CMS finalizes a rule on union dues, Tennessee lawmakers are at an impasse over block grants, a nonprofit must return Medicaid funds to Delaware, and the number of uninsured kids is on the rise.
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
Tony Evers Says He's Not Giving Up On Obamacare Expansion
Under Evers' plan, the state would expand its BadgerCare Plus health program for low-income people to 82,000 more residents using funding available through the Affordable Care Act, which is also known as Obamacare. Evers noted Republicans disclosed their plan to strip his health care proposal out of the state budget on a day when hundreds of doctors tried to lobby lawmakers on the issue. Many top Republicans were in Washington for a $1,000-per-person fundraiser. (Marley, Romell and Beck, 5/2)
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Stops Medicaid From Paying Home Health Union Dues
The CMS finalized a rule on Thursday to no longer allow unions for home healthcare workers to get dues paid via state Medicaid payments. The rule, which overturns a 2014 rule, no longer allows a state to divert payments from Medicaid to anyone but the provider with few exceptions. The agency charges that the 2014 rule that allowed unions to get dues from payments stretches the meaning of the federal statute and must be struck down. (King, 5/2)
Nashville Tennessean:
Tennessee Lawmakers At Impasse Over TennCare Block Grant Proposal
A bill that would have drastically changed how the state receives federal funding for its Medicaid program hit a major road block Thursday — one that could jeopardize the potential for the legislative session to end. A newly appointed 10-member conference committee tasked with settling the differences between the House and Senate version of a Medicaid block grant bill has hit an impasse. (Ebert, 5/2)
The Associated Press:
Medicaid Provider To Return $4.5 Million To Delaware
A Maryland-based nonprofit organization that serves people with developmental disabilities in the mid-Atlantic region has agreed to return $4.5 million in Medicaid funds to Delaware following a two-year investigation of its billing practices. Delaware’s attorney general’s office said Thursday that in returning the money, Chimes is not admitting any liability. (Chase, 5/2)
Marketplace:
After Falling For Years, The Number Of Uninsured Children Is Rising
The percentage of uninsured children in the U.S. has been in decline for years. But a new study by the University of Minnesota finds that it’s moving upward again. The rate increased across demographic groups, and the study estimates that some 4 million U.S. kids are now uninsured. (Adams, 5/3)
