Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Former Tennessee Governor Touts Deep Medicaid Cuts In Race For Senate Seat
Nashville Tennessean: How Phil Bredesen's 'Painful' TennCare Cuts Play Into US Senate Race
The fanfare of his first inauguration was over, and Gov. Phil Bredesen had a harsh reality to face: Tennessee had a more than $300 million budget problem for the upcoming fiscal year, much of it due to TennCare, the state’s expanded Medicaid program. The Sunday afternoon after his Jan. 18, 2003, inauguration, Bredesen drove himself in a pickup truck to the Tennessee Tower, where Bill Bradley, director of the state’s budget office, and other staff met with him in their 14th-floor office. (Allison, 9/17)
Iowa Public Radio: Democrats: Medicaid Companies 'Kicking Back' State Dollars To Reynolds Campaign
The Democratic Party of Iowa today accused Gov. Kim Reynolds of corruption in office for taking campaign contributions from one of the managed care organizations that are benefiting from the privatization of Medicaid services in Iowa. According to the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Finance Board, the political action committee for Anthem, Inc., the parent company of Amerigroup, has given $2500 this year to the Reynolds campaign. (Russell, 9/17)
The Detroit News: Expanded Medicaid Boost Finances Of Michigan Residents, UM Study Finds
Enrollment in Michigan's expanded Medicaid program boosted the finances of many low-income residents as well as their health care status, according to a University of Michigan study released Monday. Among more than 655,000 residents who gained health coverage after the Legislature approved the Healthy Michigan Plan in April 2014, many have experienced fewer debt problems and other financial issues than before enrollment, according to the analysis of thousands of enrollees' financial records. (Bouffard, 9/17)
