Georgia Senate Approves Governor’s Plan To Expand Medicaid; Ohio Lawmaker Wants Stricter Work Requirements
Medicaid news comes out of Georgia, Ohio, Texas, Louisiana and Florida.
Georgia Health News:
Senate OKs Kemp’s Health Care Waiver Plan
The Georgia Senate approved legislation Tuesday to let Gov. Brian Kemp seek health care waivers from the federal government.The party-line 32-20 vote came after Democrats argued that a full expansion of Medicaid, as outlined under the Affordable Care Act, would cover more Georgians and cost less than Senate Bill 106 would provide. (Miller, 2/26)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Georgia Senate Advances Waiver Bill For Medicaid, ACA
Gov. Brian Kemp came to the chamber afterward to address reporters on the bill, which he proposed. “We’re on the right track to do things and put Georgians first to reform a broken system,” Kemp said. He stood beside Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, who oversees the Senate. “Today was a great day in the Senate,” Duncan said. “We were able to pass a bill … to, I believe, put 11 million Georgians in a great spot.” (Hart, 2/26)
Columbus Dispatch:
Ohio State Senator Wants Stricter Work Rules For Medicaid Recipients
A Republican state senator wants to impose work requirements for Medicaid recipients that are stricter than those the state has proposed, arguing that people are leaving the workforce to claim the tax-funded health benefits. Sen. Matt Huffman, R-Lima, said, “There were folks who were working, and they had health insurance at work, but when the government said, ‘We’ll provide health insurance for you,’ they left work, and, of course, those are able-bodied folks who were working.” (Candisky, 2/26)
Austin American-Statesman:
Texas Lawmakers Seek To Improve Medicaid For Disabled Children
Eight state lawmakers from both parties have introduced at least 15 bills that would expand health care access and coverage for children with disabilities who depend on Medicaid programs. The legislation comes on the heels of reports last year that private health insurance companies, which provide Medicaid coverage in Texas, were denying necessary health services for clients. (Downey, 2/26)
Dallas Morning News:
'We Hear You': Lawmakers Promise To Fix Texas' Broken Medicaid Managed-Care System
Lawmakers from both parties stood shoulder-to-shoulder on the Capitol steps Tuesday to promise major fixes to the state's broken health care system for sick and disabled Texans, including children. Before a few dozen families, all caring for at least one child with immense medical needs, lawmakers said what the parents had been hoping to hear for more than two years. (McSwane, 2/26)
Modern Healthcare:
Louisiana Looking For New Medicaid Managed-Care Companies
Louisiana on Monday issued a request for proposals for managed-care companies hoping to serve the state's more than 1.5 million Medicaid members under new contracts beginning in January 2020. Louisiana will award contracts to up to four managed-care companies, down from five insurers today. Those five, whose current contracts will expire at the end of this year, are Aetna, AmeriHealth Caritas, Anthem's Healthy Blue, Centene's Louisiana Healthcare Connections and UnitedHealthcare. (Livingston, 2/26)
Bloomberg:
Florida College Suggests Cash-Strapped Professors Get Medicaid
As adjunct professors in the U.S. make their case for higher pay, one of the biggest U.S. colleges inadvertently brought their financial stress into sharp relief, suggesting that academics apply for Medicaid to cover uninsured children. Last month a vice provost of Florida’s Miami Dade College, a sprawling community college that says it awards more two-year degrees than any other, sent an email to the school’s thousands of adjunct professors with the subject line “Does Your Child have Insurance?” (Edelson, 2/26)
