Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Health Experts Puzzled, Alarmed By Sharp Drop In Number Of Kids Enrolled In Medicaid, CHIP
Stateline: Child Enrollment In Public Health Programs Fell By 600K Last Year
The number of kids enrolled in Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) — two government health plans for the poor — fell by nearly 600,000 in the first 11 months of 2018, a precipitous drop that has puzzled and alarmed many health policy analysts, while several states say it reflects the good news of an improving economy. Enrollment in the two programs decreased by 599,000 children in the 48 states from which the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has data from December 2017 to November 2018, the last month for which numbers are available. (Ollove, 3/8)
The Associated Press: Kansas Medicaid Expansion Push Hasn't Cracked GOP Roadblock
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and other advocates have ramped up a campaign for her proposal to expand Medicaid in Kansas after conservative lawmakers showed they currently hold enough power to block it. Kelly held a news conference Thursday with four business leaders and kicked off a two-hour seminar on the potential economic benefits of expanding state health coverage for the needy. About two-dozen religious leaders also were at the Statehouse, partly to lobby for expansion, and supporters plan a March 19 rally. (3/7)
Dallas Morning News: House Bills Aim To Save Taxpayers Money By Kicking Drug Middlemen Out Of Texas Medicaid
Taxpayers could save as much as $90 million a year if the state fired the corporate middlemen who handle drug benefits for millions of sick, elderly and poor Texans, a recent study found. And two House bills filed Wednesday aim to do exactly that. It's one of more than 20 bipartisan bills that seek to make big changes to the state's privatized Medicaid program, which a recent Dallas Morning News investigation showed enriched companies but often failed to care for vulnerable people. (McSwane, 3/7)
