Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Secretary Expected To Announce Today Work Requirement For Medicaid In Indiana
Politico Pro: Azar Will Announce Medicaid Work Requirement In Indiana
The long-anticipated approval of Indiana's waiver will make it the second state Medicaid program to tie benefits to employment for certain able-bodied beneficiaries. [Eric] Holcomb had also requested an expansion of substance-abuse treatment as part of the program. (Cancryn, 2/1)
Kaiser Health News: Indiana Medicaid Drops 25K From Coverage For Failing To Pay Premiums
As the Trump administration moves to give states more flexibility in running Medicaid, advocates for the poor are keeping a close eye on Indiana to see whether such conservative ideas improve or harm care. Indiana in 2015 implemented some of the most radical changes seen to the state-federal program that covers nearly 1 in 4 poor Americans — including charging some adults a monthly premium and locking out some of those who don’t pay for six months. (Galewitz, 2/1)
Roll Call: More States Jump On Medicaid Work Requirements Bandwagon
A growing number of mostly Republican-led states are rushing to follow Kentucky’s lead in requiring thousands of people on Medicaid to work or lose health coverage. The governors of South Dakota, Alabama, Louisiana and South Carolina have said in recent weeks that they plan to pursue work requirements for their Medicaid programs, following the Trump administration’s release of guidelines for the concept in January. (2/1)
Des Moines Register: Iowa Medicaid Leaders End Contract With Milliman Consulting Firm
Iowa Medicaid leaders won't renew their contract with a national consulting firm whose cost estimates were blamed for some of the turmoil the public health care program has faced under private management. The Milliman firm provided Iowa with complicated estimates of how much care 600,000 Iowans on Medicaid would use. State officials and private Medicaid management companies used those estimates to negotiate rates the state has paid the companies to cover those Iowans, starting in April 2016. The Medicaid management companies have complained that Milliman’s estimates were as much as 40 percent below the actual costs, leading to a “drastically underfunded” system and a “catastrophic experience” for the companies. The management companies complained of losing hundreds of millions of dollars. (Leys, 2/1)
Alaska Public Media: State Supplemental Budget Reaches $178 Million, Prompts Medicaid Concern
Gov. Bill Walker’s administration provided a final number on the amount of extra money it plans to spend this year beyond what the Legislature budgeted: $178 million. Most of this cost — $92 million — is from Medicaid. Roughly a third of that cost is due to the Legislature funding Medicaid at a lower level than state officials projected costs would run. On top of that, those projections were too low. Officials say more people enrolled in Medicaid due to the recession. (Kitchenman, 2/1)
The Associated Press: Little Support For Proposed Medicaid Cuts
Some of [Montana's] proposed cuts in Medicaid reimbursement will harm children and leave the state responsible for more expensive services, opponents said Thursday. The Department of Public Health and Human Services took public comment on its proposal to implement about $12.5 million of $49 million in state budget cuts it must make due to lower-than-expected state revenue and a record fire season. The $12.5 million in state cuts over the next 18 months means the loss of another $22.2 million in federal matching funds. (Hanson, 2/1)
Great Falls (Mont.) Tribune: Dozens Speak Out Against State's Program Fee Cuts
Sheila Hogan, director of the Department of Public Health and Human Services appointed to the job in late 2016 by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, told the audience the agency was forced to propose these changes due to decisions made at the last legislative session in which GOP leadership opposed any revenue increase proposed by Bullock. She said the Republican lawmakers did not approve a compromise. (Drake, 2/1)
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Senate Committee Backs Dunnavant Alternative To Medicaid Expansion
The Senate committee that killed legislation to expand Medicaid has adopted an alternative plan for redesigning the program to extend health coverage and services, but for fewer people with less federal funding to match state spending than expansion under the Affordable Care Act. (Martz, 2/1)
KARK (Little Rock, Ark.): Lawmakers Debate Economic Stability Of State's Medicaid Expansion Program
Sen. Bryan King, R-Green Forest, is proposing two constitutional amendments related to Arkansas Works [the state's Medicaid expansion program]. "The system is too easily scammed," said Sen. King. "There's so many holes in it. There needs to be a directive from the people that says they need to enforce this." If approved, they would ultimately go before voters in 2020. (Turnure, 2/1)
