How Medicaid’s ‘Unwinding’ Affected Millions Of Americans

CNN: Medicaid: 20 Million People Lost Their Coverage In The Last Year. Here’s What Happened To Them 
Justin Gibbs had finally gotten his high blood pressure under control with a combination of three medications. But after he had his Medicaid coverage terminated in December amid a nationwide eligibility review, he had to go without one medication for a week and a second for several days, sparking fears that the delicate balance would unravel. (Luhby, 4/12)

KFF Health News: Nearly 1 In 4 Adults Dumped From Medicaid Are Now Uninsured, Survey Finds 
Nearly a quarter of adults disenrolled from Medicaid in the past year say they are now uninsured, according to a survey released Friday that details how tens of millions of Americans struggled to retain coverage in the government insurance program for low-income people after pandemic-era protections began expiring last spring. The first national survey of adults whose Medicaid eligibility was reviewed during the unwinding found nearly half of people who lost their government coverage signed back up weeks or months later — suggesting they should never have been dropped in the first place. (Galewitz, 4/12)

Idaho Capital Sun: Idaho Medicaid Waiver Approval Bill Could Immediately Disrupt Services, Governor Says
Without additional action by the Legislature, Idaho Gov. Brad Little worries a new bill requiring legislative approval for Medicaid waivers could disrupt health care services, including by halting millions of dollars in payments to medical providers across the state. Little’s office received 118 emails from providers asking for a trailer bill to House Bill 398, said spokesperson Madison Hardy. Little, in a letter to lawmakers Monday, called for imminent action by the Idaho Legislature. (Pfannenstiel, 4/9)

Mississippi Today: Mississippi Hospital Officials Say Marketplace Insurance Helps, But Not As Much As Medicaid 
Mississippi Senate leaders point to one component of the federal Affordable Care Act health care law as a reason not to expand Medicaid to provide health care coverage to the working poor. The Senate has passed legislation to allow only those earning less than 100% of the federal poverty level (about $15,000 annually for an individual) and who are working to be covered by Medicaid. (Harrison, 4/11)

In Medicare news —

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Physician Pay Needs Fixes, Senators Say
Doctors have long lamented that Medicare fails to pay enough to meet rising costs. Key members of the Senate Finance Committee said Thursday they agreed, and pledged to do something about it. "The way traditional Medicare pays physicians to manage and treat these conditions has not kept up with the times," Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said at a hearing on bolstering pay for treating chronic care. "It is now time to act once more." (McAuliff, 4/11)

Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Benefit Cuts Possible Following Rate Reduction 
A modest cut to the base Medicare Advantage payment rate next year may compel health insurance companies to carry out threats to scale back benefits, hike premiums and reduce provider payments. Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized a 0.16% cut to the benchmark Medicare Advantage rate, which excludes risk adjustment payments, in 2025. It was the second consecutive year the agency reduced payments and the first time since 2018 that it didn't offer a higher rate in the final rule than it proposed. (Tepper, 4/11)

Axios: Medicare Floats Incentive For Hospitals To Offer New Sickle Cell Treatments
Hospitals within months could get extra federal money to administer pricey new gene therapies for sickle cell disease, including the first CRISPR-based treatment. The Medicare proposal would provide more incentive to offer the multimillion-dollar gene therapies when about half of those living with sickle cell are lower-income people on Medicaid. (Goldman, 4/11)