Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Imposing Work Requirements Just Tip Of Iceberg In Administration's Goal To Restructure Medicaid
Stateline: Trump’s Historic Medicaid Shift Goes Beyond Work Requirements
Requiring able-bodied adults to work for their Medicaid is just part of the Trump administration’s drive to remake the decades-old health insurance program for the poor. The administration signaled late last year that it welcomes state-based ideas to retool Medicaid and “help individuals live up to their highest potential.” At least 10 states have requested waivers that would allow them to impose work requirements and other obligations. (Ollove, 2/16)
The Hill: HHS Chief: No Decision Yet On Lifetime Limits For Medicaid
Under fire from Democrats, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar on Thursday said the department has not yet taken a position on whether it will allow states to put lifetime caps on how long people can be enrolled Medicaid. At least five states have asked the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to approve proposals that would put a cap on how long beneficiaries of Medicaid — the health insurance program for low-income and disabled Americans — can receive coverage. (Roubein, 2/15)
Los Angeles Times: Countering Trump Administration, A California Legislator Wants To Ban Work Requirements For Medicaid
As states led by Republicans prepare to impose tough new conditions for Medicaid recipients with the Trump administration’s blessing, a California legislator wants to ensure no such requirements would be enacted here. State Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa) has introduced a bill that would bar the state from asking the federal government’s permission to impose work or volunteer requirements in order for low-income residents to be eligible for Medicaid, known in California as Medi-Cal. (Mason, 2/14)
Concord (N.H.) Monitor: N.H. Senate Republicans Release Medicaid Expansion Bill
Senate Republicans are keeping their final proposal for New Hampshire’s Medicaid expansion program close to the chest, but a placeholder bill released Thursday provided a glimpse into potential ways forward. Senate Bill 313, released online Thursday, would replace the state’s existing New Hampshire Health Protection Program – which currently provides services to around 50,000 low-income residents – and create a new, five-year initiative carrying significant changes to structure and funding. (DeWitt, 2/15)
Kansas City Star: Colyer Offering Little Hope For Medicaid Expansion In Kansas
The governor’s name has changed, but those hoping to see Medicaid expansion in Kansas are already facing familiar opposition from Jeff Colyer’s administration. Supporters of Medicaid expansion in Kansas testified this week at a Senate committee hearing in hopes that Colyer, Kansas’ new governor, will be more open to Medicaid expansion than the last. But Colyer has given no indication that he will be any different from his predecessor when it comes to Medicaid expansion. (Woodall, 2/16)
Kansas City Star: ACLU Sues Kansas Over KanCare's Hepatitis C Drug Denials
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing Kansas officials, claiming that the state’s Medicaid program denies hepatitis C treatments until patients are severely ill. The federal class action suit filed Thursday says that people on KanCare often can’t get coverage for drugs with a 90 percent success rate for curing the hepatitis C virus, or HCV. (Marso, 2/15)
The Baltimore Sun: Maryland Medicaid Program Bans Some Drug Testing Due To Costs
Having spent tens of millions of dollars drug testing people in addiction treatment for the past two years, Maryland Medicaid officials banned the most expensive screenings after determining they were unnecessary. Such drug screens are used to determine whether patients are misusing legal or illegal drugs or taking medications properly. Such tests can screen for a single drug, a handful or a wide variety of drugs in someone’s system. (Cohn, 2/15)
The New York Times: Operator Of Notorious Flophouses Pleads Guilty To Medicaid Fraud
A man who ran flophouses that preyed on poor addicts and the mentally ill faces up to five years in prison after pleading guilty to Medicaid fraud and illegally removing tenants from their homes, law enforcement officials said on Thursday. (Baker, 2/15)
