In Third Suit Against Medicaid Work Requirements, Plaintiffs Say Trump Administration Is ‘Bypassing Legislative Process’
New Hampshire residents are challenging the Trump administration’s approval of work requirements for Medicaid recipients, after suits filed in Arkansas and Kentucky. Critics of the work requirement waivers say they are an attack on the poor. “This approval will not promote coverage, but it will result in significant coverage losses, and that is the administration’s goal,” said Jane Perkins, legal director of the National Health Law Program, which filed the suit on behalf of the New Hampshire residents. Meanwhile, an analysis finds that most of the 18,000 people kicked of Arkansas' Medicaid program because they didn't report work hours are still uninsured. The data contradicts statements from Trump administration and state officials, who have claimed that most of the people who lost Medicaid have found jobs.
Modern Healthcare:
New Hampshire's Medicaid Work Requirement Challenged In Court
Three advocacy groups sued the Trump administration Wednesday to challenge New Hampshire's approved work requirement for Medicaid beneficiaries. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of four named plaintiffs, said the administration is trying to "bypass the legislative process and act unilaterally to fundamentally transform Medicaid… threatening irreparable harm to the health and welfare of the poorest and most vulnerable in our country." (Meyer, 3/20)
The Wall Street Journal:
Third Lawsuit Filed Over Medicaid Work Requirements
The administration approved a package of changes to New Hampshire’s Medicaid program, including the new work requirements, in November. It aims to overhaul Medicaid state by state, after a wholesale revamp of the program sank in 2017 with Republicans’ failed attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act. A spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services declined to comment on the lawsuit. The official said the administration remains committed “to considering proposals that would give states more flexibility to engage with their working-age, able-bodied citizens.” (Hackman, 3/20)
The Hill:
Trump Administration Sued Over Medicaid Work Requirements In New Hampshire
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is allowed under federal law to approve requests from states looking to experiment with how it delivers Medicaid coverage to its low-income citizens. But NHeLP argues that the administration can't approve work requirements because it doesn't meet Medicaid's purpose of "furnishing medical assistance." (Hellmann, 3/20)
The Hill:
Analysis: Data Contradicts HHS Claims On Arkansas Medicaid Work Requirements
Most of the 18,000 people who lost Medicaid coverage in Arkansas as a result of new work requirements have not found new jobs, according to an analysis of state data. The analysis from the left-leaning Center on Budget and Policy Priorities also found that most of those unemployed people are still uninsured. (Weixel, 3/20)
The Hill:
Trump Officials Take Bold Steps On Medicaid
The Trump administration is pulling out all the stops to encourage red states to make conservative changes to Medicaid without congressional input. Administration officials are pushing ahead and granting approvals to states seeking to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, even in the face of legal challenges and large-scale losses in the number of people covered. (Weixel, 3/20)
In other Medicaid news —
Nashville Tennessean:
TennCare Block Grant Proposal Advances In State House, Despite Opposition
One day after 30 organizations signed onto a letter expressing opposition to a GOP-led proposal to pursue Medicaid funding through a block grant, a House finance committee quickly approved the measure. With a voice vote, the House Finance, Ways and Means Subcommittee on Wednesday approved HB 1280, which would require Gov. Bill Lee's administration to meet with federal officials to formally request a block grant for TennCare, the state's Medicaid program. (Ebert, 3/20)
Nashville Tennessean:
Bill To Support Tennessee Children With Severe Disabilities Advances
The House TennCare Subcommittee has advanced a bill that would help support children with severe disabilities who live at home with their families and whose care can leave their parents in financial ruin. "It's tough enough having a child that fights for their life everyday, and then you're trying to fight to get insurance," said Nashville mom Tori Goddard, whose 6-year-old daughter, Zoey Jones, has severe heart defects and needs 24-hour care to assure her airways remain clear and that she is breathing. (Bliss, 3/20)
KCUR:
Kansas House Approves Medicaid Expansion, But The Fight Isn't Over Yet
A coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans powered past objections from conservative leaders in the Kansas House Wednesday to approve Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s Medicaid expansion proposal. Albeit a slightly revised version. During a debate that stretched from midday into the evening, the coalition prevailed in a rules fight and fought off several amendments aimed at making the bill more palatable to conservatives before voting 70-54 to advance it to a final vote on Thursday. (McLean, 3/21)
Kansas City Star:
Kansas House Members Advance Medicaid Expansion
Kansas lawmakers took a major step Wednesday toward expanding Medicaid, a change that could extend health coverage to 150,000 Kansans but potentially cost $47 million a year. Lawmakers, ignoring Republican objections, forced the House to debate Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s Medicaid plan and advanced it on a 70-54 vote. (Shorman, 3/20)
Health News Florida:
House Committee Votes To Make Medicaid Cuts Permanent
The proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year also would make permanent a $103 million reduction to the state’s Medicaid program and reduce Medicaid spending at Florida’s hospitals by about $111 million in federal and state funds. Those reductions would come in reimbursements for inpatient and outpatient care. (Sexton, 3/20)
Columbus Dispatch:
Medicaid Director Promises Improved Oversight Amid Overcharges
Ohio Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran says the state is stepping up oversight of managed-care plans in the wake of revelations that the pharmacy middlemen they hire have been overcharging taxpayers. Promising more accountability and transparency, Corcoran told legislators Wednesday that she will not sugarcoat the problems, and she indirectly criticized the administration of former Gov. John Kasich. (Candisky, 3/20)
Cleveland Plain Dealer:
Ohio Medicaid Enrollment Is Expected To Remain At Lower Levels
Medicaid enrollment, which peaked two years ago at 3 million – or over 1 in 4 Ohioans – is expected in coming years to flatten out to lower levels, Ohio Department of Medicaid Director Maureen Corcoran said Wednesday. Medicaid enrollment is largely driven by the economy. (Hancock, 3/20)
