Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Key GOP Lawmaker Raises Questions About Limited Medicaid Expansion Plan In Tennessee
The Tennessean: Republican Leader Sees Benefits, Problems With Health Care Plan
One of the House Republicans who will be a vital part of selling a health care expansion plan to Tennessee lawmakers sees the first part of a two-phase plan as a good step forward but remains skeptical about a key part that would provide coverage to all Tennesseans. Rep. Glen Casada, R-Franklin, told The Tennessean this week that he is trying to remain open-minded about the recently released plan from the 3-Star Healthy Task Force, which was created by House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, in an effort to increase access to health care coverage to uninsured Tennesseans. (Ebert, 7/7)
The Tennessean: TennCare Expansion Plan Raises Mental Health Issues
The TennCare expansion proposal to offer access to coverage to those who suffer from mental health or substance abuse disorders tackles a historically underserved population — but it also confronts serious challenges that come with providing behavioral health care in Tennessee. (Fletcher, 7/7)
The Columbus Dispatch: Lower Medicaid Spending Helped Ohio’s Budget Amid Revenue Shortfall
The cash didn’t flow as expected for last year’s state budget, but Ohio still landed on solid ground thanks to spending that finished $1.2 billion below estimates, due in large part to Medicaid. ... [Medicaid] came in $926 million below projections, $428 million of which was state dollars. The rest was federal. Medicaid has held steady at about 3 million enrollees for 18 months. However, enrollment for the aged, blind and disabled population, the most expensive group covered under the program, has been lower than projected. (Siegel, 7/7)
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Medicaid Plans Get Hepatitis C Help
The insurer Health Partners Plans had 32 percent of the Medicaid market in Southeastern Pennsylvania last year, but accounted for 70 percent of regional spending on hepatitis C drugs. That meant the Philadelphia company spent $32 million on expensive new drugs to treat the disease that damages the liver - and had to absorb 60 percent of that outlay as a loss .... But this year, Pennsylvania regulators launched a risk-sharing plan to help its Medicaid contractors withstand the crippling costs of hepatitis C drugs. (Brubaker, 7/8)
Morning Consult: Barton, Castor Eye Vote On Children’s Medicaid Bill By Year’s End
A veteran GOP lawmaker is eyeing a September subcommittee markup of a bill that would give states the option to use health homes to provide care the most sickly children enrolled in Medicaid. Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) said he hoped the Advancing Care for Exceptional Kids Act would be marked up in subcommittee in September and could be passed before the end of the year. The bill has bipartisan support in both chambers (Florida Democratic Rep. Cathy Kastor is an original co-sponsor on the House side where there are 212 co-sponsors) and should be sent to the White House this year, he said. (McIntire, 7/7)
