Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ky. Governor's Ultimatum: If Courts Touch Work Requirements, State Will Roll Back Expansion Completely
The Associated Press: Kentucky Governor Readies For Medicaid Legal Challenge
Gov. Matt Bevin says he will end Medicaid benefits for more than 400,000 Kentuckians if the courts stop him from requiring many of them to work. Kentucky was among 32 states that expanded Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health care law, and many more people signed up than forecast. The program now covers more than a quarter of the state's population. Federal spending covers almost all the cost of the expanded program. But the state's share is poised to grow and Bevin, a Republican who took office after the expansion, says Kentucky can't afford to maintain it without changes. (Beam, 1/16)
The Hill: Kentucky Governor Threatens To End Medicaid Expansion
Bevin’s executive order would instruct the secretary of the Cabinet for Health and Family Services and the Medicaid commissioner to "take necessary steps to terminate Kentucky's Medicaid expansion" if any part of his plan is struck down in court. The order, which was also issued on Friday, calls for the expansion to start being dismantled “no later than six months” after all appeals are exhausted. Bevin ran on a platform of ending the expansion, which was enacted by the state’s previous governor, Democrat Steve Beshear. (Weixel, 1/16)
Politico Pro: Kentucky Governor Will Nix Medicaid Expansion If Court Blocks New Waiver
The Trump administration on Friday granted Bevin a sweeping Medicaid waiver that will institute work requirements for the first time in the entitlement program's history, as well as other conservative changes like coverage lockouts and higher costs for enrollees. Advocacy groups are likely to file litigation to block the new enrollment rules, which will require certain low-income adults to work 80 hours per month to keep their health coverage. (Pradhan, 1/16)
Lexingon (Ky.) Herald-Leader: Bevin Orders End To Expanded Medicaid If Courts Block Work Requirement, Other Changes
Bevin’s threat “will have no impact on litigation whatsoever, full stop,” said Leonardo Cuello, director of health policy at the National Health Law Program in Washington. Cuello’s group is one of those discussing a lawsuit over Medicaid waivers. (Cheves, 1/16)
Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal: Bevin Issues Ultimatum: If Courts Block Medicaid Plan, Half Million Kentuckians Will Lose Care
No one has filed a legal challenge to Bevin's changes to Kentucky's Medicaid program that federal authorities approved Friday. But several advocacy groups have said some of the changes — such as requiring some "able-bodied" adults to work or volunteer at least 20 hours a week — likely will be challenged in court because they violate federal law that establishes Medicaid purely as a health program and does not authorize work requirements. (Yetter, 1/16)
McClatchy: Kentucky’s Medicaid Work Requirement Plays To Trump Base At Little Political Risk
Kentucky is one of the poorest states in America, and its residents are among the sickest. Yet the governor's decision to force Medicaid recipients to meet a work requirement — something that could take health coverage away from 100,000 people — is unlikely to carry any political repercussions for the GOP in this deeply red state. Democrats, with their eyes on the 2018 congressional elections and 2020 after that, are taking notes on every move Republicans make that reduces access to services for the poor. But in Kentucky, political operatives think the left will be disappointed. (Pugh, 1/16)
In other news —
Modern Healthcare: Behavioral Health Advocates Fear Impact Of Medicaid Work Requirements On Treatment Access
The New Life Day Center, a homeless shelter in Lexington, Ky., is expecting a flood of people to offer their services as volunteers. But Debbie Farinelli, the coordinator for the center's volunteers, isn't looking forward to the looming glut of free labor. The CMS last week approved Kentucky's waiver to require Medicaid beneficiaries to spend at least 80 hours a month in community service, employment or education. The demonstration took effect Jan. 12 and runs until Sept. 30, 2023. (Meyer, 1/16)
