Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Maine's Highest Court Gives Governor Breathing Room, Sets Arguments Over Expansion For Mid-July
The Associated Press: Court Gives Maine More Time To File Medicaid Plan
Maine's high court is temporarily giving Republican Gov. Paul LePage's administration more time to make plans to roll-out Medicaid expansion demanded by voters last fall. Chief Justice Leigh Saufley in a Wednesday order is setting oral arguments on the administration's latest motion for July 18. A lower court judge has ordered Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner Ricker Hamilton to file a Medicaid expansion plan. Such paperwork is needed for over $500 million in annual federal funding for expansion. (6/21)
Maine Public Radio: Medicaid Expansion Decision Put Off Until July
Maine Equal Justice Partners and other consumer advocacy groups filed a lawsuit against the state this spring after the LePage administration missed a deadline to begin implementing the law. A Superior Court justice found in their favor, but the LePage administration appealed and the matter will now be decided by the state Supreme Court. Voters approved Medicaid expansion in a referendum last November, but Governor LePage has said he can't implement the law until the legislature funds it. Lawmakers approved a $35 million funding bill on Thursday, which faces a likely veto from LePage. (Wight, 6/21)
The Times Record: Maine Legislature Approves Funds For Medicaid Expansion
Both houses of the Maine Legislature have voted to approve funding to extend Medicaid to an estimated 70,000 residents, potentially undercutting Gov. Paul LePage’s argument against implementing the voter-approved expansion. In a separate action Wednesday, the Maine Supreme Judicial Court granted LePage’s request to stay a lower court’s order that would have required him to immediately submit an expansion plan to the federal government. In Augusta, the Senate and House agreed on a plan to pay for the state’s estimated $60 million share of costs associated with Medicaid expansion in Maine and sent the bill to LePage’s desk. (Thistle, 6/21)
In other Medicaid news —
Chicago Tribune: State Sanctions Harmony Health For Medicaid Program Violations
The state has temporarily halted automatic enrollments in Harmony Health Plan, saying its Medicaid managed care network of doctors and hospitals is inadequate. It’s the second time the state has blocked enrollment in a Medicaid managed care plan this year. The state stopped automatically assigning new Medicaid members to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois in April and also said new members could no longer choose it, alleging that its Medicaid managed care network was inadequate and the insurer wasn’t responding to grievances and appeals appropriately. (Schencker, 6/21)
Los Angeles Times: Medicaid Strategy Favored By Trump May Make Care Less Affordable, New Studies Indicate
Even as the Trump administration pushes to make Medicaid enrollees pay a greater share of their healthcare costs, new research suggests this strategy may prevent many poor patients from getting needed care. An independent study of Indiana, which has helped pioneer the strategy of charging Medicaid patients, identified lower rates of health coverage in the state than in neighboring states that do not impose the same costs. (Levey, 6/20)
