Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Many States Brace For Grim Aftermath If Congress Can't Make A Deal On ACA
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Georgia Health Sector Faces $3.7B Loss As ACA Subsidies End, Forecast Finds
Georgia’s hospitals, doctors and other health businesses stand to lose $3.7 billion in revenue next year alone, if Congress and President Donald Trump allow Affordable Care Act health insurance subsidies to expire in December, a new forecast has found. Georgia’s expected loss of health sector revenue would be among the three largest in the nation, behind only Florida and Texas, according to the study by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the left-leaning Urban Institute. (Hart, 9/29)
Mountain State Spotlight: 60,000 West Virginians Risk Losing Affordable Health Care As Congress Stalls On Subsidies
Ellen Allen, executive director of West Virginians for Affordable Health Care, said more than 60,000 people in the state — including herself — rely on getting their healthcare from the ACA Marketplace Exchange. Without the subsidies, Allen said families could see their health insurance premiums — the amount paid per month — skyrocket by hundreds of dollars. For instance, Allen said she pays $497 per month for her health insurance. Without the tax credit, it would cost her $2,800 a month. (Culvyhouse, 9/30)
WUSF: Here's How ACA Tax Credits Expiring And Medicaid Cuts Could Impact Floridians
Medicaid coverage and enhanced credits in Affordable Care Act plans have been a safety net for many people. In Florida, over 4.3 million people received Medicaid benefits, and more than 4.7 million are enrolled in the ACA for health care coverage. In Florida, about 2 out of 5 people benefit from ACA or Medicaid plans. But that will soon change. (Bowman, 9/30)
North Carolina Health News: NC Aging Advocates Worry About Federal Government Shutdown Effects
The gears of government are turning slower by the day with a gridlocked U.S. Congress, and they’re threatening to seize altogether as another shutdown looms. For North Carolina’s older adults — many enduring the slow grind of aging bodies and shrinking budgets — the prospect feels all too familiar. (Fredde, 9/30)
In related news on Medicaid cuts —
Los Angeles Times: How California Families Are Already Bracing For Looming Medicaid Cuts
Ever since Elijah Maldonado was born at just 29 weeks, he has needed specialty treatments that his family could afford only with publicly funded healthcare. Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant, he spent his first three months at a public hospital in Orange County, where the family lives. Now 7, Elijah receives physical and speech therapy among a host of other services paid for through Medicaid. He relies on a wheelchair funded by the government. An assistant paid for with taxpayer dollars makes sure he’s safe on the bus ride to and from school. (Beason, 9/29)
The CT Mirror: Rising Costs Strain Medicaid In CT – Before Federal Cuts Are Counted
Deep cuts in federal Medicaid assistance aren’t the only threat to health care for needy families and children here. Gov. Ned Lamont’s administration has identified major cost overruns in the entitlement program, known as HUSKY in Connecticut, which has struggled to stay out of the red since 2022. (Phaneuf, 9/30)
KFF Health News: Health Care’s Employment Growth Clouded By Immigration Crackdown, Medicaid Cuts
The health care sector is a bright spot in the economy this year, driving nearly half of the nation’s employment gains, but economists and experts say immigration crackdowns and looming Medicaid cuts pose a threat to future job growth. Employers added 487,000 jobs from January to August, according to the latest nonfarm payroll data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The health care sector accounted for 48% of that lackluster growth, expanding by about 232,000 jobs, even though the sector employs only about 11% of workers. (Reese, 9/30)
Modern Healthcare: The Tools Advocate, Ascension Are Using To Ease Medicaid Cuts
Healthcare providers, payers and other companies are facing an uncertain regulatory and political environment in the coming years. Massive reductions in Medicaid funding under President Donald Trump’s tax law, known as H.R. 1, and the looming expiration of the Affordable Care Act premium tax subsidies are among the issues likely to undercut margins and operations. (Dubinsky, Early, Perna and McAuliff, 9/29)
