Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicaid Changes Come Into Focus As House Begins Paring Budget
Modern Healthcare: House Budget Talks Heat Up Over Medicaid Cuts
Medicaid cuts emerged as an especially sensitive flash point Thursday during the first public debate over a House Republican plan to extend tax cuts and slash federal spending. Republicans at a House Budget Committee markup insisted they only want to target waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid, and defended themselves against Democratic assertions that GOP policies would hurt people and medical providers. Democrats said harm is inevitable if Republicans want the Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid, to find $880 billion in budget cuts over the next decade. (McAuliff, 2/13)
Politico: Republicans May Find It Harder To Cut Medicaid Than They Think
Amid the chaos of President Donald Trump’s now-rescinded domestic funding freeze, Medicaid portals across the country went offline, which meant states couldn’t get their Medicaid dollars. It was something the administration said was never supposed to happen and which provoked public outrage and a bipartisan outcry. Now Republicans are considering whether and how to target Medicaid as part of their effort to defray the cost of massive tax cuts, the centerpiece of Trump’s legislative agenda. (Kenen, 2/13)
KFF Health News: As States Mull Medicaid Work Requirements, Two Scale Theirs Back
President Donald Trump’s return to the White House sent a clear signal about Medicaid to Republicans across the country: Requiring enrollees to prove they are working, volunteering, or going to school is back on the table. The day after Trump’s inauguration, South Carolina GOP Gov. Henry McMaster asked federal officials to approve a work requirement plan. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine plans to soon follow suit. Republicans in Congress are eyeing Medicaid work requirements as they seek to slash billions from the federal budget. (Rayasam and Whitehead, 2/14)
More Medicaid news from Colorado, Indiana, and Ohio —
Newsweek: Colorado Removes 500,000 People From Health Care Plan
More than a half-million people in Colorado have been disenrolled from their public health care, following the conclusion of policies that were put in place to safeguard public insurance coverage during the COVID-19 health emergency. Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) enrollment in Colorado has fallen from more than 1.7 million to less than 1.2 million between March 2023 and October 2024, according to health care research nonprofit the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). (Cameron, 2/14)
Indy Star: As Medicaid Costs Outpace State Revenue, Indiana Lawmakers Want To Scrutinize Eligibility
The cost of Indiana's Medicaid program is expected to become $5 billion more expensive over the next four years, which has become one of the dominant issues of this year's legislative session. So the Indiana Senate is considering some controversial changes to shrink the program. A priority Senate Bill was sent to the Senate floor Thursday that would potentially cap enrollment in the Healthy Indiana Plan, a Medicaid program for adults who don't qualify for traditional Medicaid, and heavily scrutinize eligibility of those currently on the plan. (Dwyer, 2/14)
Ohio Capital Journal: Hundreds Submit Comments Opposing Ohio's Proposed Medicaid Work Requirements
More than 400 people submitted comments opposing Ohio’s proposed Medicaid work requirements, according to records obtained by the Ohio Capital Journal. “I am disabled and unable to work,” one person said in their submitted comments. “I have major mental health issues and physical issues. Without insurance you are signing my death warrant.” (Henry, 2/14)
