Ind., Ark. Medicaid Expansion Plans Take Shape, But Also Take Time

Also, news outlets examine the idea that the expansion's new enrollees will likely be healthier than current beneficiaries but this will probably not relieve the expansion's pressure on the health care workforce.

The Associated Press: Answer On Ind. Medicaid Plan Could Take Some Time
The head of the state Family and Social Services Administration said Tuesday the federal government is expected to approve an extension of the Healthy Indiana Plan, but a request to use the plan for an Indiana Medicaid expansion could take much longer (LoBianco, 6/25).

The Associated Press: Arkansas Releases Draft Of 'Private Option' Request
Arkansas' proposal to use federal Medicaid dollars to purchase private insurance for thousands of low-income residents will benefit everyone in the state by cutting health care costs and improving access, the state said Monday in a draft of its application to the federal government (6/25).

In related Medicaid news --

Modern Healthcare: Providers Likely To Feel Pressure As Medicaid Gets New Enrollees
New Medicaid enrollees may be healthier than the program's current beneficiaries, but that is unlikely to relieve much of the pressure on providers as millions of newly covered patients seek care next year. Researchers -- including some from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention -- looked at national health data collected through detailed surveys of uninsured adults and concluded that new enrollees are less likely than current beneficiaries to have chronic diseases -- 30 percent compared with 39 percent. However, among the newly covered enrollees who do suffer from chronic conditions, their conditions are more likely to be undiagnosed and untreated (Daly, 6/25).

The Associated Press: Newly Insured To Deepen Primary Care Doctor Gap
Getting face time with the family doctor could soon become even harder. A shortage of primary care physicians in some parts of the country is expected to worsen as millions of newly insured Americans gain coverage under the federal health care law next year. Doctors could face a backlog, and patients could find it difficult to get quick appointments (Sanner, 6/25).