Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicaid Funding Takes Center Stage At Opioid Commission's First Meeting
Stat: Health Advocates Plead For Medicaid Spending Before Opioid Commission
Health advocates on Friday used the first meeting of President Trump’s commission on the opioid crisis to criticize a bill that would slash future Medicaid spending and deregulate the health insurance market, arguing that the legislation would undermine whatever progress the panel could make. ... A pending bill in the Senate is expected to call for slashing federal Medicaid funding and rolling back expansions put into place in recent years by the Affordable Care Act. A version of the bill passed by the House would reduce planned Medicaid spending by $880 billion over the next decade. (Facher, 6/16)
The Hill: Trump’s First Opioid Meeting Hears Concerns About Slashing Medicaid
"Medicaid is the largest national payer for addiction and mental health treatment,” Dr. Joseph Parks said, according to reports. “The Medicaid expansion must be maintained and completed,” he continued. (Manchester, 6.17)
CQ Roll Call: Addiction Experts Question GOP Plans To Cut Medicaid Growth
One commissioner, former Democratic Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy of Rhode Island, described the potential Medicaid cuts as “the elephant in the room.” The commission, he said, needs “to ensure we don’t step back at just the point we need to be stepping forward on this terrible epidemic.” (Siddons, 6/16)
