Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicaid Work Requirements That Exempt Native American Tribe Members Approved For Arizona
The Associated Press: Arizona Is Only State Where Tribes Avoid Medicaid Work Rules
Arizona has become the only state in the country where members of federally recognized tribes are exempt from work or volunteer requirements for Medicaid benefits, while 120,000 state residents risk losing health coverage if they don't comply. The announcement came Friday from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which said it believes the exemption is consistent with the tribes' status as political entities. Early last year, the agency wrote to tribes saying exempting all Native Americans from work requirements could violate equal protection laws. (Fonseca, 1/18)
The Hill: Trump Administration Approves Medicaid Work Requirements In Arizona
The work requirements can take effect beginning Jan. 1, 2020, and will impact about 120,000 people. Under the rules, beneficiaries ages 19 through 49 will have to engage in “qualifying community engagement activities” for at least 80 hours per month, and report monthly that they are meeting the community engagement requirements. (Weixel, 1/18)
Stateline: Rural Hospitals In Greater Jeopardy In Non-Medicaid Expansion States
It’s not just Texas: Nearly a hundred rural hospitals in the United States have closed since 2010, according to the Center for Health Services Research at UNC Chapel Hill. Another 600-plus rural hospitals are at risk of closing, according to an oft-cited 2016 report by iVantage Health Analytics. Texas had the most hospitals in danger of closing (75), the health metrics firm said. And Mississippi had the largest share of hospitals at risk (79 percent). (Ollove, 1/22)
And in other news —
Kansas City Star: Laura Kelly Budget Includes 300 KanCare Clearinghouse Staff
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly’s first proposed budget calls for hiring 313 additional state workers at a beleaguered Medicaid application center to take over some functions that were privatized by then-Gov. Sam Brownback. The KanCare Clearinghouse in Topeka has been a target of criticism from legislators, nursing home advocates and other groups since Brownback established it in 2015 and contracted with a Virginia-based company called Maximus to run it. (Marso and Shorman, 1/18)
