Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicaid's Challenge: Coupling Enrollees' Interest In Health With Coordinated Care
The Associated Press: Poor Health And High Expectations For Medicaid
People on Medicaid are more prone to smoke, struggle with depression and obesity, or rate their own health as fair or poor. But that's not the whole story. A new study suggests that low-income Medicaid recipients are also invested in their health, with 4 out of 5 saying they have a personal doctor, 3 out of 5 saying they eat healthy, and nearly half saying they exercise frequently. (Alonso-Zaldivar, 12/7)
Sante Fe New Mexican: Human Services Department Scales Back Heavily Criticized Medicaid Cuts
The state Human Services Department is walking back cuts to Medicaid widely opposed by hospitals, advocates for the poor and some doctors, but it has not abandoned the proposals entirely .... The department is still planning to charge premiums and copays for many adults enrolled in the health insurance program .... And the state still plans to end a provision known as retroactive coverage that pays for medical bills up to 3 months old when a patient enrolls .... But in a final draft of proposed changes to the Medicaid program submitted to the federal government on Wednesday, the state has either scaled back or delayed those cuts. (Oxford, 12/6)
Albuquerque (N.M.) Journal: Plan To Boost Medicaid Patient Costs Is Scaled Back
The state’s application to revise its Medicaid system – submitted Wednesday for federal approval – still would impose a $10 monthly premium on adults who make about $12,100 to $16,600 a year in 2019, with the possibility of $20 a month in future years. An earlier version of the proposal sought to apply the premiums to more income categories. The state Human Services Department also withdrew some of its proposed copays. (McKay, 12/6)
The Associated Press: New Mexico Seeks New Payments From Medicaid Patients
Human Service Secretary Brent Earnest said New Mexico's waiver application also would expand services for substance abuse disorders and phase out retroactive health care coverage by 2020 for newly enrolled patients. Use of the emergency room for non-emergencies would cost Medicaid patients $25 per visit. A $10 copayment would apply to brand name drugs when cheaper equivalents are approved and available. (Lee, 12/6)
The Associated Press: Louisiana Medicaid Program Running Under-Budget This Year
Louisiana's Medicaid program is spending at a slower pace than expected this budget year and could leave the state with a surplus in six months if expenditures remain on their current path. The latest forecast released this week shows the $12.5 billion government-financed health program may spend as much as $650 million less than projected for the budget year that began July 1. (Deslatte, 12/6)
But Louisiana is concerned about the lack of federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program —
New Orleans Times-Picayune: Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program Will Run Out Of Money In January Unless Congress Acts
Louisiana will run out of money for the state's Children's Health Insurance Program in the middle of January if Congress does not continue federal funding for it. The program -- which is called LaCHIP for short -- provides health insurance for 121,000 children under 19 years old from low-income families in Louisiana. If Congress fails to act, 6,300 of those children could lose their health insurance completely by early next year, according to the Louisiana Department of Health. Losing federal funding would also cause the state's already daunting budget crisis to grow even larger. (O'Donoghue, 12/6)
