Montana Renews Medicaid Expansion With Work Requirements That Will Trigger An Audit If Too Many People Are Dropped
The state's expanded Medicaid program would have ended this summer had lawmakers not reached a compromise to extend it. Included in the bill is a provision that requires the state to reevaluate the work requirements if a certain percentage of people get dropped for not reporting their hours. Medicaid news comes out of Kansas, as well.
Modern Healthcare:
Montana's Medicaid Work Requirement Looks To Limit Coverage Losses
Montana Republicans and Democrats reached a compromise to extend the state's Medicaid expansion program for six years and add an 80-hour monthly work requirement for enrollees. The complicated Medicaid Reform and Integrity Act, signed by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock Thursday, would require a reevaluation of the work program if more than 5% of the 96,000 low-income adults currently enrolled were dropped from coverage due to not complying with the new work and reporting requirements. (Meyer, 5/10)
MTPR:
Governor Signs Montana Medicaid Expansion Renewal Bill
Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill to continue and change the health coverage program for low income adults, during a crowded ceremony in the east wing the state Capitol. "When I first signed Medicaid expansion into law four years ago I said that lives would be changing and lives would be saved," Bullock said. (Cates-Carney, 5/9)
The Associated Press:
Bullock Signs Montana's Medicaid Expansion Bill
The bill continues the program, which began in 2016, and provides health insurance to about 95,000 low-income adults. It would have ended on June 30 if lawmakers had not reached an agreement. He also held ceremonial signings for other bills to lower health insurance and prescription drug costs. (Hanson, 5/9)
KCUR:
Kansas Lawmakers Had A Deal To Expand Medicaid Next Year, Until They Didn't
A deal to clear the way for Medicaid expansion next year that some Kansas lawmakers thought they had brokered in the waning hours of their just-finished legislative session appears to be unraveling. Instead, the conservative leaders and moderate rank-and-file Republicans find themselves splitting in an intra-party fight. Rep. Don Hineman led a last-minute insurrection by moderate House Republicans in the final days of this spring’s legislative session. They joined Democrats in demanding a Senate vote on Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s expansion bill and held up passage of the state budget to force that roll call. (McLean, 5/12)
