Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
North Carolina Bill To Expand Medicaid Heads To Governor's Desk
Modern Healthcare: North Carolina Medicaid Expansion Bill Passes
After a yearslong battle to expand Medicaid in North Carolina, the Republican-led state General Assembly advanced the policy on a bipartisan vote Wednesday. (Nzanga, 3/22)
Idaho Capital Sun: Idaho House Kills Medicaid Budget
The Idaho House of Representatives voted Monday to kill the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Medicaid budget, placing a potential barrier in the way of wrapping up the 2023 legislative session this week. House Bill 334 failed on a 34-36 vote after several Republicans complained about the overall cost of the Medicaid budget, which totals $4.7 billion from all state, federal and dedicated funding sources. (Corbin, 3/20)
On the coverage cliff —
The Hill: Why Millions Of People Could Lose Medicaid Next Month
Health officials are bracing for chaos as states begin to determine — for the first time in three years — who is eligible for Medicaid, as a key pandemic policy of guaranteed eligibility ends. Advocates warn that without a safety net, millions of vulnerable people will fall through the cracks and lose coverage. The Biden administration is giving states a year to go through the once-routine process of sorting through Medicaid rolls, though some are moving much faster. Arkansas for instance will speed through the redetermination process in only six months, citing cost concerns and the goal of Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders (R) to push people to “escape the trap of government dependency.” (Weixel, 3/22)
WDRB: Medicaid Coverage Renewal Notices Being Sent To Indiana, Kentucky Residents
Medicaid coverage will end for millions of Americans in the coming months, and it will push many into unfamiliar territory: the health insurance marketplace. States will start cutting people from the government-funded plans when they no longer qualify based on income, a process that has been paused since shortly after the COVID-19 pandemic hit. (3/22)
11Alive.com: Thousands Of Georgians At Risk Of Losing Medicaid Coverage
Starting in April, if you're on Medicaid or PeachCare, the state will be determining if you and you and your children are eligible for coverage. With only a few days before the renewal process starts, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute (GBPI) and the Latin American Association are sharing tips on how to maintain your coverage. (Bowles, 3/21)
WPBF: Medicaid Eligibility Could Be At Risk For Thousands In Florida
Thousands of people who receive Medicaid could be at risk of losing health coverage now that a continuous enrollment policy that started during the pandemic is about to end. During the pandemic, the federal government required states to keep people on Medicaid as long as there was a public health emergency, and now that the emergency is over, patients will have to renew or lose their coverage. (Rozier, 3/22)
On aging at home —
New Hampshire Bulletin: ‘We’re Teetering On The Edge.’ Are Medicaid Rates Making It Harder To Age At Home In NH?
Instead of living in nursing facilities, nearly 3,800 Granite Staters are in their own homes and communities thanks to the help they receive with basic needs like bathing, transferring from a wheelchair to bed, managing medications, making meals, and getting to medical appointments. Approximately 600 of them risk losing that care in July if the state doesn’t increase what it’s paying providers through the Medicaid-funded Choices for Independence (CFI) program, which covers the cost of housekeeping and personal care services for people who want to age at home and qualify for Medicaid. (Timmins, 3/22)
