Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Officials Say Trend Of Kids Dropping From Medicaid Rolls Is Success Story. Advocates Fear It's Much Darker Than That.
The New York Times: Medicaid Covers A Million Fewer Children. Baby Elijah Was One Of Them
The baby’s lips were turning blue from lack of oxygen in the blood when his mother, Kristin Johnson, rushed him to an emergency room here last month. Only after he was admitted to intensive care with a respiratory virus did Ms. Johnson learn that he had been dropped from Medicaid coverage. The 9-month-old, Elijah, had joined a growing number of children around the country with no health insurance, a trend that new Census Bureau data suggests is most pronounced in Texas and a handful of other states. Two of Elijah’s older siblings lost Medicaid coverage two years ago for reasons Ms. Johnson never understood, and she got so stymied trying to prove their eligibility that she gave up. (Goodnough and Sanger-Katz, 10/22)
The Associated Press: Arizona Quietly Suspends Medicaid Work Requirement
Arizona quietly suspended plans to require about 120,000 people to work, volunteer or go to school to receive Medicaid benefits, as courts have taken a dim view of similar mandates in other states. The decision is another setback to efforts by President Donald Trump and his allies in many Republican-led states to put conditions on low-income people seeking taxpayer funded benefits. (Cooper, 10/21)
CQ: Differences Over Medicaid At Issue In 2019 Governors' Races
Three governors’ races next month could affect the medical coverage of hundreds of thousands of people and offer test cases of how voters might view health care issues — particularly Medicaid for lower-income people. In Mississippi, the Democratic candidate vows to expand Medicaid under the health care law (PL 111-148, PL 111-152), while the Republican opposes that. The Kentucky GOP governor wants to scale back coverage that his Democratic opponent’s father, a former governor, expanded. And in Louisiana, the incumbent Democratic governor touts his expansion of Medicaid while his GOP challenger would freeze enrollment. (McIntire, 10/24)
The Star Tribune: Hundreds Lose Health Coverage Over New Minn. Medicaid Rules
In late August, the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) began requiring that people on Medical Assistance, Minnesota's version of Medicaid, fill out a two-page form that enables the state to verify that their assets do not exceed eligibility limits. However, people were given just a 10-day grace period if they failed to return the form by mid-September. Many were unable to meet the tight deadline and were "disenrolled" from Medicaid, creating turmoil for those with urgent or life-threatening medical needs. (Serres, 10/23)
North Carolina Health News: Budget Impass May Stall NC Medicaid Switch
No one said it would be easy to move 1.6 million Medicaid recipients away from the existing fee-for-service system that’s been in place for decades, to a new system with a different management and payment model. And that message – it’s not easy — is what state lawmakers heard Wednesday as top officials from the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, including Sec. Mandy Cohen, updated lawmakers on the switch to managed care, which is supposed to go into effect Feb. 1. (Ovaska-Few, 10/24)
Kansas City Star: Denning Medicaid Expansion Plan Takes Heat From Both Parties
After years spent opposing past efforts to expand Medicaid, Kansas Senate Republican Leader Jim Denning now has a plan of his own. But the Johnson County lawmaker’s proposal drew tough reviews from both Democrats and members of his own party. (Shorman, 10/23)
