Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Ohio Prepares To Ask Feds For Permission To Require Cost-Sharing In Medicaid
The Associated Press: Ohio Readies Waiver To Require Cost-Sharing In Medicaid
Republican Gov. John Kasich’s administration said Wednesday it’s moving forward with plans to require more than 1 million Ohioans on Medicaid to pay a new monthly cost for their health coverage or potentially lose it. House Republicans added the provision to the state budget last year. The new charge would require federal approval. If successful, officials plan to begin requiring Medicaid recipients to pay into a health-savings account to support the cost of their coverage beginning in 2018. (Sanner, 3/30)
Politico New York: Heastie: Budget Talks Clear Medicaid Hurdle
Budget talks have cleared the Medicaid hurdle, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said Wednesday night, but a final resolution on a new spending plan remains out of grasp on the eve of the March 31 deadline. Gov. Andrew Cuomo spent the early evening meeting individually with Heastie and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan in the Capitol before the governor decamped from his second floor office around 7:30. Talks among staff are continuing. ... According to Time Warner Cable News, Republicans who control the State Senate were already preparing to hold session on Friday — after the current budget expires at midnight Thursday. Heastie said “hopefully” the members of his chamber would be able to finish voting on Thursday, even if debate stretches past the technical midnight deadline. (Vielkind, 3/30)
The New York Times: Cuomo Offers Tax Cut In Effort To Strike A Budget Deal
Offering a billion-dollar tax cut and assurances that New York City would not be stuck with a $250 million Medicaid bill, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo inched closer on Wednesday to presenting an on-time budget with one major issue seemingly standing in his way — an increase in the minimum wage. ... Mr. Heastie said that from the Assembly’s perspective, one budgetary hurdle — Mr. Cuomo’s proposal to find $250 million in Medicaid savings, largely from New York City — had nearly been cleared. Under pressure from the Assembly, the governor clarified this week that the money would come from savings to be worked out between the city and the state, rather than from the city’s budget. (McKinley and Yee, 3/30)
Des Moines Register: Democrats Attempt Last-Minute Medicaid Oversight Bill
House Democrats attempted to pass a last-ditch effort to create oversight of the state’s Medicaid program, which is shifting to private management beginning Friday. Rep. Lisa Heddens, D-Ames, offered an amendment to a bill that would have provided for “vigorous government oversight” of the three managed care organizations that have contracted with the state. ... The amendment failed. (Pfannenstiel, 3/30)
The Associated Press: OptumHealth Accused Of Medicaid Fraud In 3 Lawsuits
A health care company that tried to root out fraud in New Mexico's Medicaid program now faces three lawsuits claiming that it was committing Medicaid fraud itself. Lawsuits filed against OptumHealth Inc. say the company mishandled Medicaid payments to mental health providers. In one lawsuit, a former OptumHealth employee claims she was fired for reporting concerns about possible Medicaid fraud. (3/30)
