Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Oklahoma Advocates Launch Campaign To Get Medicaid Expansion On The Ballot
The Associated Press: New Campaign Seeks To Put Medicaid Expansion Up For A Vote
A statewide coalition has launched a campaign to put the question of whether to expand Medicaid coverage to thousands of uninsured Oklahoma residents before voters. A group of medical professionals, patients, business leaders, nonprofits and health care advocates launched the Oklahomans Decide Healthcare campaign on Wednesday, The Oklahoman reported. "We're normal, everyday Oklahomans that care about this issue and we're growing every day," said spokeswoman Amber England. (6/13)
The Associated Press: After Thousands Booted From Medicaid Rolls, Louisiana Will Spend $400M Under Program's Projections
Louisiana's Medicaid program will spend about $400 million less than expected in the nearly ended budget year, largely because tens of thousands of people were booted from Medicaid rolls amid bolstered computer checks of eligibility. The latest Medicaid forecast for the budget year that ends June 30 showed the program was expected to spend about $12 billion on the government-financed insurance coverage this year, rather than the $12.4 billion allocated for health services. (Deslatte, 6/13)
Modern Healthcare: ProMedica Blames Operating Loss On Sicker Medicaid Expansion Population
Sicker and more expensive Medicaid enrollees who joined the program under Ohio's Medicaid expansion contributed to ProMedica's wider operating loss in the first quarter of 2019, the health system said Thursday. Toledo, Ohio-based ProMedica's operating loss more than tripled during the quarter to $9.8 million, compared with $2.7 million in the first quarter of 2018. The 80,000 members who joined ProMedica's Paramount Health Care under Medicaid expansion are markedly more expensive to cover than the rest, Paramount president Lori Johnston said in an emailed statement. (Bannow, 6/13)
