Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Pa. Officials Delay Shift To Medicaid Managed Care For Some People In Philadelphia
The Philadelphia Inquirer: Pa. Delays Major Long-Term Care Shift In Philadelphia Area
The Pennsylvania Department of Human Services on Monday delayed the shift to managed Medicaid for long-term services and supports in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The new system, which requires elderly beneficiaries and younger individuals with disabilities to sign up with Medicaid managed-care companies, will start in the Philadelphia region in January 2019, instead of July 2018, “to allow for the deliberate and purposeful implementation” of the program, known as Community Health Choices, in the most populous region of the state. (Brubaker, 11/6)
Arkansas Online: State Medicaid Changes Delayed
With federal approval taking longer than expected, Arkansas officials said Monday, they expect to have to wait until after Jan. 1 to implement state-sought changes to Arkansas' expanded Medicaid program. Amy Webb, a spokesman for the state Department of Human Services, said the department will need 60 days after federal approval is granted to implement the changes, which include moving about 60,000 people off the program by restricting eligibility to people with incomes of up to 100 percent of the poverty level, instead of 138 percent of the poverty level. To start by Jan. 1, as had been planned, the department needed to receive approval from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services by Thursday. (Davis, 11/7)
Richmond Times-Dispatch: Medicaid Costs To Rise By $671 Million, But Congress' Inaction On Children's Health Insurance Could Cost State Extra $195 Million
Virginia’s Medicaid program will cost the state an additional $670.6 million over three years, but it could have been worse — and it will be unless Congress acts soon to restore federal funding for children’s health insurance. The new forecast, compiled by the Department of Medical Assistance Services and made public Monday by Gov. Terry McAuliffe’s administration, provides the governor and the General Assembly a clearer road map for reaching the next two-year budget. It will be driven largely by the additional cost of Medicaid, K-12 education and building the state’s cash reserves to hedge against potential economic downturns. (Martz, 11/6)
The Des Moines Register: AmeriHealth's Exit Should Curtail Disabled Residents' Suit Against Iowa, State Lawyers Say
The departure of a controversial Medicaid management company should block a federal lawsuit against Iowa’s human-services director, state lawyers say. The lawsuit was filed in June on behalf of six Iowans with disabilities, who argue that the state’s shift to private management of Medicaid led to illegal cuts to their in-home care services. The plaintiffs say without those services, they could be forced to move into nursing homes, violating their constitutional rights. The lawsuit is being spearheaded by the advocacy group Disability Rights Iowa, which has asked a federal judge to declare the suit a class-action case on behalf of about 15,000 Iowans with disabilities. ... The state lawyers noted in a court filing last week that AmeriHealth oversees Medicaid benefits for all six initial plaintiffs in the Disability Rights Iowa lawsuit. (Leys, 11/6)
The Oregonian: Knute Buehler Calls For Independent Inquiry Into Medicaid Overpayments
Republican gubernatorial candidate Knute Buehler called on Gov. Kate Brown Monday to appoint an independent lawyer to investigate why Oregon overpaid more than $74 million in Medicaid money to health care organizations. Buehler, who is an orthopedic surgeon and lawmaker from Bend, also called for Brown to recoup the money and publicly release all records of her administration's communications about the overpayments. (Borrud, 11/6)
