Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Red Tape And Bureaucratic Costs Of Medicaid Work Mandate Would Negate Savings, Minnesota Doctors Say
The Star Tribune: Proposed Medicaid Work Rule Could End Up Costing State
Republican legislators who are proposing work requirements for Minnesota’s Medicaid recipients say it would promote personal responsibility and save taxpayer dollars, but doctors and county officials who work in the system predict that people would lose needed health care in exchange for savings that are likely to disappoint. The state Medicaid program has ballooned to a cost of $5 billion annually. Hennepin County estimates, though, that enforcing a work requirement would require hiring up to 300 additional caseworkers — raising the possibility that bureaucratic costs would erase any savings. (Howatt, 3/18)
In other Medicaid news —
Kaiser Health News: With Some Republican Support, Virginia Edges Closer To Medicaid Expansion
Virginia is among 18 states that have not expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. But this year, the state legislature is closer to enacting expansion than it has been in the past, and the issue will be the sticking point as the legislature goes into a special session next month to hash out its budget. Republican Del. Barry Knight from the Virginia Beach area calls it “the 800-pound gorilla in the room.” He’s one of more than a dozen Republicans who voted to include Medicaid expansion in the House budget — along with a work requirement — this year. (Pauly, 3/16)
Columbus Dispatch: One Month She's Supervising State Drug Program, Next Month She's With CVS
Margaret Scott had responsibility over the Ohio Department of Medicaid’s pharmacy program until she departed last fall. Within a month, she was working for a company that is receiving billions of pharmacy dollars from Ohio’s Medicaid managed care programs. ... Scott’s case might be of particular interest because CVS’s “pharmacy-benefit manager” contracts with Medicaid managed-care organizations are drawing scrutiny from legislative leaders. (Schladen, 3/16)
