Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republican Congressman Begins To Lay Plans For Medicaid Overhaul
Morning Consult: Inside The GOP’s Plans To Overhaul Medicaid
While many Republican leaders are focusing on how to can fully replace Obamacare in a partisan way, [Rep. Brett Guthrie, R-Ky.] is thinking about the changes to the low-income health insurance program could actually pass as soon as next year. ... One of Guthrie’s big ideas is making it easier for people to transition from Medicaid to some type of individual insurance plan as they begin to earn more money. It’s a moderate concept that could attract some Democrats, in part, because it doesn’t automatically assume that Obamacare exchanges are going away. (Owens, 5/17)
Wichita (Kan.) Eagle: Brownback May Cut Medicaid Reimbursement Rates, Lawmakers And Lobbyists Say
Gov. Sam Brownback’s administration may reduce reimbursement rates for medical providers who serve Medicaid patients in an effort to balance the state’s budget, lawmakers close to the issue say. Critics of the idea say it could reduce patient access to care because some physicians may stop serving Medicaid patients. But Sen. Jim Denning, R-Overland Park, says it’s the state’s only option as it seeks to fix a budget deficit. (Lowry and Dunn, 5/17)
WKOW (Madison, Wis.): Wisconsin Has Worst Medicaid Reimbursement Rates For Nursing Homes In New Study
Wisconsin reimburses nursing homes through Medicaid at a lower level than every other state surveyed in a 2015 study released by the American Health Care Association this week. The study found Wisconsin's skilled nursing home facilities faced a $53 shortfall for each patient per day when compared to how much they were being reimbursed by the state through Medicaid - a federal/state funded health insurance program for the poor, which is administered by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. (Neumann, 5/17)
Wisconsin State Journal: Wisconsin Nursing Home Payments Might Be Worst In Nation, Study Says
Wisconsin’s payments for nursing home care might be the worst in the country, a new study says, causing the facilities to lose more than $50 a day on Medicaid patients and charge $100 a day more for those who pay out of pocket. The gap between what nursing home care costs and what Medicaid pays has led some facilities to close and others to downsize, beyond what can be attributed to a trend toward more assisted living and home care, said John Sauer, president and CEO of LeadingAge Wisconsin, one of two nursing home associations in the state. “We’re losing ground,” Sauer said. “Over time, we could see an access problem.” (Wahlberg, 5/18)
