Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republicans Decry States' Levies On Insurers, Providers For Medicaid Funds
Politico: Republicans Say States Are Pulling A Fast One On Medicaid
Republicans in Congress see a way around the $880 billion budget shortfall they need to fill to extend President Donald Trump’s tax cuts set to expire at the end of the year. States aren’t going to like it. To qualify for federal Medicaid dollars, states must also kick in their own matching funds. GOP lawmakers want to stop states from taxing insurers and health care providers to raise that money, a maneuver that would leave states with a $612 billion hole in their budgets over the next decade. (King, 2/27)
Roll Call: Medicaid Work Rules Have Increased Coverage Loss, Not Employment
House Republicans are coalescing around work requirements in Medicaid as part of the massive budget blueprint the House adopted Tuesday. But there’s one problem: They don’t increase employment, experts say. They do, however, result in people losing coverage. (Hellmann and Raman, 2/27)
KFF Health News: KFF Health News’ ‘What The Health?’: House GOP Plan Targets Medicaid
The House passed a budget plan that likely would result in major cuts to the Medicaid program. But the plan now faces a battle in the Senate, where even Republicans seem reluctant to dramatically reduce a health program that covers roughly 1 in 5 Americans. Meanwhile, federal judges and the Trump administration continue to differ over whether the administration has the authority to unilaterally cancel programs approved and funded by Congress and to fire federal workers. (Rovner, 2/27)
Becker's Hospital Review: Where Medicaid Cuts Would Hit Hardest Through 2034: A State By State Breakdown
Looming federal Medicaid cuts could shift a massive financial burden to state governments, potentially requiring them to make up between $700 billion and $1.1 trillion in funding over the next decade, according to a new analysis from the Urban Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. On Feb. 25, House Republicans passed a budget resolution that orders the Energy and Commerce Committee, which oversees Medicare and Medicaid, to find $880 billion in savings from fiscal years 2025 through 2034. (Emerson, 2/27)
Medicaid updates from Montana, North Carolina, and Florida —
AP: Montana Legislature Green Lights Medicaid Expansion As Congress Considers Program Cuts
A Republican proposal to leave current levels of Medicaid coverage in place in Montana is headed to the governor’s desk as Congress considers billions of dollars in cuts to the low-income health program. The Montana Senate gave final legislative approval to the bill in a 30-20 vote Thursday. Expanded coverage had been set to expire on the safety net program that insures more than 76,000 Montana residents. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte has voiced support for continuing coverage, but has not commented on the specific proposal. (Schoenbaum, 2/27)
North Carolina Health News: Lawmakers Propose Higher Medicaid Reimbursement Rates For NC Dentists
When North Carolina started enrolling more people in the expanded Medicaid program almost 15 months ago, hundreds of thousands of low-income people became eligible for an array of dental services. But that didn’t mean dentists across the state started welcoming the new Medicaid beneficiaries onto their chairs. Nearly 60 percent of North Carolina dentists don’t accept Medicaid patients, and many of those who do aren’t taking on new patients with the government subsidized insurance plan. (Blythe, 2/28)
CBS News: Floridians Fear Medicaid Cuts As GOP Budget Plan Advances
As Congress debates a new federal budget resolution, concern is growing among Floridians that Medicaid could face significant cuts, potentially impacting millions who rely on the program for healthcare. Cortes Maria Lewis, a South Florida foster mother, is among those worried. She cares for two infants, one who has spent most of his life in a cast due to improperly developed feet and his 2-month-old sister, who suffered from malnutrition in the womb. (Maugeri, 2/27)
