Senators Release Details Of Children’s Health Insurance Bill As Funding Deadline Approaches
The funding authority for the popular Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) expires on Sept. 30, but senators have a bipartisan proposal to extend it. Some states are getting nervous. In Medicaid news, a Republican candidate for governor in Ohio breaks with the state's current Gov. John Kasich on Medicaid expansion.
CQ HealthBeat:
Senate Finance Leaders Release Children's Health Bill
Leaders from the Senate Finance Committee introduced their bill to renew funds for the Children’s Health Insurance Program for five years on Monday, less than two weeks before funding expires. The legislation (S 1827) by Finance Chairman Orrin G. Hatch of Utah and ranking member Ron Wyden of Oregon would extend funding for the program through fiscal year 2022 and maintain for two years a 23 percentage point enhanced federal match given to states in previous laws. After that, the matching rate would decline and states would receive an 11.5 percent bump for fiscal 2020. In fiscal 2021, the rate would return to traditional levels. (Raman, 9/18)
CQ:
Minnesota Children's Health Program In Jeopardy
Minnesota’s health insurance program for children could exhaust its funds sooner than expected — a development that may put pressure on Congress to meet a Sept. 30 federal funding deadline. The nonpartisan Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission previously projected that three states, including Minnesota, as well as the District of Columbia, would begin running out of funding for their CHIP programs by December. MinnesotaCare, Minnesota’s CHIP program, may actually exhaust their annual allotment of $115 million by the end of this month, according to the state. (Raman, 9/18)
Georgia Health News:
Key Federal Health Funds May Not Get OK In Time
Tens of millions of dollars in government funding for Georgia health care faces a dangerous deadline in less than two weeks. ... The money at risk includes funding for a popular children’s health insurance; Medicaid funds for hospitals that deliver a high level of indigent care; and financial support for community health centers. And there’s about $10 million at risk for rural hospitals in Georgia that have a low number of Medicare patients.
(Miller, 9/18)
Richmond Times-Dispatch:
Virginia Estimates $1.2 Billion Hit To Medicaid Program Under Latest Senate Health Plan
Gov. Terry McAuliffe estimated Monday that Virginia would lose $1.2 billion in federal funding for its Medicaid program over the next seven years under legislation proposed in U.S. Senate to repeal the Affordable Care Act. (Martz, 9/18)
Cleveland.com:
Mary Taylor Breaks With John Kasich, Proposes Ending Medicaid Expansion
Republican Lt. Gov. Mary Taylor said Monday she would end the Medicaid expansion in Ohio if she is elected governor -- a clean break from the man she has served alongside for the last seven years, Gov. John Kasich. As part of her run to succeed Kasich, Taylor unveiled her plan to alter the health care system in Ohio on Monday in Cleveland. (Richardson, 9/18)