Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
South Carolina To Add Medicaid Work Requirements For Beneficiaries Who Are Almost Entirely Poor Mothers
The New York Times: South Carolina Is The 10th State To Impose Medicaid Work Requirements
Although the courts have so far blocked President Trump’s attempts to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients, his administration announced on Thursday that it would allow a 10th state, South Carolina, to condition Medicaid eligibility for many poor adults on proving that they work or engage in other activities, like volunteering. It is the first time the Trump administration has approved such rules in a state whose working-age Medicaid population consists almost entirely of poor mothers. Unlike most of the other states that have won approval for work requirements, South Carolina chose not to expand Medicaid to most of its low-income adult population, as the Affordable Care Act had encouraged. (Goodnough, 12/12)
The Washington Post: Trump Administration Approves Medicaid Work Rules For S. Carolina
South Carolina is planning to impose its work rules on two groups of low-income people who did not qualify before under that state’s stringent eligibility rules. Specifically, those groups are parents or other caretakers with incomes slightly higher than the state’s threshold of 67 percent of the federal poverty level, plus certain adults who are homeless, need drug treatment or are involved with the criminal justice system. For this reason, the CMS says that the program will add an estimated 45,000 additional South Carolinians to the rolls, even if some of the newly eligible people fail to meet the requirements. (Goldstein, 12/12)
The Hill: Trump Administration Approves Medicaid Work Requirements In South Carolina
“South Carolina’s economy is booming, wages are up, and our unemployment rate is at an all-time low,” Gov. Henry McMaster (R) said in a statement. “Competition for workers is fierce and businesses are struggling to fill vacancies. In this economy there is no excuse for the able bodied not to be working.” (Weixel, 12/12)
Modern Healthcare: CMS Approves South Carolina's Medicaid Work Requirement
In its approval letter, the CMS said it authorized the five-year demonstration to evaluate whether encouraging employment improves health and wellness, helps people become financially independent, and reduces healthcare costs. It did not estimate how many people would lose coverage due to the work requirement. "South Carolina's requirements — complete with appropriate protections — will lift South Carolinians out of poverty by encouraging as many as possible to participate in the booming Trump economy," Verma said. (Meyer, 12/12)
The Greenville News: Medicaid Recipients Face Work Requirements In SC After Federal Waivers
The Republican governor said the initiative will help fill 64,000 to 70,000 private-sector jobs in South Carolina. He said while the state's economy is booming, some businesses have been forced to close or unable to expand because they can't find enough employees, and he said this change will help. (Brown, 12/12)
Post And Courier: Trump Administration Approves New Work Requirements For Low-Income Medicaid Adults In SC
More than 1 million people are enrolled in Medicaid in South Carolina; most of them are children, for whom the work requirements will not apply. South Carolina is one of a few remaining states that has not expanded Medicaid eligibility to more adults under the Affordable Care Act. Here, adults without children rarely qualify for coverage, no matter their poverty level. (Floyd, 12/12)
And in related news —
PBS NewsHour: Could Greater Access To Medicaid Reduce High Death Rates For New Moms?
The United States ranks as one of the most dangerous developed nations to become pregnant and give birth, especially for women of color — and data shows the life-threatening risk doesn’t end once mom and baby have left the hospital. Bipartisan legislation that is currently working its way through Congress aims to help lower those risks by ensuring that women have access to care longer after giving birth, given the high incidence rates of potentially fatal postpartum health challenges. (Santhanam, 12/12)
