Georgia Disputes Reports Of Big Medicaid Enrollment Jump

According to the state's Department of Community Health, the increase in enrollment was about 37,000, significantly lower than the nearly 99,000 estimated by a consulting group earlier this year. Connecticut also releases new Medicaid enrollment figures and the issue of expansion is debated in North Carolina and Indiana.

Georgia Health News: State Disputes Report Of Big Jump In Medicaid
Earlier this month, a consulting firm reported that Georgia’s Medicaid and PeachCare programs saw a huge enrollment spike of 98,800 in the first three months of 2014. Avalere Health said the rise in beneficiaries for Georgia and 16 other states that have not expanded their Medicaid programs was due largely to the "woodwork effect" ... But the Georgia Department of Community Health, responding to a GHN request, has released a much lower enrollment increase for the first three months this year: 37,047 (Miller, 5/27).

The CT Mirror: How Much Did Medicaid Grow Under Obamacare? Not As Much As You'd Think 
Connecticut officials promoting Obamacare have touted the fact that more than 200,000 people signed up for health care coverage in the first six months the state’s new insurance marketplace was open. But that doesn't mean 200,000 more state residents have health care coverage. For one thing, it's not clear how many of those who signed up were previously uninsured. And new data indicate that while Medicaid enrollment grew to a record level, the number of people covered didn't increase nearly as much as the sign-up figures would indicate (Levin Becker, 5/28).

Raleigh News & Observer: Democrats Push For Medicaid Expansion
Democrats will rally behind a pair of duplicate bills at a news conference on Wednesday at the Legislative Building to push for an expansion of Medicaid benefits. ... Republicans said the state system wasn’t prepared to handle the enrollment growth or the extra costs. Medicaid is already going to cost more than expected, and will lead to an undetermined shortfall this year. Democrats sponsoring the bills plan to use the news conference to put public pressure on Republicans to expand the coverage. They say passing the bill would produce a $26 million savings in state money in the coming fiscal year, which could be used to help offset the overrun (Jarvis, 5/27).

The Associated Press: Public Weighs In On Indiana Expansion Health Care Proposal
State officials are hearing from the public on a proposal to expand Medicaid using the state’s Healthy Indiana Plan. Gov. Mike Pence rolled out the proposal to expand coverage for low-income residents this month. It’s based on the hybrid health savings account plan already being used by the state, but also adopts some key requirements of Medicaid. The Family and Social Services Administration will host a public hearing on the plan Wednesday morning in Indianapolis (5/28).

And on the issue of state marketplaces -

The Oregonian: Tens Of Thousands Of Oregonians Switch Health Coverage, Driven By New Premiums, Transparency 
Tens of thousands of Oregonians have changed allegiances in the Oregon health insurance market as new reports show a massive reordering of the private-plan coverage landscape. Moda Health has taken top spot among health insurers in the individual market, as of March 31 more than doubling its 2013 enrollment numbers, according to the Oregon Insurance Division (Budnick, 5/27).

The Spokesman Review/Seattle Times: State Exchange Hopes To Help Families Find Health Care For Baby
A baby's health-care costs can be surprisingly big, averaging $4,551 in the first year, according to one March of Dimes report. Washington's Health Benefit Exchange points to those high costs as it encourages new parents to use 60-day "special enrollment" periods to buy insurance through the system even after the open enrollment period, which ended in March. The exchange's online marketplace, the Washington Health Plan Finder created under the Affordable Care Act, allows private insurers to compete for business and those who qualify to sign up for Medicaid. The state exchange is trying to get the word out about the importance of coverage for infants for well-child checks and in case of illness (Rogers, 5/27).