Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Supreme Court To Consider Legality Of ACA's Preventive Services Mandate
Politico: SCOTUS Agrees To Hear Challenge To Obamacare’s Preventive Care Coverage
The Supreme Court on Friday agreed to hear a broad challenge to the Affordable Care Act’s coverage of preventive services in its upcoming term, the latest in more than a decade of battles over the health reform law. A ruling for the conservative Texas employers who filed the case would erode the coverage of tens of millions of people who get their health insurance from their employer or through Obamacare’s marketplace, removing requirements that insurers cover the full cost of everything from birth control to vaccines to mental health screenings. (Ollstein and Gerstein, 1/10)
On Medicare and Medicaid —
Modern Healthcare: Medicare Advantage Plans Would Receive 4.33% Pay Bump In 2026
Payments to Medicare Advantage plans would rise 4.33% next year under a policy the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services unveiled Friday. The advance notice, which will be finalized under the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, is likely President Joe Biden's last word on Medicare Advantage after implementing significant changes to the program during his term. Medicare Advantage insurers endured a small rate cut for 2025. (Early, 1/10)
Politico: Medicaid, ACA, Climate Measures On GOP Chopping Block
House Republicans are passing around a “menu” of more than $5 trillion in cuts they could use to bankroll President-elect Donald Trump’s top priorities this year, including tax cuts and border security. The early list of potential spending offsets obtained by POLITICO includes changes to Medicare and ending Biden administration climate programs, along with slashing welfare and “reimagining” the Affordable Care Act. (Leonard, Hill and Tamborrino, 1/10)
KFF Health News: Trump’s Return Puts Medicaid On The Chopping Block
Under President Joe Biden, enrollment in Medicaid hit a record high and the uninsured rate reached a record low. Donald Trump’s return to the White House — along with a GOP-controlled Senate and House of Representatives — is expected to change that. Republicans in Washington say they plan to use funding cuts and regulatory changes to dramatically shrink Medicaid, the nearly $900-billion-a-year government health insurance program that, along with the related Children’s Health Insurance Program, serves about 79 million mostly low-income or disabled Americans. (Galewitz, 1/13)
In Medicaid news from Indiana and Idaho —
Indiana Capital Chronicle: ABA And The Medicaid Budget — What's Next For Therapy For Children With Autism
Families seeking support for a child with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis might soon face a potential hurdle: as soon as April, Indiana’s Medicaid program could cap reimbursements for Applied Behavior Analysis therapy, or ABA, at 30 hours per week for a maximum of three years. When Rep. Becky Cash — a Zionsville Republican who credits ABA intervention with saving her daughter’s life — heard about the proposal, she said that she was “horrified.” “I don’t know of any other medical therapy that we max out at three years,” Cash said. “… the potential devastation is so far reaching that it would be hard to even qualify.” (Downard, 1/13)
Public News Service: Medicaid Expansion In Play As ID Legislature Gavels In
With state lawmakers back in Boise, changes could be coming to Medicaid. Voters approved Medicaid expansion in 2018, but Republican legislators have consistently said the program is too costly for Idaho. Some are considering repealing the expanded program. However, such radical changes could hurt families the most. (Tegethoff, 1/13)
