Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Tennessee Gov. Pursues Alternative Medicaid Expansion Plan
Tennessean: Haslam's Tennessee Plan Would Expand Health Coverage
In a major policy move, Gov. Bill Haslam has announced the new Insure Tennessee plan, a two-year pilot program that would provide health care coverage to tens of thousands of Tennesseans who currently don't have access to health insurance or have limited options. The plan would be leveraged with federal dollars, said Haslam, who has been working for more than a year on a Medicaid expansion plan that could gain approval from both federal officials and the Republican-dominated state legislature. ... Haslam said the program will not create any new taxes for Tennesseans and will not add any additional cost to the state budget. The Tennessee Hospital Association has committed that the industry will cover any additional expenses created by the plan, he said. (Boucher, 12/15)
Memphis Commercial Appeal: Haslam Describes Alternative Medicaid Plan
Tennesseans who make too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford their own health insurance could be eligible for a new health-coverage plan proposed by Gov. Bill Haslam, if the state legislature approves it in early 2015. The governor on Monday unveiled the alternative approach to Medicaid expansion that he negotiated with President Obama’s administration: a two-year pilot program he’s calling Insure Tennessee that could include up to 200,000 low-income working Tennesseans currently without health insurance. (Locker, 12/15)
The Wall Street Journal: Tennessee Moves To Expand Medicaid
The news comes after months of wrestling between Mr. Haslam and the Obama administration. If finalized, it would make Tennessee the 28th state to expand Medicaid, the federal-state insurance program for the poor, to residents with incomes near the federal poverty level. The expansion must be approved by the state’s GOP-controlled legislature, and requires a final signoff by the Obama administration. (Radnofsky, 12/15)
The New York Times: With Hospitals Under Stress, Tennessee’s Governor Pursues Medicaid Expansion
Under mounting pressure from financially strapped hospitals, Gov. Bill Haslam of Tennessee proposed on Monday an alternative plan for expanding Medicaid that he said would bring health coverage to tens of thousands more poor residents of his state without following traditional Medicaid rules. (Goodnough, 12/15)
Bloomberg: Tennessee To Expand Medicaid As GOP Adapts To Obamacare
Tennessee has moved to the forefront of a new group of Republican-led states jockeying for hundreds of millions of dollars available under Obamacare for Medicaid expansions. Governor Bill Haslam, a Republican, announced today that the state would expand its Medicaid program for the poor under a “real Tennessee solution” that the Obama administration supports in principle. Indiana, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska are also considering an expansion, at least 90 percent of which would be funded by the federal government. (Wayne, 12/15)
Reuters: Tennessee Governor Proposes Alternative Plan To Obamacare
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam will call a special session of the state Legislature to consider a plan aimed at providing healthcare coverage to state residents who either do not have insurance or whose options are limited, he said on Monday. ... The Republican governor said his plan had received verbal approval from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to getting legislative approval, the state must submit a waiver to HHS. (Ghianni, 12/15)
Politico: Tennessee Tees Up Medicaid Expansion Battle
Tennessee is the latest conservative state to pursue Medicaid expansion under Obamacare. It just doesn’t want to call it that. (Pradhan, 12/15)
Modern Healthcare: Tenn. Medicaid Expansion Plan Includes Vouchers, Deal With Hospitals
Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has announced his alternative pathway to expand Medicaid in the state with a unique voucher program for low-income employed individuals. He also announced a surprising partnership with hospitals to help fund the expansion. (Dickson, 12/15)
Meanwhile, news outlets report on expansion developments in Virginia and Alaska, while The Wall Street Journal reports on steps Republican governors are taking to reshape programs like Medicaid -
The Washington Post: Virginia Gov. McAuliffe To Renew Push To Expand Medicaid
Gov. Terry McAuliffe will make a renewed push to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act this week when he presents legislators with a budget plan that calls for extending the government health-care program to 400,000 uninsured Virginians. (Vozzella, 12/15)
Kaiser Health News: Alaska’s New Governor Sets Sights On Medicaid Expansion
Independent Bill Walker, who won election last month in a governor’s race so tight the results weren’t known a week after the voting was over, campaigned on the promise that he’d expand Medicaid as one of his first orders of business. To make good on that, he’ll have to face Alaska’s Republican-controlled legislature that hasn’t been willing to even consider the idea. But for Walker, it’s a no-brainer. Around 40,000 low-income Alaskans — mostly childless adults — would receive health benefits under Medicaid expansion. The federal government would pay 100 percent of the costs until the end of 2016. After that, the state’s share would slowly increase to 10 percent by 2020. Plus, he says, Alaskans already pay taxes that fund the expansion. (Feidt, 12/16)
The Wall Street Journal: Republican Governors Push To Reshape Welfare Programs
Gov. Scott Walker of Wisconsin, fresh off his re-election, said he would propose his state join several others in mandating drug screening for people seeking nutrition or cash assistance. Utah Republicans want to require that certain residents allow the state to assist them in finding a job if they want to collect benefits through Medicaid, the health-care program for low-income and disabled Americans. Indiana Gov. Mike Pence is proposing Medicaid recipients kick in at least a few dollars a month as a condition for receiving benefits. Critics say the new welfare requirements, particularly drug screening, unfairly target low-income people and are aimed at cutting recipients off the benefit rolls. (Paletta and Peters, 12/15)
