Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Trump Meets With Architect Of Indiana's Novel Medicaid Expansion Program
Los Angeles Times: One Of Donald Trump's Meetings Might Offer A Clue For How He Wants To Replace Obamacare
Donald Trump has consistently vowed to repeal and replace Obamacare. But he has yet to explain what he intends to replace it with. His meeting schedule today might offer a clue of what he is pondering. On the agenda is a chat with Seema Verma, an architect of Indiana’s unusual healthcare program for the poor. Indiana is among a handful of red states that took federal aid through the Affordable Care Act to expand Medicaid eligibility to poor, childless adults. (Levey, 11/22)
Forbes: Trump's Win Puts Medicaid Expansion On Hold In Red States
Several states led by Republican governors appear to be putting Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act on hold given talk by the incoming administration of Donald Trump to scrap the law or move to federal block grants to cover poor Americans. State elected officials in Idaho, Nebraska and South Dakota and political pundits in Georgia are saying talk of expanding Medicaid before the election has now subsided at least for the 2017 legislative sessions. That means more than 500,000 Americans will have to wait for health benefits. (Japsen, 11/22)
Wisconsin Public Radio: Wisconsin Republicans Eye Possible Federal Move To Medicaid Block Grants
Wisconsin Republican leaders hope Medicaid block grants are in the state's future. A change to how the federal government disburses Medicaid funding to states would have to be made in Washington, D.C., but Gov. Scott Walker and Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, have both made comments in the past week that indicate they're optimistic about the possibility of that change. House Speaker Paul Ryan has been a longtime supporter of block grants and President-elect Donald Trump has also said he supports them. (White, 11/22)
And in other Medicaid news --
Nashville Tennessean: TennCare Officials, Feds Near Waiver Deal
TennCare officials are nearing an agreement to extend the state’s expired Medicaid waiver as they contemplate the program's structure and operations under the incoming Donald Trump administration. The agency received a draft of waiver language from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Nov. 19 and is in the process of reviewing the proposed changes — much of which involve the structure of funding pools that help hospitals offset uncompensated care costs. (Fletcher, 11/22)
Kansas Health Institute: Suit Against State A Symptom Of National Failures On Medicaid Verification System
A nursing home chain’s lawsuit against the state of Kansas hinges largely on the state’s failure to implement an electronic system to verify the assets of people applying for Medicaid. But Kansas is far from the only state to fall short on that score.“ It is a nationwide issue — from Maryland to Alabama to, you know, Texas,” said Chad Bogar, a managing partner at the firm that is handling the lawsuit on behalf of the Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society. “The one state that I know which is doing a really good job with it has been Florida. Florida has a really good system set up.” (Marso, 11/22)
