Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What's In A Name? Medicaid Block Grant Model Gets A Re-Branding, But Its Objectives Remain The Same
Politico: ‘Block Grants’ No More: Trump's Medicaid Overhaul Has New Name, Same Goals
The Trump administration will rebrand its Medicaid block grant program and look to safeguard the policy against an expected wave of legal challenges from patient advocates, according to two officials with knowledge of the plan set for release Thursday. The forthcoming block grant program comes with a new name — “Healthy Adult Opportunity” — but retains the original mission long sought by conservatives: allowing states to cap a portion of their spending on Medicaid, a radical change in how the safety net health program is financed. (Diamond and Roubein, 1/29)
The Hill: Dozens Of House Democrats Warn Trump Administration Against Medicaid Block Grants
More than 30 House Democrats are warning the Trump administration that it should not allow states to turn their Medicaid funding into block grants. The letter, led by Rep. Joe Kennedy III (D-Mass.) and signed by 35 other Democrats, argues that block grants are illegal. (Weixel, 1/29)
And in the states —
The Wall Street Journal: City Says It Could Pay Extra $1.1 Billion Into Medicaid Under Cuomo Proposal
New York City and the state’s counties could be forced to pay over $800 million more a year under a proposal by Gov. Andrew Cuomo to change how New York funds its Medicaid program, which municipal officials around the state say has prompted confusion and concern among them. The Democratic governor last week proposed that localities should once again be on the hook for some of the growth in the cost of the Medicaid program, which provides health-care services to more than six million people. (Vielkind, 1/29)
St. Louis Post Dispatch: Recent Drop In Medicaid Rolls Blamed On State’s Past Failure To Check Eligibility
For over three years, Missouri failed to adequately check that people enrolled in its Medicaid program were actually eligible. That’s what lawmakers and state officials said at a legislative hearing Tuesday where top staff from the Department of Social Services explained the state’s system for making those checks. (Stewart, 1/29)
