Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
White House Forges Ahead With Public Charge Rules Following Complaints DHS Was Slow-Walking Process
The Wall Street Journal: Trump Administration Moves To Curb Immigrants’ Use Of Public Services
The White House is pushing ahead with rules to tighten access to public benefits for immigrants, weeks after top aides to President Trump complained of slow-walking by Department of Homeland Security officials on such issues. A presidential memorandum published late Thursday instructed cabinet secretaries to seek repayment in cases where legal immigrants access means-tested services such as Medicaid, food stamps and cash payments in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. (Radnofsky, 5/23)
In other Medicaid news —
CQ: Pressure Mounts On Expiring Medicaid Programs
Advocates are worried about two Medicaid programs that need additional funding before the end of the fiscal year — U.S. territories' programs and funding for safety net hospitals. The end of September marks a number of government deadlines, but advocates and government officials worry that a lack of funding for these two Medicaid programs would be worrisome and could be overlooked. (Raman, 5/24)
Arkansas Online: Suit Filed Over Medicaid Terminations
A lawsuit filed Thursday by a legal aid organization seeks damages against four Arkansas Department of Human Services officials in their personal capacities, contending they have failed to respond to requests to fix a problem in the way the department handles Medicaid recipients' appeals of benefit terminations. According to the lawsuit by Jonesboro's Legal Aid of Arkansas, the department routinely terminates the benefits of recipients who are found to be ineligible for services even when a recipient asks for the services to continue during an appeal of the department's determination. (Davis, 5/24)
