With $4.5M Medicaid Expansion Campaign, Cancer Group Targets Southern States Where Opposition Still Runs Deep
“We really felt like our added resources could really help,” said Carter Steger, vice president of state and local campaigns for the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. The effort, titled “Medicaid Covers US,” will emphasize how Medicaid helps enrollees as well as communities. Meanwhile, Centene's revenue and profits grew this year, helped by its Medicaid contracts in several states.
Politico:
Cancer Group Launches $4.5M Campaign To Boost Medicaid Expansion
The American Cancer Society’s advocacy arm is launching a $4.5 million campaign that aims to break GOP resistance to Medicaid expansion in several states debating whether to join the program. The initiative launching Tuesday — which the group detailed exclusively to POLITICO and is its largest-ever education campaign — comes amid Democrats' reinvigorated push for coverage expansion after health care-fueled 2018 midterm victories. The campaign will largely focus on Alabama, Georgia, Kansas and North Carolina, where 1.2 million low-income people could gain coverage if state leaders expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. (Pradhan, 4/23)
Tampa Bay Times:
As Medicaid Expands Elsewhere, Florida Lawmakers Seek To Shrink It
As they hash out an approximately $90 billion budget, leaders in both the Republican-controlled House and Senate are considering permanently shortening the time period for retroactive payment of hospital bills and debating whether to push more privatized care for people with disabilities. They’ve also considered implementing work requirements for people on the program, not unlike those already being used for temporary cash assistance. (Koh, 4/23)
Modern Healthcare:
Centene Grows Q1 Profit As It Eyes Close Of WellCare Deal
Centene grew revenue and profit in the first quarter of this year as it reaped the benefits of its 2018 acquisition of New York insurer Fidelis Care, grew enrollment in the Affordable Care Act exchanges and participated in new or expanded managed Medicaid contracts in several states. St. Louis-based Centene, which recently announced plans to buy rival WellCare Health Plans, closed a deal with not-for-profit Fidelis Care in July 2018, boosting its Medicaid and ACA exchange membership. Centene also grew its Medicaid membership and revenue year-over-year thanks to new Medicaid contracts in Florida, Illinois, New Mexico and Pennsylvania. (Livingston, 4/23)
And Medicaid news comes out of Tennessee, as well —
Nashville Tennessean:
Tennessee Democrats Call For TennCare Audit Due To Purge Of Children
More than a dozen Tennessee lawmakers have called for an audit of the state insurance eligibility system in response to more than 100,000 children who’ve been cut from TennCare and CoverKids programs in the past two years. The lawmakers – all Democrats from the state House of Representatives – requested the audit in a joint letter to Tennessee Treasury Comptroller Justin Wilson, who has broad authority to investigate and scrutinize government agencies. (Kelman, 4/23)
Nashville Tennessean:
Katie Beckett Waiver: Tennessee House Vows Fight For Funding
The fate of a bill to fund treatment for children with significant medical conditions is in the balance as Senate leadership says the chamber can't yet commit to funding the program in this year's state budget. The legislation would require the state to apply with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for what is known as a Katie Beckett waiver, which covers medical treatment for children with disabilities and severe illnesses whose families wouldn't otherwise qualify for TennCare, the state's Medicaid program. (Allison, 4/23)
