Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Work Requirements For Medicaid Programs Are About To Get Their Day In Court
Modern Healthcare: Kentucky's Medicaid Work Requirement Faces Reckoning In Court
In a case with major national implications, the Trump administration and advocacy groups are set to argue in federal court in Washington Friday over whether the HHS secretary has the legal authority to allow Kentucky to establish a work requirement and other tough new conditions on people receiving Medicaid coverage. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg, an Obama administration nominee, will hear oral arguments in the case, which was filed in January by the National Health Law Program, the Kentucky Equal Justice Center and the Southern Poverty Law Center. (Meyer, 6/13)
Kaiser Health News: 5 Things To Know About Medicaid Work Requirements
The Trump administration’s decision in January to give states the power to impose work requirements on Medicaid enrollees faces a federal court hearing Friday. The lawsuit before the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., will determine whether tens of thousands of low-income adults in Kentucky will have to find jobs or volunteer in order to retain their health coverage. (Galewitz, 6/14)
KCUR: Medicaid Work Requirement Could Jeopardize Coverage Even For People Who Comply
Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer’s proposed Medicaid work requirement would create a “catch-22” for some low-income Kansans, according to a report released Tuesday. The report, from the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities — a nonpartisan research organization that supports Medicaid expansion — said work requirements could jeopardize their coverage. Medicaid recipients who fail to meet a work requirement would “lose their coverage,” said researcher Aviva Aron-Dine. But, she said, so would some of those who followed the rules and got jobs. Particularly in states like Kansas, that haven’t expanded Medicaid eligibility. (McLean, 6/12)
Des Moines Register: Iowa Medicaid Director Says He's Sure Privatization Is Saving Money
Iowa's Medicaid director said Wednesday that he is sure Iowa taxpayers are saving money by having private companies manage the giant health-care program, even though it's hard to say exactly how much. "I think it's important that, regardless of the methodology, there are savings," Iowa Medicaid Director Mike Randol told an advisory council. Randol gave a thumbnail description of how his staff last month came up with a $141 million estimate of the annual savings to the state from the controversial shift to private Medicaid management. He gave no explanation of why the new estimate was triple the $47 million estimate his agency released a few months ago. (Leys, 6/13)
