Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Work Requirements Hit The Political Sweet Spot To Allow Red States To Expand Medicaid Programs
Stateline: Red States May Be Ready To Expand Medicaid — In Exchange For Work
In several states this year, the march to bring health care benefits to more low-income residents came with the insistence that able-bodied adults — who are just a fraction of all Medicaid recipients — put in hours of work or volunteer time each month to retain the assistance. The politics worked: Many Democratic lawmakers went along as assurance that more people could reap benefits from the Affordable Care Act, while Republicans were able to show their base that they were holding people accountable for receiving aid. As a result, Republican-led states have increasingly expanded coverage with such restrictions, and some red states that had already expanded Medicaid are opting to add them. (Vestal, 7/30)
NPR: Arizona Gov. Ducey Orders Clearer Disclosure Of Potential Medicaid Conflicts
In response to a joint investigation by the Center for Public Integrity and NPR into the influence of the drug industry on Medicaid, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey made changes to the state's Medicaid program Friday, including adding new transparency rules and kicking a doctor off a state committee. Ducey, a Republican, told Dr. Mohamed Ramadan, who accepted more than $700,000 in perks and payments from drugmakers over four and a half years, to step down as a volunteer member of the committee that helps the state decide which drugs should be preferred for Medicaid patients, the Arizona Republic first reported. (Whyte, 7/27)
Austin American-Statesman: Blue Cross Spars With Austin Pediatric Doctors Over Medicaid
At least four Austin-area pediatric specialists in recent months notified their patients they would stop serving children with Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas Medicaid plans after complaints that the company had failed to pay the providers for certain services. The troubles underscore the challenges Texas families covered by Medicaid face in finding adequate medical care, particularly for children with disabilities. (Chang, 7/29)
