Medicaid & The Uninsured 101519

Age-Old Health Care Debate Shifts From Insuring More People To Cutting Costs
U.S. political parties for years have argued about the role of government in providing health care and expanding coverage to more people. But as the cost of medical services continues to grow faster than most Americans’ incomes, even people with private insurance coverage are finding the cost of care becoming unaffordable, KHN’s Julie Rovner writes in a new article in BMJ.

Tenn. Block Grant Experiment Would Boost Federal Funding, State Medicaid Chief Says
By Phil Galewitz In a Q&A with Kaiser Health News, Tennessee Medicaid Director Gabe Roberts says state officials are requesting a modified block grant from federal officials because it would save money and allow the state to keep some of that savings.

Uber And Lyft Ride-Sharing Services Hitch Onto Medicaid
By Phil Galewitz Ride-sharing companies promise better service for enrollees and lower costs for states. But the services are not for everyone on Medicaid.

Why Hospitals Are Getting Into The Housing Business
By Markian Hawryluk Hospital systems now invest in housing to help some of their most frequent patients. This allows them to safely discharge patients who otherwise would have no place to go, freeing up beds for sicker patients and saving the hospitals money.

The Deep Divide: State Borders Create Medicaid Haves And Have-Nots
By Laura Ungar State borders can highlight Medicaid’s arbitrary coverage. On the Missouri side of the Mississippi River, low-income people struggle with untreated health issues. But on the Illinois side, people in similar straits can get health care because their state expanded its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act.

Brechas profundas: fronteras estatales resaltan la enorme disparidad en Medicaid
By Laura Ungar Las fronteras estatales se han convertido en líneas divisorias arbitrarias entre los que tienen Medicaid y los que no, y los pacientes con problemas financieros similares enfrentan destinos de salud muy diferentes.

Do 50 Million People Really Lose Health Coverage Each Year Because Of Their Jobs?
By Emmarie Huetteman Sen Bernie Sanders' statement during Thursday night's Democratic debate serves up interesting data, with a side of misrepresentation.