Medicaid Archives - Page 25 of 96

Another Try for Mental Health ‘Parity’

Episode 307

July 27, 2023

President Joe Biden is kicking off his reelection campaign in part by trying to finish a decades-long effort to establish parity in insurance benefits between mental and physical health. Meanwhile, House Republicans are working to add abortion and other contentious amendments to must-pass spending bills. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Anna Edney of Bloomberg, and Sarah Karlin-Smith of the Pink Sheet join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Céline Gounder about her podcast “Epidemic.” The new season focuses on the successful public health effort to eradicate smallpox.

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Hospitals Ask Congress to Delay ACA Medicaid Funding Cuts — For the 14th Time

Congress has until October to avert cuts to a Medicaid program intended to support safety-net hospitals that, in practice, improves the bottom lines of other hospitals, too. Hospital leaders say now is not a good time for the cuts — which lawmakers have so far postponed 13 times.

By Phil Galewitz

July 25, 2023

A photo of California's capitol building.

Industry Groups in California Vie for New Medicaid Money

State officials have promised to boost funding for California’s Medicaid program by $11.1 billion starting next year, with most of that money earmarked for higher payments to doctors, hospitals, and other providers. But the details have yet to be worked out, and powerful health industry groups are jockeying for position.

By Angela Hart and Samantha Young

July 21, 2023

A Plan to Cut Montana’s Medicaid Waiting List Was Met With Bipartisan Cheers. Then a Veto.

Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte’s veto disappointed and bewildered those seeking to address low-income residents’ long wait for assisted living or in-home care.

By Mike Dennison

July 14, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Long Road to Reining In Short-Term Plans

Episode 305

July 13, 2023

President Biden made good on a campaign promise this week with a proposal that would limit short-term health insurance plans that boast low premiums but also few benefits. Meanwhile, the Supreme Court’s decision to outlaw affirmative action programs could set back efforts to diversify the nation’s medical workforce. Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, Amy Goldstein of the Washington Post, and Rachel Cohrs of Stat News join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News’ Bram Sable-Smith, who reported the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” about how a hospital couldn’t track down a patient, but a debt collector could.

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A close up photograph of a pregnant woman's belly. There are orange tulips blurred in the foreground.

With More People Giving Birth at Home, Montana Passed a Pair of Laws to Make It Easier

The state now requires Medicaid to cover midwife services and has expanded the list of prescription drugs midwives can administer.

By Keely Larson

July 12, 2023

As Nonprofit Hospitals Reap Big Tax Breaks, States Scrutinize Their Required Charity Spending

Nonprofit hospitals avoid paying taxes if they provide community benefits such as charity care. More states are examining that trade-off, scrutinizing the extent of hospitals’ spending on their communities.

By Andy Miller and Markian Hawryluk

July 11, 2023

A photo of an older man standing outside with a walker.

Faces of Medi-Cal

Medi-Cal’s Fragmented System Can Make Moving a Nightmare

When Medi-Cal beneficiary Lloyd Tennison moved last year from Contra Costa County to San Joaquin County, he was bumped off his managed care plan without notice before his new coverage took effect. His case highlights a chronic issue in California’s fragmented Medicaid program.

By Bernard J. Wolfson

July 7, 2023

Idaho Drops Panel Investigating Pregnancy-Related Deaths as US Maternal Mortality Surges

Amid a years-long rise in maternal mortality rates in the United States, Idaho lawmakers decided to disband a committee created to investigate pregnancy-related deaths.

By Natalie Schachar

July 7, 2023

KFF Health News On Air

Journalists Discuss Floridians Being Dropped From Medicaid and Tips for Telemedicine Visits

KFF Health News and California Healthline staff made the rounds on national and local media this week to discuss their stories. Here’s a collection of their appearances.

July 1, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Slow Your Disenroll

Episode 302

June 15, 2023

More than a million Americans have lost Medicaid coverage since pandemic protections ended. The Biden administration is asking states to slow disenrollment, but that does not mean states must listen. Meanwhile, a Supreme Court decision gives Medicaid beneficiaries the right to sue over their care, and a new deal preserves coverage of preventive services nationwide as a Texas court case continues. Rachel Cohrs of Stat, Alice Miranda Ollstein of Politico, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ Mary Agnes Carey to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, KFF Health News’ Julie Rovner interviews Dan Mendelson, CEO of Morgan Health, a new unit of JPMorgan Chase, about employers’ role in insurance coverage.

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A blue-tinted photo illustration of an EKG reading, a calculator, and a stethoscope.

Biden Admin Implores States to Slow Medicaid Cuts After More Than 1M Enrollees Dropped

Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra is asking states to make more of an effort to keep eligible Medicaid recipients enrolled. He particularly fears children losing health insurance coverage.

By Hannah Recht

June 13, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

Debt Deal Leaves Health Programs (Mostly) Intact

Episode 301

June 7, 2023

The bipartisan deal to extend the U.S. government’s borrowing authority includes future cuts to federal health agencies, but they are smaller than many expected and do not touch Medicare and Medicaid. Meanwhile, Merck & Co. becomes the first drugmaker to sue Medicare officials over the federal health insurance program’s new authority to negotiate drug prices. Joanne Kenen of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Politico, Lauren Weber of The Washington Post, and Jessie Hellmann of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News’ chief Washington correspondent, Julie Rovner, to discuss these issues and more. Also this week, Rovner interviews KFF Health News senior correspondent Sarah Jane Tribble, who reported the latest KFF Health News-NPR “Bill of the Month” feature, about the perils of visiting the U.S. with European health insurance.

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A photo of House Speaker Kevin McCarthy speaking at a podium while gesturing with his hands.

The Debt Ceiling Deal Takes a Bite Out of Health Programs. It Could Have Been Much Worse.

A bipartisan deal to raise the government’s borrowing limit dashed Republican hopes for new Medicaid work requirements and other health spending cuts. Democrats secured the compromise by making relatively modest concessions, including ordering the return of unspent covid funds and limiting other health spending.

By Julie Rovner

June 1, 2023

A vector illustration of a hand holding papers marked with a white X in a red circle.

As Medicaid Purge Begins, ‘Staggering Numbers’ of Americans Lose Coverage

In what’s known as the Medicaid “unwinding,” states are combing through rolls to decide who stays and who goes. But the overwhelming majority of people who have lost coverage so far were dropped because of technicalities, not because officials determined they are no longer eligible.

By Hannah Recht

June 1, 2023

A view from behind of a woman wearing a bra and holding a baby to her cheek.

Health Care Coalition Jockeys Over Medi-Cal Spending, Eyes Ballot Initiative

California Healthline has learned that a coalition of doctors, hospitals, insurers, and community clinics want to lock in a tax on health insurance companies to draw in extra Medicaid funding. It also wants to make the tax permanent.

By Angela Hart and Samantha Young

May 31, 2023

A woman in a red blouse with short sleeves stands in a doorway with her hand on one side of the frame and looks at the camera.

Diagnosis: Debt

Many People Living in the ‘Diabetes Belt’ Are Plagued With Medical Debt

The “Diabetes Belt,” as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comprises 644 mostly Southern counties where diabetes rates are high. Of those counties, KFF Health News and NPR found, more than half also have high levels of medical debt.

By Robert Benincasa, NPR and Nick McMillan, NPR

May 30, 2023

Remote Work: An Underestimated Benefit for Family Caregivers

The debate about whether employees should be required to return to the workplace has generally focused on commuting, convenience, and child care. A fourth C, caregiving, has rarely been mentioned.

By Joanne Kenen

May 19, 2023

What the Health? From KFF Health News

The Abortion Pill Goes Back to Court

Episode 298

May 18, 2023

A three-judge appeals court panel heard testimony this week about revoking the FDA’s 22-year-old approval of a key pill used in medication abortion and miscarriage management. The judges all have track records of siding with abortion foes. Meanwhile, as the standoff over raising the federal debt ceiling continues in Washington, a major sticking point is whether to impose work requirements on recipients of Medicaid coverage. Victoria Knight of Axios, Rachel Roubein of The Washington Post, and Sandhya Raman of CQ Roll Call join KFF Health News chief Washington correspondent Julie Rovner to discuss these issues and more.

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