Latest Morning Briefing Stories
‘Remarkably Friendly’ Hearing For Acting Medicare Chief
Marilyn Tavenner, the acting head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and President Obama’s nominee to keep the job, found both Democratic and Republican support during a Senate Finance Committee hearing today. KHN’s Mary Agnes Carey talks with Jackie Judd about the hearing and when the Senate could vote on the confirmation.
Medicaid Expansion Will Open Doors To Care for Ex-Convicts
Extending benefits to ex-offenders will provide health coverage to a group that is generally in worse health than the overall population. Researchers say it could also keep some from sliding back into crime.
Connecticut Races To Reach Uninsured, Open Health Insurance Marketplace
Officials hope to ‘make history’ by signing up two-thirds of those without coverage after the marketplaces launch nationwide Oct. 1.
Ohio, Arkansas May Provide New Model For Insuring Low-Income Residents
Other states are watching as the federal government appears likely to allow the two states to use federal Medicaid dollars to purchase private coverage on their insurance exchanges.
From The State Capitals: The ACA At Three
Reporters on the ground in Colorado, Florida and Minnesota discuss the most significant developments to happen in their states since the law’s passage and what future challenges they see ahead.
In Florida, Medicaid Expansion May Be Dead, But Expanding Coverage Isn’t
Chances for the Florida Legislature approving an alternate plan that would accomplish the same goals are looking up.
Health Insurers See Big Opportunities In Health Law’s Medicaid Expansion
Medicaid managed care plans prepare for as many as 10 million new members in 2014– and billions in additional revenue.
Medicaid Expansion Divides Florida GOP
House speaker talks about his family’s reliance on “safety net” help when he was young, but he still opposes health law’s new Medicaid funding.
N.C. Medicaid Director: ‘We Want Bold Proposals’
Tar Heel State will not be expanding Medicaid. Carol Steckel explains that before the state can contemplate expanding the program, “We’ve got to clean up internally.”
Opposition To Medicaid Expansion In Texas House Has Caveats
Republicans in the Texas House agreed not to expand Medicaid, but left the door open to doing so if the Obama administration grants the state enough flexibility.
Medical Research, FDA And Mental Health Programs Face Budget Bite
Federal funding for Medicaid is untouched but doctors, hospitals and other Medicare providers will see a 2 percent reduction.
Plans To Expand Florida Medicaid Welcomed And Feared
Doctors, consumer groups cheer expansion, worry that for-profit health plans may cut corners.
In Arizona, Poorest, Sickest Patients Get Coordinated Care
Can for-profit health insurance companies be trusted to take care of the vulnerable, expensive patients who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid? In Arizona, a state that has been known to resist federal health programs, private companies have been doing just that for many years.
Pressure Rising To Avoid Federal Spending Cuts That Will Impact Health Programs
Although Medicare and Medicaid will be largely unscathed in the March 1 sequestration, other health-related efforts including medical research, mental health treatments and drug approvals face reductions.
Medicaid Expansion Puts Spotlight On Access To Primary Care
The Affordable Care Act will usher at least seven million more Americans into Medicaid next year, but the question of whether enough doctors will be there to welcome them is keeping some state health policymakers up at night.
Oregon May Provide Model For Restructuring Medicaid In Alabama
Alabama lawmakers will soon consider a proposal from Gov. Robert Bentley for a Medicaid overhaul based in part on Oregon’s groundbreaking “community care organizations.” Although Bentley has said he would not support an expansion of Medicaid “under its current structure,” the expected reforms are seen as paving the way for a possible expansion as early as 2015.
Medicaid Transformation Watched Closely In Florida
The federal government gave the green light to Florida to put its long-term-care Medicaid patients into managed care. The big question now is: Will it work?
Kansas’ Great Hope: Managed Care Will Tame Medicaid Costs
Starting this year, the state — hoping to control costs and improve quality — has moved almost all of its Medicaid recipients into managed care plans.
Florida Gets Green Light For Medicaid Managed Care
Medicaid-eligible seniors who need long-term care likely will start enrolling later this year in HMOs and another type of health plan known as a “provider service network.” The long-term care changes are the first phase of a controversial proposal to shift Medicaid beneficiaries statewide into managed care.
Obama: ‘Medicare and Medicaid … Strengthen Us’
Video: In his second inaugural speech Monday, President Barack Obama discussed the need to reduce health costs — but also defended the importance of Medicare and Medicaid.
