Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Had Red States All Expanded Medicaid, 15,600 Deaths Could Have Been Averted, Study Finds
The United States could have averted about 15,600 deaths if all 50 states expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, new research suggests.The Affordable Care Act initially expanded Medicaid, the federal health insurance program for low-income people, to everyone making less than 138 percent of the federal poverty line. But a 2012 Supreme Court ruling weakened the policy, allowing states to reject the expanded program. As of 2019, 36 states and the District of Columbia have adopted the Medicaid expansion, and 14 have not. (Golshan, 7/23)
Backed by President Donald Trump, Republicans in Congress have made several runs at changing Medicaid from an entitlement program — open to anybody who is eligible — to a program with a spending limit. They have failed. But that hasn’t stopped some red states, with the encouragement of Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services, from making their own attempts to put historic limits on the federal-state health program for the poor, which covers more than 72 million U.S. residents. (Ollove, 7/24)
The Trump administration today asked a federal judge to delay ruling on New Hampshire's Medicaid work rules until at least mid-November, arguing a decision before then would be premature because the state delayed the program. U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg, who previously threw out similar work rules in Arkansas and Kentucky, during oral arguments Tuesday appeared unlikely to uphold the New Hampshire rules. (Pradhan, 7/23)
After two rounds of quarterly wage checks that are part of a new eligibility system for Louisiana’s Medicaid program, the number of people enrolled in Medicaid expansion in the state has fallen by nearly 51,000 people. Data released this week by the Louisiana Department of Health shows the Medicaid expansion enrollment has fallen from a high of 505,503 in April to 454,638 as of July 2. (Karlin, 7/23)
After years of criticism over delays and mishandling of Medicaid applications at a centralized call center, the state of Kansas is sending more workers to help people directly, face-to-face. Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly announced this week that Kansans will soon be able to walk into regional offices again and get help with Kansas Medicaid, or KanCare, applications for themselves or loved ones. (Marso, 7/24)
