Medicaid

Several congressional Medicaid advisers said Thursday (Sept. 13) they’re enthusiastic about the idea of giving states a grace period before covering newly approved drugs and lifting the Medicaid rebate cap.

CMS Administrator Seema Verma said Monday (Sept. 17) that it is too early to draw conclusions about Arkansas’ newly enacted Medicaid work requirements, after more than 4,000 beneficiaries lost coverage for failing to show they met the requirements in the program’s first three months.

Six states engaged in litigation over an Obamacare tax on Medicaid plans filed papers this week asking a Texas federal judge to block the IRS from collecting that tax on Oct. 1.

Arkansas has kicked 4,353 people off Medicaid for not complying with the state’s new work requirements -- nearly four times more than the number of beneficiaries who successfully reported to the state that they satisfied the new rules.

More than 4,000 Medicaid recipients in Arkansas are on the verge of losing coverage for failing to comply with the state’s new Medicaid work requirements, but the state is still tallying final numbers and will announce Wednesday (Sept. 12) how many people are being kicked out of the program.

The House Energy & Commerce health subcommittee passed a number of bills to the full committee on Friday (Sept. 7), including the ACE Kids Act, a bill to clarify the authority of the state Medicaid Fraud Control Units, a draft bill strengthening the Health Care Fraud Prevention Task Force and draft legislation to prohibit so-called pharmacy gag clauses and allow Congress' Medicare and Medicaid advisers to access more information about drug rebates.

Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R), facing a court order and apparently out of legal options, reluctantly took the first step Tuesday (Sept. 4) toward implementing Medicaid expansion while simultaneously hoping CMS will block that step.

The House Energy & Commerce oversight subcommittee will hold a hearing Thursday (Sept. 6) to review abuse, neglect and substandard care in nursing homes, and federal efforts to make sure residents are safe.

A Nebraska judge on Tuesday (Aug. 28) threw out a lawsuit challenging the referendum on Medicaid expansion slated to be added to the state’s ballot this November.