Medicaid

Congress’ Medicaid advisers are weighing whether to recommend that Congress mandate non-emergency medical transportation be covered by Medicaid, responding to a congressional call for CMS to hold off on any moves to change the benefit until the advisers weigh in.

CMS on Wednesday (Oct. 28) said states may terminate coverage for certain Medicaid beneficiaries who weren’t “validly enrolled” during the public health emergency and still receive an enhanced federal Medicaid match, despite initially saying the first coronavirus stimulus bill prevented states from doing so.

Oklahoma is making its latest push to change its Medicaid system, now soliciting proposals from managed care organizations with plans to fully implement a privatized Medicaid program for most beneficiaries in October 2021.

Three of the biggest provider groups are pushing back against a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump that aims to restrict anti-racism and sensitivity training, saying this training is crucial in care settings especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CMS on Thursday (Oct. 15) approved an 1115 waiver to allow Georgia to partially expand Medicaid and impose work requirements.

Pediatricians and family health care advocates were not surprised by CMS’ findings in September that fewer children are receiving vaccinations or health screenings, but they say the agency’s urgent call to action does not substantively deal with increasing rates of uninsured families and underfunded children’s programs.

The nation’s largest insurer recently unveiled a health reform proposal under which states could use the Affordable Care Act’s waiver authority to move lower-income exchange enrollees into a new Medicaid buy-in program, which it says could lower costs by more than 40%, and regulatory authority for the individual market would be returned to the states.

A new Bipartisan Policy Center report on the opioid crisis says the federal government should do a better job using its opioid funds to target at-risk groups and should revisit Medicaid practices that restrict access to treatment.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden’s proposal to reform the Affordable Care Act’s tax credits by removing the so-called “subsidy cliff” would reduce health care costs for nearly all current marketplace enrollees, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis out just prior to the first presidential debate.