Kansas legislators supportive of Medicaid expansion are pulled from committee; Montana’s Medicaid expansion is off to a strong start; and New Mexico sees declines in uncompensated care since ACA implementation....more
11/18/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Final Rules ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Legislative Committees ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Request for Proposals ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Waivers
With the election of a new Governor, the future of Kentucky’s Marketplace and Medicaid expansion is uncertain; CMS questions Iowa on its Medicaid managed care transition timeline; and the Supreme Court agrees to hear a case...more
11/11/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Co-Op ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Hepatitis C ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
SCOTUS ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges
Montana receives approval to expand Medicaid beginning 2016; California’s $6.2 billion Medicaid waiver receives pre-approval; and HHS proposes broadening circumstances under which states receive enhanced federal matching...more
11/5/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Co-Op ,
Comment Period ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Medi-Cal ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Native American Issues ,
Open Enrollment ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Waivers
Editor’s note: Born as an afterthought to Medicare five decades ago, Medicaid has evolved from an adjunct to state welfare programs into the nation’s largest health insurer. Medicaid’s 50th birthday is a fitting time to...more
10/27/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Eligibility ,
Enrollment ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Information Technologies ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Costs ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
State Medicaid Programs ,
Tax Credits ,
Value-Based Purchasing ,
Waivers
Arizona seeks Medicaid Waiver to implement new coverage restrictions for Medicaid expansion enrollees and delivery system reform; Tennessee’s uninsured rate continues to drop; and Louisiana gubernatorial candidates line up...more
10/21/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Co-Op ,
Co-payments ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
DSRIP ,
Enrollment ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
OIG ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Tax Credits ,
Waivers
Congress passes a bill to give states greater flexibility in defining “small businesses”; South Dakota seeks to offset Medicaid expansion costs in part with increased use of the fully federally-funded Indian Health Service;...more
10/7/2015
/ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Co-Op ,
DSRIP ,
Enrollment ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Healthcare.gov ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Pending Legislation ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Small Employers ,
Waivers
Born as an afterthought to Medicare five decades ago, Medicaid has evolved from an adjunct to state welfare programs to the nation’s largest health insurer. The occasion of Medicaid’s 50th birthday is a fitting time to...more
9/30/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
Eligibility ,
Enrollment ,
Health Insurance ,
Information Technology ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
State Medicaid Programs ,
Waivers
New study shows Marketplace premiums parallel the employer market; Montana likely to select a private insurer to administer benefits to its Medicaid expansion population; and Washington’s Exchange customers will begin paying...more
9/30/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Audit Reports ,
Blue Cross ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Co-Op ,
Cost-Sharing ,
Deductibles ,
Eligibility ,
Employer Group Health Plans ,
Employer Mandates ,
Health Care Providers ,
Health Insurance ,
Healthcare ,
Hospitals ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Minimum Essential Coverage ,
NYDFS ,
OIG ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
State Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Verification Requirements
The Massachusetts Marketplace takes steps to ease consumer confusion by reducing choice among QHPs; North Carolina appears poised to pass Medicaid reform legislation; and bipartisan support is gaining for defining businesses...more
9/23/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Bundled Payments ,
Burwell v Hobby Lobby ,
Census Bureau ,
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) ,
GAO ,
Governor Bentley ,
Governor McCrory ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
Long-Term Care ,
Managed Care Contracts ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Medicaid Reimbursements ,
Medicare ,
OIG ,
Pending Legislation ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
Qualified Health Plans ,
Religious Accommodation ,
SCOTUS ,
State Budgets ,
State Medicaid Programs
Arkansas's “Private Option” is projected to have a net impact of $438 million on state funds 2017-2021; Iowa selects MCOs for proposed Medicaid managed care transition; and, the DC Marketplace launches a robust dual-language...more
CMS proposes a new rule to modernize Medicaid and CHIP managed care; the Florida saga continues with CMS proposing to extend—and reduce—LIP funding; and California's Marketplace approves a co-pay cap on specialty drugs....more
This week Montana became the 30th state to expand Medicaid, and the battle over Medicaid expansion and uncompensated care reached a breaking point in Florida. Meanwhile, as the King v Burwell decision looms, Congress and...more
5/6/2015
/ Affordable Care Act ,
Catholic Church ,
Contraceptive Coverage Mandate ,
Health Insurance ,
Health Insurance Exchanges ,
Healthcare Reform ,
Hospitals ,
King v Burwell ,
Medicaid ,
Medicaid Expansion ,
Medicaid Reform ,
Public Health Insurance Marketplace ,
SCOTUS