Arkansas’ Work Mandate Request Approved, But Government Stalls On Rolling Back Expansion
Arkansas joins Kentucky and Indiana as the third state to get the federal OK to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients. But the state's second proposal, which would lower the Medicaid eligibility cap from 138 percent of the federal poverty level to 100 percent, hasn't been approved yet.
The Associated Press:
Work Requirement Approved For Arkansas' Medicaid Expansion
The Trump administration has approved Arkansas' plan to require thousands of people on its Medicaid expansion to work or volunteer, the third state allowed to impose such restrictions. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services approved the requirement for Arkansas' program, which uses Medicaid funds to purchase private insurance for low-income residents. More than 285,000 people are on the program, which was created as an alternative to expanding traditional Medicaid under the federal health care law. (DeMillo, 3/5)
CNN:
Thousands Of Arkansas Medicaid Recipients Must Start Working In June
Arkansas will roll out the work requirement in stages. This year, only enrollees age 30 to 49 will be subject to the work mandate, which will be broadened to include 19- to 29-year-olds in 2019. Up to 39,000 recipients could be affected this year, according to Arkansas' Department of Human Services. (Luhby, 3/5)
The New York Times:
Trump Administration Delays Decision On Scaling Back Medicaid In Arkansas
[T]he administration held off on approving another request from the state that could have much broader consequences for the future of the program — a proposal to cut back the expansion of Medicaid that was instituted under the Affordable Care Act. Seema Verma, the Trump appointee who oversees Medicaid, did not elaborate when asked twice about the delay at a news conference with Gov. Asa Hutchinson in Little Rock. She said only: “We are still working through some issues in that particular area.” (Goodnough, 3/5)
The Washington Post:
Arkansas Wins Federal Permission To Impose Medicaid Work Requirements
While seeking new conditions for some Arkansans to qualify for Medicaid, the state made a novel request last year: One of the few Southern states to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, it told federal officials that it wanted to partly retreat. Instead of including people with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line, as designed in the ACA, Arkansas wanted to set its expansion limit at 100 percent of poverty — a change that would jettison an estimated 60,000 people from the program. (Goldstein, 3/5)
Kaiser Health News:
CMS Issues Split Decision On Arkansas Medicaid Waiver
Arkansas follows Indiana and Kentucky this year in winning CMS’ approval for the work requirement. Arkansas plans to start the new requirement affecting adults under age 50 by June, making it the first to do so. (Galewitz, 3/5)
The Hill:
Trump Approves Arkansas Medicaid Work Requirements
“This is not about punishing anyone. It’s about giving people the opportunity to work,” Hutchinson said, adding that the goal is to move people out of poverty and “up the economic ladder.” (Weixel, 3/5)
Modern Healthcare:
CMS Punts Arkansas' Request To Scale Back Medicaid Expansion
More than 900,000 Arkansas residents, or approximately one-third of the state's population, receive health coverage through Medicaid or CHIP. More than 300,000 became eligible for coverage as a result of Medicaid expansion, which raised eligibility to up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Altogether, the state has seen its Medicaid rolls grow 62% since 2013. (Dickson, 3/5)
In other Medicaid news —
Nashville Tennessean:
TennCare Work Requirement Bills ‘A Bad Idea,’ Stakeholders Say
Health care stakeholders on Monday called two bills that would require some TennCare recipients to work in order to receive benefits "a bad idea," saying the proposals are too vague and could endanger some Tennesseans who need help. “The idea of work requirements is specifically appealing,” said James Powers, chair of the Council on Aging of Middle Tennessee. “Everybody, including Tennesseans who get their health insurance through TennCare, believes that people should work if they can, but it turns out to be a really bad idea for many practical reasons. (Buie, 3/5)
Houston Chronicle:
Texas Children’s To Recoup Tens Of Millions Under Judge's Ruling
Texas Children’s Hospital should be able to receive tens of millions of dollars in denied government funding for the poor and uninsured under a much awaited new ruling by a federal judge. In a major victory for pediatric hospitals in Texas and other states, U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan on Friday annulled a recent Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services change in rules that allowed the agency to count private insurance payments against hospitals’ reimbursement amounts even when Medicaid doesn’t pay for the child’s care. Hospitals affected by the change characterized the rule as “double dipping” by CMS. (Ackerman, 3/5)
The Richmond Times-Dispatch:
House Of Delegates Drives New Medicaid Vehicle Onto The Legislative Freeway
House Appropriations Committee Chairman Chris Jones, R-Suffolk, drove a new vehicle for Medicaid expansion onto the legislative freeway as the General Assembly entered the final week of its scheduled 60-day session.
(Martz, 3/5)
California Healthline:
What Medicaid Pays For Education Services At U.S. Public Schools
Gerardo Alejandrez used to punch classmates, throw chairs and curse at his teachers, conduct that forced him to switch from school to school. “I had a lot of anger issues,” the 16-year-old said recently. Then Gerardo entered a class at Oakland Technical High School for students who have mental health or behavior issues. In that classroom, the teacher gets support from Erich Roberts, a psychiatric social worker assigned to the group. Oakland Unified School District bills Medicaid, the nation’s insurance program for low-income residents, for Roberts’ services. (Gorman and Heredia Rodriguez, 3/6)