New York might sue over ACA repeal
Saying it has identified “multiple constitutional defects” with congressional Republicans’ healthcare bills, New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s office indicated it will sue the federal government if one of those bills is ultimately passed. The provisions that raise constitutional issues include one that would defund Planned Parenthood, and one that would shift some Medicaid costs in New York from counties to the state, his office said. (Reuters)
Virginia moves dual-eligibles to managed care program
Starting Aug. 1, roughly 214,000 Virginians who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid will be moved from a fee-for-service system to a managed care program. The state has contracted with six insurers—Optima Health, Aetna Better Health of Virginia, Anthem HealthKeepers Plus, Magellan Complete Care of Virginia, United Healthcare and Virginia Premier Health Plan—to guide and coordinate enrollees’ care. (The Virginian-Pilot)
Pennsylvania moves toward Medicaid work requirements
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives voted 102-91 to pass a bill that would require the state to seek a waiver so that it can impose work requirements on able-bodied Medicaid recipients. The bill, which now goes to the Senate, also would “lock in” Medicaid recipients to their managed care plans and request a waiver so that the state can charge Medicaid premiums for families that have disabled children and an income above 1,000% of the federal poverty income limit. (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette)
Montana’s Medicaid expansion faces double threat
Even if Republicans in Congress fail to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Montana’s unique version of Medicaid expansion could end in 2019 if state lawmakers decline to renew it. Though the program—which charges premiums and co-pays and helps able-bodied Medicaid enrollees find work—has helped the state drastically lower its uninsured rate, it has also enrolled more people than expected, raising concerns about its sustainability. (Associated Press)
Hoosiers feature prominently in GOP’s healthcare lineup
Indiana has supplied many of the Trump administration’s top healthcare strategists, including Vice President Mike Pence, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma and top Health and Human Services spokesman Matt Lloyd. The state is somewhat of a paradox, as it embraced a conservative twist on Medicaid expansion and is home to some of the healthcare industry’s biggest players, yet ranks low on many public health measures as well as on per capita public health spending. (USA Today)