Officials in Kansas and Missouri worry that a federal default could severely disrupt a variety of government services that could cause local layoffs, jettison retirement funds, restrict Medicaid access and more.
Twenty-two Republican-leaning states have urged the court to block beneficiaries from suing if a state or municipality denies them services they are eligible for or violates their rights. Many reject the contract argument.
The 2020 COVID-19 relief bill included provisions to keep people continuously enrolled in Medicaid until the end of the emergency order. But the order ends this month, and between 5 million and 14 million people could lose coverage.
Two states with abortion bans extended health coverage after childbirth, joining 23 other states and the District of Columbia. Eight more may follow.
COVID led to historic high enrollments. But as the emergency comes to an end, millions are expected to lose their insurance, including people who meet the requirements for Medicaid but get lost in its labyrinthine bureaucracy.
The cost of fuel and food items used on a daily basis to help vulnerable New Yorkers has skyrocketed from a year ago, including beef, chicken, eggs and all cleaning products.
A recent report estimated that the state used an average of 70 days to process typical Medicaid applications, 25 days longer than allowed by federal law. An expansion in the state’s Medicaid took effect in summer 2021.
The city is no longer America’s steeltown. But how did it become a leader in health care? Author Gabriel Winant explains how economic realities allowed this service industry to emerge from the region’s old labor movement.
Democrats are skeptical of the plan and it lacks the support of Gov. Newsom. It would require the largest state tax increase in history, estimated at $163 billion. The tax hike would need to be approved by voters.
A dozen Republican states have yet to expand eligibility, more than a decade after the option was created by the Obama administration. Voters approved Missouri’s expansion plan last year.
The governor wants Congress to expand Medicaid coverage to those eligible at no cost to the state government. The workaround could be passed through the Medicaid Saves Lives Act or as part of the annual federal budget.
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services notified the state that it cannot proceed with plans to require people to work to keep their medical coverage, which would likely result in thousands losing health care.
CMS has told the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services a five-year extension of the Medicaid expansion waiver will not include work/community engagement requirements.
Despite a record surplus, agencies have been told not to expect the extra money in their budgets. Republican legislators want to cut taxes while Democrats support expanded Medicaid and investments in education.
The federal government sent a lot of money to states to help with an anticipated COVID-related economic downturn. Turns out, states did not need that much money – but they may spend it anyway.
The stimulus increases the federal matching rate and offers other incentives to encourage holdout states to expand Medicaid. Most of the holdouts will still take a pass.
