- As Some Holdout States Revisit Medicaid Expansion, New Data Show It Pays Off Kaiser Health News by Shefali Luthra—Although the GOP-controlled Congress is pledging its continued interest—despite stalls and snags—to dismantle Obamacare, some "red state" legislatures are changing course and showing a newfound interest in embracing the health law's Medicaid expansion. And a study out Wednesday in Health Affairs adds to these discussions, percolating in places such as Kansas, Georgia, Virginia, North Carolina, and Maine. Thirty-one states plus the District of Columbia already opted to pursue the expansion, which provided federal funding to broaden eligibility to include most low-income adults with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (about $16,000 for an individual). The researchers concluded that when states expanded eligibility for the low-income health insurance program they did see larger health care expenditures—but those costs were covered with federal funding. In addition, expansion states didn't have to skimp on other policy priorities— such as environment, housing and other public health initiatives—to make ends meet.
- States Moving More Medicaid Patients to Managed Care Forbes by Bruce Japsen—Private health insurance companies stand to reap a bigger share of the Medicaid business as states deal with budget shortfalls and increased spending on medical care. Illinois, North Carolina, and Oklahoma are among the larger states moving more of their states' Medicaid beneficiaries under the management of private insurers over the next two years. In addition, Florida and Mississippi are renewing Medicaid managed-care contracts with states, according to Medicaid Health Plans of America.