- Medicaid Expansion, Reversed by House, Is Back on Table in Senate New York Times by Robert Pear—Senate negotiators, meeting stiff resistance to the House's plans to sharply reduce the scope and reach of Medicaid, are discussing a compromise that would maintain the program's expansion under the Affordable Care Act but subject that larger version of Medicaid to new spending limits. With 62 senators, including 20 Republicans, coming from states that have expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, the House's American Health Care Act almost certainly cannot pass the Senate.
- Six States Hoping to Revamp Medicaid in the Trump Era Governing by Mattie Quinn—To customize their Medicaid programs, states have been able to ask the federal government for waivers for decades. The Obama administration rejected many waivers, concluding that they were unconstitutional or would drastically limit poor people's ability to afford health insurance. For example, many states sought to make employment a requirement for Medicaid, but the Obama administration declined every such request. With Donald Trump in the White House and Tom Price leading the Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, conservative states will likely see their long-denied wishes come true. Both officials support giving states more flexibility than the Obama administration, and a final bill to replace the ACA would likely increase states' power as well. So in the early days of the Trump administration, some governors enthusiastically submitted waivers.
- Medicaid is Helping Poor Patients Get Needed Care, Even as Republicans Push to Cut it, Study Finds Los Angeles Times by Noam Levey—As the Trump administration and congressional Republicans push for sweeping cuts to the Medicaid safety net, a study released Wednesday provides new evidence the program is significantly improving poor Americans' access to vital medical care. Low-income patients in Arkansas and Kentucky, two states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act, are getting check-ups more regularly and delaying care because of cost less frequently. Perhaps most encouraging, poor patients with chronic illnesses such diabetes are also seeking more regular care for their disease, according to the study, published in the journal Health Affairs.