Monday Morning Medicaid Must Reads: Nov 19th, 2018

Helping you consider differing viewpoints. Before it’s illegal.

In this issue…

Article 1: COUNTERPOINT: Medicaid expansion is unfunded, unsustainable for state of Nebraska

Clay’s summary: Voters didn’t listen to this dude.
Key Excerpts from the Article:  …It is also likely that expansion costs will far exceed projections, just as costs have in nearly every state that has expanded. Iowa spent over $150 million more than expected. Kentucky’s Medicaid program is facing a $296 million budget shortfall due to unpredictable costs (yes, the program itself is that much in debt). Ohio’s Medicaid program costs the state an average of $437 million a month…
Read full article in packet or at links provided

Article 2: Maryland might not have properly vetted some Medicaid enrollees

Clay’s summary: Perhaps there was maybe some payments that could have been somewhat non-compliant with the law but who’s to say, really? It’s a gray area- move along.
Key Excerpts from the Article: Maryland may have allowed residents who did not qualify for Medicaid into the government health program for the poor by failing to consider all of their income, according to a routine audit of the quasi-governmental agency that oversees the Maryland health exchange.
Read full article in packet or at links provided

Article 3: Virginia facing high unexpected Medicaid costs

Clay’s summary: Well at least they decided to expand and spend even more (this is all costs not-related to recent expansion largess).
Key Excerpts from the Article:
State officials said Friday that Virginia has about $460 million in unforeseen Medicaid costs. …The new costs, first reported by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, are unrelated to Virginia’s recent decision to expand Medicaid eligibility to low-income adults under the Affordable Care Act. …Instead, Secretary of Finance Aubrey Layne said much of the new costs stem from faulty forecasts overestimating the benefits of having private health insurers cover a greater number of some of the state’s more costly Medicaid recipients. Another reason for the increase is a higher-than-expected enrollment of children in the state’s Medicaid program, he said…
Read full article in packet or at links provided