January 5, 2015
By Virgil Dickson,
The Obama administration is continuing to compromise with Republican-led states that expand Medicaid, allowing Arkansas for the first time to impose cost-sharing for beneficiaries below poverty level.
The administration also gave Iowa the nod to continue to not offer non-emergency transportation to beneficiaries despite criticism from patient advocates and data showing negative consequences.
The CMS outlined the new permissions in letters to the states at the end of December approving amendments to their Medicaid waivers.
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“CMS would be wise to prevent this precedent from becoming institutionalized, thereby undermining Medicaid beneficiaries’ access to care,” added the Georgetown Center for Children and Families in its own letter.
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