The Hill

By: Nathaniel Weixel

The Trump administration is poised to kick off a major partisan feud over Medicaid in 2020, as officials are reportedly planning to soon introduce a way for states to block grant Medicaid money. The guidance, which The Wall Street Journal said could be released as early as this month, will test the Trump administration’s ability to allow states the flexibility to make drastic changes to Medicaid.

…

Medicaid is the main source of long-term care coverage for low-income Americans and is a guaranteed benefit. “I think it’s the holy grail for some conservative thinkers,” said Joan Alker, executive director of the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families, about block grants. “It ends Medicaid’s entitlement status,” Alker added. “This has been a long-held objective for those who don’t want to spend a lot of federal funds on poor people.”

…

Read more here.