Say Ahhh!
A Health Policy Blog
Child Enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP Remains Down in 2019
As of October 2019, the decline in child enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP held at .6 percent for calendar year 2019 based on the most recent enrollment data posted by CMS. While this is an improvement over the 2.2 percent decline in 2018, it still indicates that overall enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP is not […]
Appeals Court Strikes Decisively at the Heart of Administrator Verma’s Medicaid Agenda
In a decision which warmed my heart on a cold Valentine’s Day here in Washington, the federal Court of Appeals issued an unanimous opinion striking down the Arkansas work requirements waiver. In doing so, it upheld district court Judge Boasberg’s decision vacating the Arkansas’ Section 1115 waiver (including most famously Medicaid work requirements) because it […]
New Brief Unpacks How States Can Leverage Medicaid Funds to Expand School-Based Health
It’s been five years since the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) opened the door to more Medicaid reimbursement for health services delivered in schools. School districts, once restricted to seeking reimbursement only under very specific conditions, were permitted to cover all eligible services delivered to all Medicaid-enrolled students. Put simply, this means more […]
Same Unanswered Questions about Trump Budget’s CHIP Financing Proposal
The Trump Administration’s fiscal year 2021 budget, released on February 10, again proposes to make a legislative change to the financing system for the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) (described here). Entitled “Strengthen the CHIP Safety Net for States,” the proposal is identical to one included in the 2020 budget. It would eliminate the CHIP’s […]
Strong Opposition Emerges to Damaging Medicaid State Financing and Supplemental Payment Rule
As our CCF public comments and my Health Affairs blog post explain, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed “Fiscal Accountability” rule threatens to significantly alter how states finance their share of the cost of Medicaid programs and how states provide supplemental payments to hospitals, nursing homes, physicians and other health care providers. […]
SSA Launches A Stealth Assault on Medicaid Coverage for Children and Parents with Disabilities
As readers of Say Ahhh! know, children’s enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP is declining, and the number of uninsured children is increasing. There are a number of factors at play, including a “see-no-disenrollment, hear-no-disenrollment” posture from CMS Administrator Seema Verma. The Administrator is doubling down with an eligibility rule now under review at the Office […]
