Media Coverage

Governing January 6, 2015 By Chris Kardish, Much of the health-care conversations this year will concentrate on two issues with major budgetary and insurance coverage implications that Governing has previously covered. Those are the upcoming U.S. Supreme Court decision that could end federal subsidies in the 30-some states that don’t operate their own exchange, making insurance unaffordable for many, and whether Congress reauthorizes the…

Modern Healthcare 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…

Montgomery Advertiser  January 4, 2015 By Mary Troyan, The Children’s Health Insurance Program, which covers more than 86,000 kids in Alabama, deserves a four-year extension by Congress, according to Gov. Robert Bentley. Bentley is among 39 governors urging Congress to renew the popular CHIP program before the federal money runs out in September. […] About…

Tampa Bay Times January 2, 2015 By Bill Maxwell, I don’t have a New Year’s resolution but a simple wish for 2015. For the sake of our children, I wish that when the Florida Legislature convenes in March, it would take advantage of yet another opportunity to reverse its rejection of billions from the federal…

Associated Press January 1, 2015 By Will Weissert, The White House’s signature health care law is loathed by Texas’ political leadership, and the idea of expanding Medicaid likely remains a non-starter when the Legislature reconvenes this month. But Gov.-elect Greg Abbott and many top conservatives support working with Washington to devise a federal block grant…

CNBC December 29, 2014 By Dan Mangan, Winter has just started, but the heat could be rising soon on Florida to expand its Medicaid program under Obamacare. Florida so far has resisted calls and significant financial incentives to expand Medicaid eligibility for nearly all poor adults—a move that could offer health coverage to 670,000 or…

Associated Press December 21, 2014 Arkansas became the first Southern state to expand its Medicaid program in a way that many Republicans found acceptable. The state bought private insurance for low-income people instead of adding them to the rolls of the Medicaid system, which GOP lawmakers considered bloated and inefficient. Now Arkansas could be on…

Modern Healthcare December 19, 2014 By Virgil Dickson, Cindy Mann’s planned departure next month from her post as the CMS’ deputy administrator and director of the Center for Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program Services (CMCS) surprised healthcare stakeholders who know her and are familiar with her work. “It’s a tremendous loss for the Medicaid…

Associated Press December 17, 2014 By Andrew DeMillo, Arkansas became the first southern state to expand its Medicaid program in a way that many Republicans found acceptable. The state bought private insurance for low-income people instead of adding them to the rolls of the Medicaid system, which GOP lawmakers considered bloated and inefficient. Now Arkansas…

Miami Herald December 17, 2014 By Daniel Chang, A bipartisan group of governors from 39 states is supporting extended federal funding of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which covers more than 8 million kids and their families nationwide, including about 400,000 children in Florida. But Gov. Rick Scott has not joined the chorus.…

December 17, 2014 Timesfreepress.com  By Kate Harrison Belz, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has joined “a steady drumbeat” of Republican governors who have recently proposed to expand their Medicaid programs after initially refusing to implement that part of the Affordable Care Act. But Haslam’s proposal, dubbed Insure Tennessee, is still “a significant development” in the roll-out…

Sheridan Media December 15, 2014 By Gregory Nickerson, Four years into his term as Wyoming governor, Matt Mead (R) has endorsed a plan to expand Medicaid to cover an estimated 17,600 uninsured adults in the state. […] Mead believes the federal government has become more flexible in the types of Medicaid expansion programs they are…

Sun Sentinel December 15, 2014 By Dee Mahan, Children who have health insurance through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program go further in school than children who are uninsured, according to a recent report. […]The link between children with health insurance and their future academic success also gives Florida policymakers one more good reason…

Modern Healthcare December 15, 2014 By Virgil Dickson, Republican Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has announced his alternative pathway to expand Medicaid in the state with a unique voucher program for low-income employed individuals. He also announced a surprising partnership with hospitals to help fund the expansion. […]The plan gives an employed individual making under 138%…

Insurance News Net December 12, 2014 By Challet Anna A study conducted by the National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and the Georgetown Center for Children and Families (CCF), found that over 11 percent of Hispanic children are uninsured, compared to a 7 percent of all kids nationwide. In this article, Sonya Schwartz, co-author of…

Public News Service December 08, 2014 By Troy Wilde. SALT LAKE CITY – There’s a growing focus by some Utah organizations to reach out to the state’s Hispanic population in hopes of increasing their health insurance coverage through the Affordable Care Act. Randal Serr, director with Take Care Utah, which helps enroll people in the…

The Indiana Gazette December 01, 2014 By Marc Levy, Around 600,000 people left out of coverage under the 2010 federal health care law now have the chance to get insurance. Republican Gov. Tom Corbett declared that enrollment in the Health Pennsylvania program will begin Jan 1. The application process comes as the Corbett administration is…

Associated Press November 30, 2014 By Mark Levy, Hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvania residents left out of coverage under the 2010 federal health care law now have a chance to get insurance as the state undertakes a massive overhaul to health care for the poor. On Monday, enrollment begins in the Healthy Pennsylvania program, the…