Media Coverage

Public News Service … According to a Georgetown University report, the number of uninsured children in Texas increased 16% between 2016 and 2018. McChesney said it keeps rising because many families earn too much for Medicaid eligibility, but not enough to purchase coverage through the Affordable Care Act. She said the pandemic has illustrated how…

Politico By: Dan Diamond … Congress should pursue large FMAP increases to sustain state Medicaid programs during this economic crisis, counters Georgetown’s Edwin Park. … Read more here.

Modern Healthcare By: Michael Brady HHS on Wednesday awarded more than $160 million in COVID-19 relief funding for rural health providers, including nearly 1,800 small rural hospitals … “States that expanded Medicaid have seen uninsured rates for low-income adults in rural areas decline three times faster compared to states that haven’t expanded Medicaid,” according to…

Bloomberg Law By: Christopher Brown Supporters of Medicaid work requirements are building their defenses as the coronavirus takes its toll on the economy, even though such rules have consistently failed to survive in court … “Work requirements as a policy idea was already on life support before coronavirus hit us, but now it has been…

S&P Global By: Ricky Zipp As the coronavirus pandemic upends the U.S. economy, the Medicaid health insurance program for people with low incomes could see a significant increase in enrollment and become a crucial part of the country’s response to the crisis. … Medicaid enrollment should increase substantially due to the effects of the pandemic,…

Pew Stateline By: Michael Ollove Millions of Americans who lost employer-sponsored health plans along with their jobs will be able to turn to Medicaid and state-based Obamacare health insurance exchanges as a safety valve. Some states have eased those paths, and many are either already seeing an enrollment increase in both programs or expecting one…

The Hill The Trump administration prepares for the best instead of the worst. … Furthermore, Medicaid is countercyclical — increasing in size and scope when the economy turns downward. The federal matching rate, which has been increased under the emergency COVID-19 relief package, injects dollars into state economies. As Edwin Park from Georgetown University Center for Children…

Roll Call Background provided by Joan Alker, executive director of Georgetown University Center for Children and Families The Trump administration is beginning to distribute money from a new $100 billion hospital emergency fund to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the hardest-hit hospitals are not prioritized in the first wave of money, and parameters on…

Axios Medicaid will be a lifeline for droves of Americans affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Why it matters: Medicaid has long been the safety net that catches people during hard times, but a crisis of this magnitude will call upon the program — and strain states’ budgets — like never before. (Herman, 4/1) … Read…

Kaiser Health News As the coronavirus roils the economy and throws millions of Americans out of work, Medicaid is emerging as a default insurance plan for many of the newly unemployed. That could produce unprecedented strains on the vital health insurance program, according to state officials and policy researchers. Americans are being urged to stay…

Inside Health Policy The Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission indicated Thursday (April 2) that it will closely monitor lessons learned in Medicaid after the coronavirus pandemic is over, including how Medicaid expansion states fared over non-expansion states. … Commissioner Tricia Brooks called on the commission to encourage CMS to back down on its…

WAMU 88.5 If you’re uninsured or have been recently laid off, you and your family members might be eligible for free or low-cost health coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or premium subsidies through the Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage. … Research courtesy of Georgetown University’s Center for Children and Families…

NBC News … Another concern is whether states have the institutional framework to address the surge in demand. Multiple states have reported their unemployment websites crashing, and many have complained that they are unable to reach their state offices on the phone — some are even unable to pay out all the unemployment claims they…

Los Angeles Times By: Noam Levey The widening coronavirus pandemic is forcing the Trump administration to pause, and even reverse, its years-long effort to roll back healthcare regulations and restrict access to the nation’s medical safety net. … “Putting up barriers to coverage has been a big part of this administration’s healthcare agenda,” said Joan…

Modern Healthcare By: Harris Meyer At least two Republican-led states want to temporarily ease their Medicaid waiver requirements and make it easier for residents to get and keep coverage under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program during the coronavirus pandemic. … “Work requirements and premiums are precisely the kinds of policies that are dangerous…

Wisconsin Examiner By: Erik Gunn The U.S. is falling behind in securing health care coverage for America’s children, but especially so in covering Latino children, according to a new report released Wednesday. And while some states are doing better than others, Wisconsin is part of that decline. Between 2016 and 2018, the number of Latino…

Modern Healthcare By: Alex Kacik The trade-off seemed simple in theory—hospitals would need less federal funding when the Affordable Care Act extended coverage to millions of Americans. … “The biggest lifeline for hospitals would be for states to expand Medicaid, particularly those in rural areas,” said Edwin Park, a research professor at Georgetown University who…