Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CMS Has Offered Backup Plans For States Struggling To Meet Medicaid Deadline, Document Shows
A new federal document, first reported by WP Intelligence, offers states potential solutions to a long list of anticipated problems early next year. (Adams, 10/26)
Beginning in 2027, people on Granite Advantage – the state’s expanded Medicaid program must document that they spend 80 hours per month working, volunteering, or in school, with exceptions for certain populations. Roughly 46,900 people are enrolled in the state’s Granite Advantage program. Residents who qualify for this program include those with low incomes, disabilities, pregnant mothers and people who make an income of 138% of the federal poverty level. (Richardson, 10/26)
Consider a widow who sees a nursing home or a home health aide on the horizon. She takes out a $30,000 home-equity loan, parks the cash in checking for future care and applies for Medicaid. Her logic seems sound: she now owes the bank $30,000, so on paper she’s poorer. Medicaid’s math runs the other way. Under the resource rules many states borrow from Supplemental Security Income (SSI), loan money escapes the income test in the month it comes in. Whatever she hasn’t spent by the end of that month becomes a countable resource starting the next month, and the SSI limit for an individual is $2,000. Her new debt made her look richer. (Terzo, 10/27)
To help people stay covered, a team of students from Brown University’s School of Public Health is setting out across the city to share information and build understanding among those at risk. The initiative — Stay Covered Medicaid Fellows — is a partnership between the Rhode Island Medicaid Program and the People, Place and Health Collective at the School of Public Health. (10/26)
Also —
The U.S. uninsurance rate is increasing as upcoming Medicaid work requirements are expected to further cut coverage, according to a new report from the Commonwealth Fund. Around 11% of people in the U.S. are uninsured this year, an increase from 8.9% in 2024, the report revealed. (Heath, 10/26)
Democrats across battleground districts are holding Republicans’ feet to the fire over the Medicaid cuts in their signature One Big Beautiful Bill law. In advertisements and on debate stages, the Democrats are hammering their opponents over their support for a law that will reduce Medicaid funding by nearly $1 trillion to pay for tax cuts primarily for wealthy individuals and corporations. With less than two weeks before the midterm elections, Republicans are playing defense. (Weixel, 10/25)
