News outlets report on Medicaid issues in the states.
The Wall Street Journal: Christie Seeks Tighter Limits On
Medicaid
New Jersey is trying to deal with bulging Medicaid costs by
trimming new eligibility for the government health-care program to the bare
bones. The Christie administration wants to cut the state's relatively generous
program way back as part of a "waiver" it is seeking from the Obama
administration. Overall, it's looking to save about $540 million, including $300
million through the waiver (Fleisher, 5/20).
The Texas Tribune: House Tentatively OKs Medicaid Fiscal
Reform Bill
The state House tentatively passed a health care bill intended
to increase efficiency and cost savings in Texas' expensive Medicaid programs
today — but not before adding a far-ranging variety of amendments. Medicaid
fraud, abortion and immigration issues all entered the debate, causing stirs,
jeers and cheers among members. ... The largest cost-saving measure in the bill
would save $290 million by expanding managed care coverage — i.e. pay state
selected insurance providers to manage the health care of Medicaid clients — to
the Rio Grande Valley. Many urban areas in Texas, including Houston, Dallas, San
Antonio and Austin, already use managed care plans (Aaronson, 5/19).
Georgia Health News: Deal Vetoes Bill On Medicaid Audit
Contractors
This week's vetoes by Gov. Nathan Deal included a little-noticed
bill related to Medicaid. House Bill 489 would have barred the state from paying
a contingency fee to a contractor to recover Medicaid overpayments to doctors
and hospitals. Implementing the bill would have put Georgia's Medicaid program
in conflict with federal law, Deal said in his veto message. ... House Bill 489
was a response to the health care reform requirement that states establish a
Medicaid recovery audit contractor program, as they have done with the federal
Medicare program (Miller, 5/19).
Stateline: Florida Hopes Its Future Looks Like The Past
Florida expects to save $1 billion on Medicaid by expanding a pilot program
that enrolls all patients, including the elderly and disabled, in managed care
plans. A study of the pilot program, which has been going on in five counties
since 2007, shows little evidence that it saved any money at all. To go
statewide with the program, Florida will need a waiver from the Obama
administration (Vestal, 5/20).
© 2011 Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights
reserved.