Written in collaboration with Subject-Matter Experts Roger Schwartz, Esq. and Mary Cieslicki, MHS Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are the largest primary care network in the country, providing medical, dental, behavioral, and enabling services to over 29 million patients, including 1 in 5 Medicaid beneficiaries. Medicaid is the largest payer for mental health services in …
Author: B Hamilton, Esq.
Ensuring the Access to Health Care During COVID-19
One of the starkest daily reminders of the COVID-19 public health emergency has been less traffic on the road. As the public follows stay-at-home orders, road-rage inducing traffic jams have suddenly become a non-issue. With many – but not all – able to work from home, public transportation buses and trains have become hollowed vessels, …
Tennessee releases Medicaid block grant proposal
NACHC Deputy Director of State Affairs Susan Sumrell contributed to this blog post. States are continuing to test the limits of Medicaid waiver flexibility made available to them under the Trump administration. While Alaska, Texas and Georgia are reportedly exploring ways to reform their Medicaid programs, including through the use of block grants, others, like …
InCK: CMMI’s Promising New Payment Model for Children
By Bethany Hamilton, JD (Deputy Director, State Affairs, NACHC) and Anoosha Hasan (NACHC State Affairs Intern, University of Maryland) The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) rolled out a promising new initiative to address behavioral needs for children through an integrated state delivery and payment model. In a few months, the public will learn how …
Latest on ACA Litigation: Community Health Center Patients Are Still Covered
A federal judge recently ruled that the entire Affordable Care Act (ACA) is unconstitutional, sparking a great deal of speculation and confusion among health care advocates about the future of health coverage. We will talk in a little more detail about the ruling and potential next steps below, but it is important to start with …
With New Guidance, Possible Changes to Health Insurance Marketplaces Loom
The Trump Administration recently issued new guidance that drastically changes the degree to which states can seek federal approval to make reforms to their health insurance marketplaces. Just as the country has entered the sixth open enrollment period, more changes to coverage options are likely to emerge in the near future as a result of …
U.S. District Court Judge Blocks Kentucky’s Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver
U.S. District Court Judge James E. Boasberg (DC) has issued the much anticipated decision on Stewart v. Azar, effectively blocking the implementation of the Kentucky HEALTH Medicaid waiver. Judge Boasberg found that the Kentucky HEALTH waiver, which would make unprecedented changes to the state’s Medicaid program, is not likely to assist in promoting the objectives …
CMS Issues Guidance on Community Engagement and Work Requirement Proposals for Medicaid
Today CMS published its much anticipated federal policy guidance (SMD: 18-002, see NACHC summary here) reiterating its support and describing considerations for states with an interest in pursuing Section 1115(a) Medicaid waivers to implement work and/or community engagement requirements for Medicaid. This effort began last year with a letter from then-Secretary Price and CMS Administrator …