MEDICAID: Where Each State Stands on the Medicaid Expansion
Click for an interactive map featuring more information about the decisions by states on the Medicaid expansion and type of insurance exchange.
After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that states can effectively opt out of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion without any effect on current funding, state officials now must decide whether to comply. Since the ruling, many governors have made statements in the media and through their press offices indicating their plans about their participation.
American Health Line has compiled available information on where the governors stand. We’ll continue to update this list as information becomes available. Please send news or feedback to: ahleditorial@advisory.com. For details about specific states, click the link below to read the rest of this entry.
[Graphic last updated: May 24, 2:20 p.m. ET // Text last updated: May 24, 2:20 p.m. ET.]
WHAT WE’RE READING: Counting Fast-Food Calories
- “Diners Badly Underestimate Calories in Fast-Food Meals,” USA Today: A survey involving 3,400 individuals found teenagers underestimated fast-food calories by 34%, followed by parents of school-aged children by 23% and adults by 20%.
- “Disability and Discrimination at the Doctor’s Office,” New York Times‘ “Well”: A doctor-led investigation found that many physicians’ offices are ill-equipped to move and treat patients with disabilities.
- “The Weight of a Med Student’s Subconscious Bias,” NPR’s “Shots”: A new study shows that the majority of third-year medical students were unaware of their bias against obese individuals.
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POLL: Should HHS Funding Be Used To Pay for State-Run Exchange ‘Assisters?’
During a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing Tuesday, Republicans questioned whether HHS has the authority to authorize funding for “in-person assisters” in states that opted to operate their own exchanges.
Under the ACA, each exchange must have two certified navigators, who are expected to help customers submit the eligibility application, clarify distinctions among plans and make informed decisions during the selection process. The navigators also will provide assistance to individuals with disabilities, limited English proficiency, or those who are unfamiliar with health insurance.
HHS is allowing states running their own exchanges to use their exchange grants to pay for assisters for one year.
Republicans note that the health reform law prohibits exchange grants from being used to pay for navigators in state-run exchanges. They say HHS is violating the law by providing funding for similar assisters in state-operated exchanges.
Gary Cohen — director of HHS’ Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight — acknowledged that navigators and in-person assisters are similar. However, he said that funding for assisters is part of outreach and education initiatives related to setting up the marketplaces.
WHAT WE’RE READING: Printing To Save Lives
- “Doctors Save Ohio Boy by ‘Printing’ an Airway Tube,” AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution: In a medical first, doctors at the University of Michigan used a 3-D laser printer to make a life-saving airway splint for an infant.
- “Would You Rather Lose $1,000 or Gain 20 Pounds?” USA Today: A new study finds that over half of U.S. residents would rather give up the money than gain the weight, and the preference is stronger among women.
- “Lack of Strength Training Is Most Common U.S. Health Vice,” Los Angeles Times‘ “Science Now”: The 2008-2010 National Health Information Survey finds that 73.5% of U.S. residents failed to strength train, and only 19.4% met federal guidelines for both strength and aerobic conditioning.
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AHL’s TOP STORY: Shift to Part-Time Workers Predates the Health Reform Law, Analysis Finds
A trend in employers reducing workers’ hours and health coverage options began before the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, according to a report released Wednesday by the Employee Benefits Research Institute, The Hill‘s “Healthwatch” reports.
Opponents of the ACA have alleged that employers have cut workers’ hours to avoid the law’s employer mandate (Baker, “Healthwatch,” The Hill, 5/22). Under the law, businesses with at least 50 full-time employees who work 30 hours or more per week must provide affordable health coverage or face a $2,000 fine per worker in 2014 (American Health Line, 5/20).
EBRI found that the percentage of part-time workers has been rising since before the ACA was signed into law in March 2010, increasing from 16.7% in 2007 to 22.2% in 2011. The report attributes the shift toward more part-time workers to the recent recession (“Healthwatch,” The Hill, 5/22).
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BLOGGER VS. BLOGGER: Measuring the Financial Impact of the ‘Skinny Plan’ Loophole
Several insurers are beginning to offer businesses “skinny” health plan options that would provide basic, minimum coverage while ensuring employers remain compliant with the ACA’s employer coverage requirement.
The employer mandate requires businesses with at least 50 full-time employees who work 30 hours or more per week to provide affordable health coverage or face a $2,000 fine per worker. Some business owners have indicated that they plan to cap their employees’ weekly work hours to avoid the mandate. Read the rest of this entry »
WHAT WE’RE READING: Incentives for Healthy Individuals Could Violate ACA
- “A Catch for Insurers That Cut Deductibles for Healthy People,” NPR’s “Shots”: Insurance programs that reward healthy customers with lower deductibles could violate a provision in the Affordable Care Act banning discrimination based on health status.
- “Computers vs. Patients: A Day in the Life of a Modern Intern,” Boston Globe‘s “Short White Coat”: A new study finds that interns spend 12% of their time with patients, while 40% is spent in front of a computer.
- “How Medicare Part D Changed the Drug Industry,” American Public Media’s “Marketplace”: Some experts say the program helped keep prescription drug costs down by steering beneficiaries towards lower-cost generic drugs.
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AHL’s TOP STORY: Majority of Deep South Residents Support ACA’s Medicaid Expansion, Exchanges, Subsidies, Despite Opposing Overall Law, Poll Finds
Although few adults living in the Deep South have a favorable view of the Affordable Care Act, nearly two-thirds support the law’s Medicaid expansion, according to a poll released Tuesday by Families USA, The Hill‘s “Healthwatch,” reports (Baker, “Healthwatch,” The Hill, 5/21).
For the poll, researchers at the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies surveyed 500 adults living in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi and South Carolina between March 5 and April 8. All of the states surveyed are led by Republican governors and have decided not to expand their Medicaid programs under the ACA. The five states also rank among the lowest in overall health, with Mississippi and Louisiana tied for last, according to United Health Foundation’s annual state health rankings (Pugh, Miami Herald, 5/21).
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