New research suggests Arizona would save money with Medicaid expansion
New research from the Grand Canyon Institute suggests that Arizona would save money and create thousands of jobs if it chooses to expand its Medicaid program under the program set forth by the federal government in the Affordable Care Act.
The report contends that with a $1.5 billion investment over the first four years, the state would collect nearly $8 billion in federal funding and insure an additional 435,000 people gain insurance by 2017. Gov. Jan Brewer is not expected to make a decision until after the November election, but has also repeatedly targeted the state's insurance program for the poor for cuts during her tenure as a means to balance the budget. State Republican lawmakers and the influential Goldwater Institute are opposed to the expansion, contending it is unaffordable both on a state and federal level.
Feds likely to approve Kansas' Medicaid privatization plan
An official with Kansas Department of Health and Environment testifying before the Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services Oversight told the panel this week that efforts to secure a federal waiver for plans to privatize the state Medicaid program are likely to be successful, according to a report from the Kansas Health Institute. The program from Gov. Sam Brownback's administration would be called KanCare, and proposes to move all 383,000 Medicaid beneficiaries into managed care programs to be run by three private insurers: Amerigroup, UnitedHealthcare and Sunflower State Health Plan, a subsidiary of Centene. Brownback has said the program would save the state roughly $1 billion over five years.
Arkansas Governor changes course, backs Medicaid expansion
Fearing a potential takeover of the state Legislature for the first time since Reconstruction, Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe became the first southern governor to embrace Medicaid expansion, even though he has publicly declared he would have voted against the health reform law. According a report in the Washington Post, Beebe, who is not running for re-election, said "I think it's good for our people because it's helping folks that don't have insurance now that are working their tails off." Health reform is not popular in Arkansas, even though roughly a quarter of the population currently is without health insurance. Democrats hope their support for the expansion will turn into votes in November to help it retain control of the Legislature. Regardless, finding the votes for the expansion may be difficult even within a Democrat-controlled statehouse, as Arkansas law requires a three-fourths vote in both the House and Senate for approval.