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Republicans working on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ want cuts to Medicaid, food stamps
Read full article: Republicans working on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ want cuts to Medicaid, food stampsNegotiations continued in Congress as Republicans aimed to pass President Donald Trump’s “one big, beautiful bill.”
Divisions emerge among House Republicans over how much to cut taxes and Medicaid in Trump's bill
Read full article: Divisions emerge among House Republicans over how much to cut taxes and Medicaid in Trump's billThere were cheers when Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee signed off on the GOP tax breaks bill after a round-the-clock session that pushed President Donald Trump’s package past overwhelming Democratic opposition.
California governor outlines $12 billion deficit and freeze on immigrant health program access
Read full article: California governor outlines $12 billion deficit and freeze on immigrant health program accessCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom says the state is staring down an $12 billion budget deficit.
Trump signs executive order setting 30-day deadline for drugmakers to lower prescription drug costs
Read full article: Trump signs executive order setting 30-day deadline for drugmakers to lower prescription drug costsPresident Donald Trump has signed an executive order setting a 30-day deadline for drugmakers to electively lower the cost of prescription drugs in the U.S. or face new limits down the road over what the government will pay.
House Republicans unveil Medicaid cuts that Democrats warn will leave millions without care
Read full article: House Republicans unveil Medicaid cuts that Democrats warn will leave millions without careHouse Republicans have unveiled the cost-saving centerpiece of President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill.”.
House GOP backing off some Medicaid cuts as report shows millions of people would lose health care
Read full article: House GOP backing off some Medicaid cuts as report shows millions of people would lose health careHouse Republicans appear to be backing off some, but not all, of the steep reductions to the Medicaid program as part of their big tax breaks bill.
California OKs $2.8B to close Medicaid funding gap after expanding immigrant coverage
Read full article: California OKs $2.8B to close Medicaid funding gap after expanding immigrant coverageCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed legislation to provide $2.8 billion to close the budget hole in the state's Medicaid program.
Alabama lawmakers pass legislation that could give pregnant women more access to health care
Read full article: Alabama lawmakers pass legislation that could give pregnant women more access to health careAlabama legislators unanimously passed a bill on Tuesday that would expedite access to Medicaid for pregnant women.
The skyrocketing cost of weight-loss drugs has state Medicaid programs looking for a solution
Read full article: The skyrocketing cost of weight-loss drugs has state Medicaid programs looking for a solutionSome of the more than a dozen states that cover the high cost of GLP-1 drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic and Zepbound through Medicaid or state employee insurance programs are scrambling to lessen the budgetary squeeze from fast-rising costs.
Supreme Court appears divided over whether states can cut off Planned Parenthood funding
Read full article: Supreme Court appears divided over whether states can cut off Planned Parenthood fundingThe Supreme Court has appeared divided in a case over whether states should be able to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.
Supreme Court weighs whether states can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood
Read full article: Supreme Court weighs whether states can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned ParenthoodThe Supreme Court will hear arguments in a South Carolina case over whether states can cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood.
Chuck Schumer says he's taking the fight over federal spending to Trump country
Read full article: Chuck Schumer says he's taking the fight over federal spending to Trump countrySenate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer is taking the fight over Medicaid cuts deep into Republican territory, visiting nursing homes in GOP-held districts to warn of what Democrats call devastating consequences if proposed federal rollbacks go through.
Anti-abortion groups aim to end Planned Parenthood funding and suggest Musk's DOGE to get it done
Read full article: Anti-abortion groups aim to end Planned Parenthood funding and suggest Musk's DOGE to get it doneMajor anti-abortion groups have gathered in the nation's capital to begin a lobbying effort with Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration aimed at eliminating funding for Planned Parenthood.
Oz pledges to fight health care fraud but makes no commitments on Medicaid funding cuts
Read full article: Oz pledges to fight health care fraud but makes no commitments on Medicaid funding cutsDr. Mehmet Oz is promising to fight health care fraud and push to make Americans healthier if he becomes the next leader of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Top US health agency makes $25,000 buyout offer to most of its employees
Read full article: Top US health agency makes $25,000 buyout offer to most of its employeesMost of the 80,000 federal workers responsible for researching diseases, inspecting food and administering Medicare and Medicaid under the auspices of the Health and Human Services Department were emailed an offer to leave their job for as much as a $25,000 payment.
Rep. Al Green shouts down Trump and may face censure by the House for the outburst
Read full article: Rep. Al Green shouts down Trump and may face censure by the House for the outburstRep. Al Green of Texas wasn’t the first lawmaker ever to blurt out a protest during a presidential address to Congress.
Republicans once maligned Medicaid. Now some see a program too big to touch
Read full article: Republicans once maligned Medicaid. Now some see a program too big to touchThere's a mid-March deadline to avoid a partial government shutdown, and hesitation is surfacing among congressional Republicans about potential cuts to Medicaid.
Pennsylvania Republicans who narrowly won their House seats feel the heat of early votes back home
Read full article: Pennsylvania Republicans who narrowly won their House seats feel the heat of early votes back homeBack in November, three Pennsylvania Republicans won seats in Congress by tight margins.
Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millions
Read full article: Republicans consider cuts and work requirements for Medicaid, jeopardizing care for millionsRepublicans are weighing billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid, jeopardizing health care coverage for some of the 80 million U.S. adults and children enrolled in the safety net program.
CVS Health steers through rising insurance costs in a strong fourth quarter
Read full article: CVS Health steers through rising insurance costs in a strong fourth quarterCVS Health’s adjusted fourth-quarter profit handily beat Wall Street’s estimates, even as the drugstore chain and pharmacy benefits manager dealt with rising costs in its insurance division.
States absorb big increases in Medicaid for sicker-than-expected enrollees after COVID-19 pandemic
Read full article: States absorb big increases in Medicaid for sicker-than-expected enrollees after COVID-19 pandemicStates are absorbing substantial increases in health care costs for the poor, as they realize that the people remaining on Medicaid rolls after the COVID-19 pandemic are sicker than anticipated and costlier to care for.
Head Start and other services for low-income families hit glitches as Trump freezes federal money
Read full article: Head Start and other services for low-income families hit glitches as Trump freezes federal moneyAs the White House paused federal grants and loans in a far-reaching executive order, early childhood education centers and states discovered Tuesday they could no longer access money they rely on to provide care for some of the nation’s neediest families and children.
Takeaways from AP's report on social safety nets in states that ban abortion
Read full article: Takeaways from AP's report on social safety nets in states that ban abortionRecent research and an analysis by The Associated Press found states with restrictive abortion laws have more porous safety nets for mothers and young children.
Supreme Court to weigh state moves to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood
Read full article: Supreme Court to weigh state moves to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned ParenthoodThe Supreme Court said Wednesday it will consider South Carolina’s move to cut off Medicaid funding to Planned Parenthood, the latest abortion-related case since overturning it as a nationwide right.
North Carolina's Medicaid expansion hits enrollment goal about a year ahead of projections
Read full article: North Carolina's Medicaid expansion hits enrollment goal about a year ahead of projectionsNorth Carolina reached its Medicaid expansion enrollment goal of 600,000 people just over a year since the program rolled out.
Cheap Ozempic? How millions of Americans with obesity may get access to costly weight-loss drugs
Read full article: Cheap Ozempic? How millions of Americans with obesity may get access to costly weight-loss drugsMillions of obese Americans would get access to popular weekly injectables that would help them shed pounds quickly if a $35 billion proposal from the Biden administration is blessed by President-elect Donald Trump.
Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese Americans
Read full article: Biden proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover costly weight-loss drugs for millions of obese AmericansMillions of obese Americans would be eligible to have popular weight-loss drugs like Wegovy or Zepbound covered by Medicare or Medicaid under a new rule the Biden administration proposed Tuesday morning.
A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaul
Read full article: A look at how some of Trump's picks to lead health agencies could help carry out Kennedy's overhaulDonald Trump's health team picks include a retired congressman, a surgeon and a former talk-show host.
Elevance makes a late cut to its 2024 forecast after seeing trouble in Medicaid
Read full article: Elevance makes a late cut to its 2024 forecast after seeing trouble in MedicaidElevance Health surprised Wall Street with a rare, late-year guidance cut Thursday after a jump in Medicaid costs marred its third quarter.
Voters with disabilities are feeling ignored by presidential candidates
Read full article: Voters with disabilities are feeling ignored by presidential candidatesA new report from Rutgers University estimates that about 40.2 million eligible voters in the quickly approaching U.S. presidential election are disabled.
Judge refuses to extend timeframe for Georgia's new Medicaid plan, only one with work requirement
Read full article: Judge refuses to extend timeframe for Georgia's new Medicaid plan, only one with work requirementA federal judge has ruled that the Biden administration complied with the law when it declined to grant an extension to Georgia’s year-old Medicaid plan, which is the only one in the country that has a work requirement for recipients of the publicly funded health coverage for low-income people.
Can a Medicaid plan that requires work succeed? First year of Georgia experiment is not promising
Read full article: Can a Medicaid plan that requires work succeed? First year of Georgia experiment is not promisingBy now, Georgia officials expected their new Medicaid plan to provide health insurance to 25,000 low income residents.
North Carolina's Medicaid expansion program has enrolled 500,000 people in just 7 months
Read full article: North Carolina's Medicaid expansion program has enrolled 500,000 people in just 7 monthsMore than 500,000 North Carolina residents have enrolled in state's Medicaid expansion program in the seven months since it was launched.
Forced labor, same-sex marriage and shoplifting are all on the ballot in California this November
Read full article: Forced labor, same-sex marriage and shoplifting are all on the ballot in California this NovemberForced labor, same-sex marriage and shoplifting are among the 10 statewide ballot measures California voters will consider.
Investigator: Woman pays patients bribes as part of Medicare fraud in Miami-Dade
Read full article: Investigator: Woman pays patients bribes as part of Medicare fraud in Miami-DadeA 50-year-old woman stands accused of Medicare fraud after allegedly routinely paying patients bribes in Miami-Dade County.
With 1 out of 3 Californians on Medicaid, doctors push ballot measure to force state to pay more
Read full article: With 1 out of 3 Californians on Medicaid, doctors push ballot measure to force state to pay moreCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom wants to back out of a deal he made last year to pay doctors more money to treat Medicaid patients.
California governor criticized for proposal to eliminate health benefit for some disabled immigrants
Read full article: California governor criticized for proposal to eliminate health benefit for some disabled immigrantsCalifornia Gov. Gavin Newsom is facing criticism for his proposal to eliminate an optional Medicaid benefit for some disabled immigrants.
Tennessee, Delaware to become first states to offer free diapers for Medicaid families
Read full article: Tennessee, Delaware to become first states to offer free diapers for Medicaid familiesTennessee will soon become the first state in the country to offer free diapers to families enrolled in the state’s Medicaid program after receiving federal approval, state officials have confirmed.
Biden administration says 100,000 new migrants are expected to enroll in 'Obamacare' next year
Read full article: Biden administration says 100,000 new migrants are expected to enroll in 'Obamacare' next yearRoughly 100,000 immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children are expected to enroll in the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance next year.
Mississippi Medicaid expansion plan could struggle for bipartisan support, Democratic leader says
Read full article: Mississippi Medicaid expansion plan could struggle for bipartisan support, Democratic leader saysThe Mississippi House Democratic leader says a Medicaid expansion plan endorsed by Republican leaders could struggle for bipartisan support.
West Virginia's and North Carolina's transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges rule
Read full article: West Virginia's and North Carolina's transgender care coverage policies discriminate, judges ruleA federal appeals court has ruled that West Virginia's and North Carolina’s refusal to cover certain health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance is discriminatory.
Mississippi lawmakers haggle over possible Medicaid expansion as their legislative session nears end
Read full article: Mississippi lawmakers haggle over possible Medicaid expansion as their legislative session nears endTop Mississippi lawmakers have started negotiating on what could become a landmark plan to expand Medicaid coverage to tens of thousands of people in one of the poorest states in the U.S. But even with Republicans controlling both the state House and Senate, it’s far from clear that they will reach a compromise.
One-fourth of people dropped from Medicaid still aren't insured, survey shows
Read full article: One-fourth of people dropped from Medicaid still aren't insured, survey showsA new survey shows that almost a quarter of people who have been dropped from Medicaid during post-pandemic eligibility reviews are still uninsured.
Idaho considers a ban on using public funds or facilities for gender-affirming care
Read full article: Idaho considers a ban on using public funds or facilities for gender-affirming careIdaho lawmakers are expected to vote on a bill that would ban the use of any public funds for gender-affirming care, including for state employees using work health insurance and for adults covered by Medicaid.
Arizona legislation to better regulate rehab programs targeted by Medicaid scams is moving forward
Read full article: Arizona legislation to better regulate rehab programs targeted by Medicaid scams is moving forwardA Navajo state senator in Arizona says she's hoping for final approval of her bill to tighten regulations for rehab facilities amid widespread fraud that has bilked hundreds of millions in Medicaid dollars.
Mississippi has the nation's worst infant mortality. It will allow earlier Medicaid to help babies
Read full article: Mississippi has the nation's worst infant mortality. It will allow earlier Medicaid to help babiesMississippi Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has signed a new law that will allow women to receive Medicaid coverage earlier in pregnancy.
Mississippi eyes quicker Medicaid coverage in pregnancy to try to reduce deaths of moms and babies
Read full article: Mississippi eyes quicker Medicaid coverage in pregnancy to try to reduce deaths of moms and babiesMississippi could start providing Medicaid coverage earlier in pregnancy in a bid to improve health outcomes for moms and babies.
'Obamacare' sign-ups surge to 20 million, days before open enrollment closes
Read full article: 'Obamacare' sign-ups surge to 20 million, days before open enrollment closesThe Biden administration says 20 million people have enrolled for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces, with still a few days left for signing up.
A push to expand Medicaid has Kansas governor embracing politics and cutting against her brand
Read full article: A push to expand Medicaid has Kansas governor embracing politics and cutting against her brandDemocratic Gov. Laura Kelly is more aggressive and openly political in pushing to expand Medicaid in Kansas as the Republican-controlled Legislature prepares to open its annual session.
There's a glimmer of hope for broader health coverage in Georgia, but also a good chance of a fizzle
Read full article: There's a glimmer of hope for broader health coverage in Georgia, but also a good chance of a fizzleLong-held Republican opposition to broader health care coverage may be softening in Georgia and Mississippi.
Families say autism therapy helped their kids. Indiana's Medicaid cuts could put it out of reach
Read full article: Families say autism therapy helped their kids. Indiana's Medicaid cuts could put it out of reachStarting with the new year, Indiana will implement a universal reimbursement rate for a therapy commonly used by children with autism, at a rate significantly less than what healthcare providers received on average in the past.
The Biden administration is slow to act as millions are booted off Medicaid, advocates say
Read full article: The Biden administration is slow to act as millions are booted off Medicaid, advocates sayError-ridden state reviews have purged millions of the poorest Americans from the Medicaid program in recent months.
It's time to buy health insurance through the marketplace. Experts suggest doing your research first
Read full article: It's time to buy health insurance through the marketplace. Experts suggest doing your research firstThe time to shop for health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s coverage marketplaces is back.
Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residents
Read full article: Many states are expanding their Medicaid programs to provide dental care to their poorest residentsA growing number of states are offering dental care to low-income adults who once had to rely on charity or the emergency room to treat their tooth problems.
Appeals court takes up transgender health coverage case likely headed to Supreme Court
Read full article: Appeals court takes up transgender health coverage case likely headed to Supreme CourtA federal appeals court is considering cases out of North Carolina and West Virginia that could have significant implications on whether individual states are required to cover health care for transgender people with government-sponsored insurance.
Florida agencies are accused in a lawsuit of sending confusing Medicaid termination notices
Read full article: Florida agencies are accused in a lawsuit of sending confusing Medicaid termination noticesThree Florida residents filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, alleging that state agencies aren’t adequately notifying low-income and disabled people that their public health insurance is ending.
Miami-Dade behavioral therapist accused of scamming Medicaid
Read full article: Miami-Dade behavioral therapist accused of scamming MedicaidPolice arrested a 35-year-old registered behavioral therapist from southwest Miami-Dade Monday after state investigators accused her of ripping off Florida’s Medicaid system, billing for visits she never made.
Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigations
Read full article: Fake Arizona rehab centers scam Native Americans far from home, officials warn during investigationsHundreds of Native Americans have been recruited to addiction treatment centers in Phoenix from states as far away as Montana in a widespread billing scheme that mostly targeted Medicaid’s American Indian Health Program.
Georgia Medicaid program with work requirement off to slow start even as thousands lose coverage
Read full article: Georgia Medicaid program with work requirement off to slow start even as thousands lose coveragePublic health advocates say Georgia appears to be doing little to promote its new Medicaid plan or enroll people in it.
Feds raise concerns about long call center wait times as millions dropped from Medicaid
Read full article: Feds raise concerns about long call center wait times as millions dropped from MedicaidFederal officials are raising concerns that long call center wait times may be contributing to a surge in the number of people losing Medicaid health care coverage.
GOP nominee says he would renew push for Medicaid work requirement if elected governor in Kentucky
Read full article: GOP nominee says he would renew push for Medicaid work requirement if elected governor in KentuckyRepublican Daniel Cameron says he would move quickly as Kentucky’s governor to revive a push to require some able-bodied adults to work in exchange for Medicaid health coverage.
Biden administration asks employers to give more help to workers who lose Medicaid
Read full article: Biden administration asks employers to give more help to workers who lose MedicaidThe Biden administration is asking employers to give workers who lose Medicaid coverage more time to land health insurance through their jobs.
Georgia launches Medicaid expansion in closely watched test of work requirements
Read full article: Georgia launches Medicaid expansion in closely watched test of work requirementsGeorgia is offering a new bargain to some adults without health insurance beginning Saturday: Go to work or school and the state will cover you.
Families worry over the future of Medicaid caregiver payments that were expanded during the pandemic
Read full article: Families worry over the future of Medicaid caregiver payments that were expanded during the pandemicFamilies of severely disabled children across the country are worried about the future of crucial Medicaid payments they started receiving to provide care during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal judge strikes down Florida's ban on Medicaid funding for transgender treatment
Read full article: Federal judge strikes down Florida's ban on Medicaid funding for transgender treatmentA federal judge has struck down Florida rules championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis restricting Medicaid coverage for transgender treatments.
Navajo Nation declares widespread Medicaid scam in Arizona a public health state of emergency
Read full article: Navajo Nation declares widespread Medicaid scam in Arizona a public health state of emergencyA widespread Arizona Medicaid scam that has left an unknown number of Native Americans homeless on the streets of metro Phoenix is being declared a public health state of emergency by the Navajo Nation as fraudulent sober living homes lose their funding and turn former residents onto the streets.
More than 1 million people are dropped from Medicaid as states start a post-pandemic purge of rolls
Read full article: More than 1 million people are dropped from Medicaid as states start a post-pandemic purge of rollsAbout 1.5 million people have lost Medicaid coverage in more than two dozen states as a post-coronavirus pandemic purge of the rolls gets underway.
Rhode Island governor signs bill to fund abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipients
Read full article: Rhode Island governor signs bill to fund abortion coverage for state workers and Medicaid recipientsRhode Island Gov. Daniel McKee has signed a bill into law that would let state funds be used to pay for health insurance plans that cover state workers and Medicaid recipients seeking abortions.
New work requirements for federal aid? GOP pushes proposals in debt talks
Read full article: New work requirements for federal aid? GOP pushes proposals in debt talksWork requirements for federal aid programs have emerged as a sticking point in ongoing negotiations over raising the nation’s debt ceiling, and President Joe Biden has signaled openness to a possible compromise even as many in his party have balked.
As public health emergency ends, pandemic-era support programs have already been fading away
Read full article: As public health emergency ends, pandemic-era support programs have already been fading awayThe formal end of the national Public Health Emergency on Thursday is largely a symbolic and psychological step, representing the country’s formal emergence from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Doral-based therapists accused of scamming Medicaid out of $76K
Read full article: Doral-based therapists accused of scamming Medicaid out of $76KState prosecutors Wednesday announced the arrests of two therapists who worked for a Doral-based mental health provider, accusing them of scamming Medicaid out of thousands of dollars.
What GOP's plan for Medicaid work requirements would mean
Read full article: What GOP's plan for Medicaid work requirements would meanMore than half a million of the poorest Americans would be left without health insurance under legislation passed by House Republicans that would require people to work in exchange for health care coverage through Medicaid.
Error, confusion plague review kicking millions off Medicaid
Read full article: Error, confusion plague review kicking millions off MedicaidSome Medicaid recipients tell The Associated Press errors and confusion are leading to them being kicked off the federally and state-funded health coverage program.
Biden says he's expanding some migrants' health care access
Read full article: Biden says he's expanding some migrants' health care accessPresident Joe Biden says his administration is expanding eligibility for Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance exchanges to hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.