Medicaid

Medicaid is a shared state and federal program to provide health insurance for poor and disabled residents. Click on the links below to explore MHA’s advocacy and member outreach efforts on federal aspects of Medicaid-related matters.
02.17.2020  | President’s Budget Attacks Medicare & Medicaid
President Trump released his proposed FY21 budget last year and it is remarkable for the ferocity with which it attacks Medicare and Medicaid.
02.03.2020  | CMS Unveils Medicaid Block Grant Proposal; Critics Pounce
The Trump Administration unveiled its newest version of Medicaid block grants last Thursday –a proposal it calls “Healthy Adult Opportunity.”
01.20.2020  | Hospitals: Move on McGovern’s Social Determinants Bill
Hospitals and other advocates are urging the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee to move forward on a social determinants of health bill.
12.23.2019  | Congress Once Again Kicks DSH Cuts Down the Field
The $1.4 trillion spending deal that the House and Senate approved and that the president was expected to sign last Friday delays scheduled cuts to disproportionate share hospitals through May 22, 2020.
10.28.2019  | Rep. Kennedy Slams CMS Chief Over Medicaid Work Requirement
U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy pressed CMS Administrator Seema Verma to defend the administration-endorsed efforts to impose work requirements on Medicaid recipients.
04.22.2019  | Medicare for All is NOT the Answer
Scrapping the entire current healthcare system and replacing it with a “Medicare for All” plan would cause more harm than good, MHA President & CEO Steve Walsh said last week.
04.15.2019  | Government & Hospitals to Pharma: Be Transparent
State and federal governments are looking into rising prescription drug prices.
03.18.2019  | Trump Budget Puts Medicare/Medicaid in Crosshairs
The Trump Administration released its budget blueprint for federal fiscal year 2020 last week and, by any measure, it does not contain good news for Medicaid, Medicare, hospitals, or coverage expansion.
03.18.2019  | Hospitals on Board With 3.1% Benchmark – With Caveats
The Health Policy Commission in coming months is scheduled to decide on whether the state’s healthcare cost growth benchmark – currently set at 3.1% – should remain at that level.
02.25.2019  | Hospital Groups Call Attention, Again, to Pending DSH Cuts
In a letter to Congressional leadership last week, a group of hospital associations, including the American Hospital Association, noted that the ACA coverage goals have not been fully achieved – but that DSH cuts remain.
01.28.2019  | What to Expect in the Federal Healthcare Arena
The American Hospital Association (AHA) last week laid out its 2019 public policy agenda.
01.07.2019  | A New Congress with Massachusetts Muscle
The new 116th Congress was sworn in last Thursday and its leadership contains some Massachusetts members.
01.07.2019  | House First Order of Business: Defend ACA
The new Democratic House was expected to pass a rules package that includes a provision allowing it to intervene in a federal lawsuit that is challenging the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act.
11.12.2018  | Rep. Neal in New Post Says the Focus is Healthcare
Now that Democrats have regained control of the U.S. House of Representatives, Massachusetts Rep. Richard Neal (D) will become chairman of the powerful Ways & Means Committee.
07.02.2018  | CMS Responds to Massachusetts Medicaid Waiver Requests
Last week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services responded to the state’s 1115 Medicaid Waiver request that had been filed last September.
02.19.2018  | The Trump HHS Budget for Fiscal 2019
Last Monday, the Trump Administration released its FY2019 budget proposal.
01.29.2018  | CHIP and the Short-Lived Shutdown
The three-day government shutdown came to an end last Monday when Congress passed a continuing resolution package.
12.11.2017  | Current, and Future, Tax Bill Concerns
The House and Senate tax bills now moving to conference committee each contain provisions that are of concern to hospitals.
11.06.2017  | House Passes CHIP Bill, But Its Future is Unclear
The U.S. House on Friday passed legislation to extend the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) for five years.
10.23.2017  | Dithering on CSRs Results in Premium Spike
A key Senate Republican, Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) worked this week to show President Donald Trump that the bill Alexander crafted with Democrat Patty Murray (D-Wash.) helps consumers – not insurers – by funding cost-sharing reductions (CSR).

Resources

Click on the links below for easy access to information on important federal healthcare matters and MHA’s advocacy, outreach and other work on these issues.

Both of these include links to members list, committees, and legislation and records.