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Postpartum Medicaid will be extended from 60 days after birth to one year starting today, as a provision included in last year’s state budget comes into effect. The provision allows pregnant people at or below 196 percent of the federal poverty guidelines – about $34,800 for a family of two – to remain eligible for coverage for 12 months postpartum. Medicaid coverage for pregnant people had previously ended about two months after giving birth, even though many pregnancy-related deaths occur 43 to 365 days postpartum, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Thompson, 4/1)

Private health plans could take the lead in alerting individuals of their insurance options once Medicaid redeterminations begin, raising concerns among patient advocates about the impact on payer competition and patients. As part of the pandemic relief effort, states paused removing people from Medicaid during the public health crisis because they are no longer qualified. As a result, and also because of an influx of enrollees due to the unprecedented, rapid loss of employment during the pandemic, Medicaid enrollment has swelled to its highest level ever. (Tepper, 3/31)

The Biden administration will distribute more than $110 million to help expand home and community-based services in Medicaid via the Money Follows the Person program that aims to boost home-based care for Medicaid beneficiaries. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced Thursday that the funding will open the door for more than 20 states and territories not participating in the program. (King, 3/31)

A bill by [Maryland] state Sen. Jason Gallion of Harford County that would correct underfunding of EMS providers under the Medicaid reimbursement rate, has passed unanimously in the Senate, according to Gallion’s office. The bill, SB 295, would institute a $25 increase in the reimbursement rate for Medicaid patient transports each fiscal year starting in 2023 until it reaches $300; allow for the reimbursement of “treat and release” or “treat but not the transport” of Medicaid patients; and allow Mobile Integrated Health reimbursement. MIH allows EMS services to make on-site treatment referrals and engage in telemedicine with local providers so that on-site care can be administered. This can result in a reduction of costly emergency room visits and ensure that the patient receives treatment at the best location. (Fontelieu, 4/1)

In October of last year, Karen Healy lost her job. As a result, she also lost her Medicaid coverage because her social security income was, according to state law, too high. HUSKY C, the state’s Medicaid program for people with disabilities, has very different income and asset limits for people who are working than for those who are not working. Many people with disabilities who retire or lose their jobs suddenly find themselves with too much money to continue qualifying for their Medicaid coverage, even though their income has decreased dramatically. (Golvala, 4/1)

Distrust. Fear. Unrealistic expectations. Bureaucratic delays. Those are both the causes and symptoms of a strained relationship between the Idaho Legislature and the state’s Medicaid division — a problem that has thwarted efforts for more than a decade to change how Idaho Medicaid pays for health care. Because of this vicious cycle, lawmakers who have financial control over Idaho Medicaid don’t “fully understand the impact of their decisions,” according to a report released this month. (Dutton, 3/30)

Inpatient rehabilitation facilities and inpatient psychiatric facilities will likely see Medicare rate increases in fiscal 2023. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services proposed inpatient rehabilitation facilities get a 2.8% Medicare rate increase in fiscal 2023. That would increase payment by $170 million compared to fiscal 2022 if CMS finalizes its proposal, which is based primarily on inflation. CMS also asked for feedback on whether to include home health in the inpatient rehab transfer payment policy, as the Health and Human Services' Office of Inspector General recommended. Medicare could have saved $993 million in 2017 and 2018 if it had implemented such a policy, OIG found. (Goldman, 3/31)