�������ýҕ�l

More than 80 million people—a record number—have health coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, as enrollments surged due to Covid-19, according to new data released Monday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Between February of 2020 and January 2021, nearly 9.9 million people enrolled in the two programs—a 13.9% increase, the data shows. And more than 38.3 million children, or nearly half of the total Medicaid and CHIP enrollment, were in both those programs. (Parti, 6/21)

National Medicaid enrollment hit a record 80.5 million this past January, as Congress provided extra funding for states to retain and sign up more low-income adults and children during the coronavirus pandemic. Because more states have outsourced their Medicaid programs to private health insurers, this pandemic-fueled growth also has been a boon for some of the largest insurance companies. (Herman, 6/22)

If Missouri conservatives don’t want to fund a voter-approved expansion of the state’s Medicaid program, they can either propose another constitutional amendment that would gut it or cut funding to the existing program completely, a lawyer for three would-be new recipients told a judge on Monday. If lawmakers set aside any money for the Medicaid program — which they did — then they must fund the expansion so that newly eligible adults get coverage on July 1, when the constitutional amendment kicks in, lawyer Chuck Hatfield told Cole County Circuit Court Presiding Judge Jon Beetem. (Ballentine, 6/21)

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson on Monday set a tight deadline for lawmakers to work out a deal on a critical piece of Medicaid funding. If lawmakers can’t find a solution by noon Tuesday, Parson said he’ll cut $722 million from the state budget July 1. That includes close to $182 million in state funding and would hit programs ranging from K-12 school busing to nursing home care. “The implications of this are huge,” Parson said. (Ballentine, 6/21)

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration announced Friday that the state will next month step back from flexibilities that were offered to Medicaid providers and beneficiaries during the COVID-19 pandemic, including allowing people to receive behavioral health services without first obtaining prior authorization. The Agency for Health Care Administration issued eight Medicaid notices announcing that the policies designed to make it easier for patients to access health care and for providers to bill for the care were being rescinded. (6/21)

As the July 1 rollout date for North Carolina’s transition to managed care fast approaches, a coalition of advocacy groups, insurers and other community organizations says a substantial chunk of enrollees do not know enough about the change. The so-called transformation will change Medicaid, the largest public insurer in the state, into something that looks and acts more like private health insurance. (Engel-Smith, 6/22)

The Mississippi State Auditor's Office is looking into whether UnitedHealth Group, the fifth largest company in the U.S., is over-billing Medicaid for prescription drugs. Confirmation of the probe comes a week after Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch and State Auditor Shad White announced a $55 million settlement with Centene, another Fortune 500 company, to resolve allegations Centene had over-billed the state Division of Medicaid for prescription drugs. (Sanderlin, 6/21)

KHN: Hospitals, Insurers Invest Big Dollars To Tackle Patients’ Social Needs

When doctors at a primary care clinic here noticed many of its poorest patients were failing to show up for appointments, they hoped giving out free rides would help. But the one-time complimentary ride didn’t reduce these patients’ 36% no-show rate at the University of Pennsylvania Health System clinics. “I was super surprised it did not have any effect,” said Dr. Krisda Chaiyachati, the Penn researcher who led the 2018 study of 786 Medicaid patients. (Galewitz, 6/22)