After voters expanded Medicaid in conservative states like Missouri and Oklahoma, healthcare advocates are renewing a push for expansion in Mississippi and other southern states where Republican leaders have long been opposed. They say the changing tide has followed rising income inequality, joblessness and pressure from hospitals in economic turmoil — issues exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.
Repeated attempts for Medicaid expansion in Kansas have ended in disappointment for supporters, but they say they will not give up. In 2017, the state Legislature approved expansion, but then-Gov. Sam Brownback, a Republican, vetoed it. Two years later, the Kansas Legislature adjourned without approving a Democrat-led Medicaid expansion plan that would have helped Kansas residents stuck in the so-called medical-insurance coverage gap.
Comprehensive Solutions for All Administrative Needs
Highly configurable and scalable across all lines of business, VBA provides one common architecture for all healthcare administration needs through a comprehensive suite of solutions, including end-to-end functionality for benefit administration, user engagement, business insight and more. Watch our video to learn how!
Interested in learning more about our solutions? Contact us to schedule a demo at vbasales@vbasoftware.com or visit vbasoftware.com.
The plan, designed to help Washington, D.C., save money, would place about 100,000 patients this fall onto new healthcare plans, some of which do not cover the patients' current doctors. Meanwhile, state officials in Georgia say they may need $400 million next year because of expected increases in Medicaid expenses.
Colorado's Medicaid numbers aren't surging as fast as predicted amid COVID-fueled joblessness, but the program's administrators aren't relaxing yet, since federal decisions and the economy's unpredictable trajectory could still force them to come up with additional funding.
The number of people on Medicaid in Missouri has jumped by nearly 100,000 people since the pandemic hit the United States. Although some of the growth is likely due to the economic fallout of shutting down the economy to slow the spread of COVID-19, a federal relief package providing more money to states for Medicaid costs also is a factor.
A dispute over which health insurers are the best options for the state of North Carolina's ambitious Medicaid transformation initiative took two new twists this week. The program is expected to cover between 1.6 million and 1.8 million North Carolina participants beginning July 1, 2021.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper is requesting and increase in amount and duration for unemployment benefits in North Carolina. While presenting his budget recommendations Wednesday, Cooper proposed increasing unemployment benefits from $350 a week for 12 weeks to $500 a week for 24 weeks.
Georgia's main healthcare agency recently avoided major budget cuts that hit other departments, largely because the federal government increased its share of matching funds for state Medicaid programs. The extra money was aimed at helping states weather the financial devastation from the COVID-19 pandemic.
FOCOS Innovations offers a fully integrated service management solution complete with an EVV mobile app. Our software is tailored to meet the needs of Managed Care Organizations. Seamlessly extend FOCOSconnect access to all your provider agencies in a single platform! Learn how FOCOSconnect EVV software can help you!
Reductions in the amount of state money paid healthcare providers through Medicaid made as a way to tackle the state's budget shortfall could result in providers leaving the program, according to the Wyoming Department of Health. The department, in a report outlining the impacts of its $28 million reduction in benefits it pays for healthcare for some Wyoming residents, said the reductions will lead to limits on services in some cases.
mPulse Mobile has sent over 22 million CV19-related messages and counting across SMS, email, IVR and mobile web. See our full suite of CV19 programs and resources to help you effectively connect your population to services, information, and updates during this crisis.
Access the tool kit
Utah lawmakers are considering the approval of a Medicaid waiver for a pilot program led by the Utah Department of Health that would provide medical respite care for individuals experiencing homelessness.
The agency that provides healthcare to about 2 million Georgians is requesting almost a $400 million increase in its state budget next year. The request is not totally because of the COVID-19 pandemic but, in part, in anticipation that things will be closer to normal when fiscal 2022 starts July 1.
