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AdvertisementBrock Juarez, a spokesman for the Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration, the agency overseeing the state’s Medicaid program, did not immediately return requests for comment. Gender-affirming care can, but does not always, include medical interventions. In April, 300 medical providers in the state wrote an open letter in the Tampa Bay Times criticizing the state’s guidance against gender-affirming care. An estimate from a 2019 study by the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law showed there were about 9,000 people receiving gender-affirming care each year in Florida. AdvertisementMike Haller, a professor and chief of pediatric endocrinology at the University of Florida, said the decision to bar people from using Medicaid to cover gender-affirming care was “cruel and unusual punishment” for patients seeking safe, evidence-based care.

University of Michigan Health is one of 18 five-star rated hospitals in Michigan, according to CMS.

The order will allow states who haven't banned abortion to apply for Medicaid waivers to help them treat women who've traveled from out of state.

A deal on Medicaid expansion in North Carolina is within reach after both legislative chambers passed competing measures before ending their annual session.

Those with special needs must shelter assets carefully to not be disqualified from government aid. That's where special needs trusts and ABLE accounts come in.

About half of all senior men and women living alone are either in poverty or struggle to afford essentials.

More than half of uninsured kids qualify for free coverage but don't know it. The government has released $49 million to get the word out, especially as the end of the COVID health emergency looms.

The Biden administration is warning pharmacies not to discriminate against women who may seek reproductive health prescriptions, including some that might be involved in ending a pregnancy.

David Jankowski, 62-year-old Bingham Farms physician was convicted by a federal jury in Detroit on 30 charges related to a $35 million controlled substance operation.

The new program, which will take until 2024 to fully implement, will provide coverage for an additional 764,000 people.

California will be the first state to guarantee free health care for all low-income immigrants who are living in the country illegally.

California on Thursday became the first state to guarantee free health care for all low-income immigrants living in the country illegally, a move that will provide coverage for an additional 764,000 people at an eventual cost of about $2.7 billion a year. Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a $307.9 billion operating budget that pledges to make all low-income adults eligible for the state's Medicaid program by 2024 regardless of their immigration status. It’s a long-sought victory for health care and immigration activists, who have been asking for the change for more than a decade.

Pandemic-era spending to expand coverage won’t last forever. But Congress can smooth the transition to avoid a crisis.

A new public policy issue -- whether the federal government can find ways to help Americans access abortions now that Roe v. Wade has been overturned -- is running up against a long-time restriction on federal dollars. The Hyde Amendment, first enacted 45 years ago, and related provisions restrict the use of federal funds for abortions. It’s emerged as an obstacle to efforts to maintain abortion services for women in states that outlaw the procedure.

The owner of seven Louisiana nursing homes whose residents suffered in squalid conditions after being evacuated to a warehouse for Hurricane Ida has been arrested.

Medical debt can ruin lives, and in many states patients have few financial protections. North Carolina is considering a new law that could lead the way in shielding patients from high medical bills.

Companies including Tesla and Coinbase have announced layoffs. Losing your job and income is incredibly disruptive. Focusing on these first steps can help.

The administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services wants to make it easier to switch between government and private health plans.

Nearly 14 years after a Lee County girl was catastrophically injured when she was hit by a truck, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday said Florida’s Medicaid program can recoup a chunk of the money it paid for her initial care.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Tuesday signed into law measures intended to increase funding and improve staffing at nursing homes.

Michigan should prepare in the coming months for the end of the federally declared COVID-19 public health emergency, which has ensured continuing coverage for Medicaid enrollees, the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities reported this week. Come October, states will have to resume regularly reviewing the eligibility of all Medicaid recipients. Some people could lose their coverage because their circumstances have changed. Others could lose it, despite continued qualification, for avoidable reasons, such as a renewal notice sent to an outdated address, according to the center, a nonpartisan research and policy institute.

It's imperative that families shelter assets in special needs trusts to ensure impaired loved ones do not lose life-saving government financial support.

The White House is looking for actions it can take to protect abortion rights, such as using Medicaid funds to transport women to clinics. But some warn its options are limited.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced Monday that the state will be expanding Medicaid coverage.

The WA Cares Fund would help alleviate the financial burden of long-term care by providing workers a lifetime benefit of $36,500. The program was delayed while lawmakers addressed equity issues.

Though the majority of Medicaid recipients have smartphones, most states will rely on snail mail and email to tell people their coverage is at risk with the end of the COVID public health emergency.

Responding to long-standing problems that were made worse by the COVID-19 pandemic, a bill approved late Thursday would increase payments to nursing homes and tie much of the increase to staffing levels and quality of care.

The bill would particularly target high-Medicaid, for-profit nursing home facilities, which make up 95% of all understaffed facilities in the state.

A major report says American nursing home residents are subjected to ineffective care and poor staffing, and that facility finances are shrouded in secrecy and regulatory lapses go unenforced.

The pandemic has overwhelmed understaffed state Medicaid agencies, and as Biden's COVID-19 public health emergency declaration ends, low-income people could find it even harder to get coverage.

"In my largely rural district, many people worked low-wage jobs and benefited from the program," Hurd said of the GOP bill, which slashed Medicaid.

When the end of the COVID-19 pandemic comes, it could create major disruptions for U.S. health care.

Good morning, Chicago. Here are some of the top stories you need to know to start your day.

The 12 states holding out against Medicaid expansion are laggards in job-market strength and income growth. Even the ones that signed up late are doing better.

Mississippi has a high maternal mortality rate, but lawmakers killed a bill to expand postpartum Medicaid coverage.

Democrats who hoped they'd have transformational new health legislation in place by next year could instead be facing one of the largest increases in the U.S. uninsured rate in recent history.Why it matters: Temporary pandemic-era reforms to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act marketplaces caused enrollment in each to swell, but these policy changes are due to end soon, and millions of people could lose their health coverage.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axi

Almost a year after the American Rescue Plan Act allocated up to $25 billion to home and community-based services run by Medicaid, many states have yet to access the funds due to delays and red tape.

States are set to start checking recipients' eligibility, pushing up to 15 million out of the federal health program.

A Bay City vascular surgeon pleaded guilty Tuesday in a scheme to defraud Medicaid, Medicare, and Blue Cross Blue Shield out of about $19.5 million.

In both the OSHA and health care cases, an emergency procedure was used where the notice and comment stages were skipped.

The pandemic exposed how old-school tech hampers access to health care and other public services. With new federal funding, states finally have a way to upgrade, if they seize the opportunity.

There's a federal mandate for staffers at healthcare facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare funding to have a least one dose of a COVID vaccine.

A federal mandate requires staffers at health care facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare funding to have a least one dose of a COVID vaccine.

A federal mandate requires staffers at health care facilities that receive Medicaid or Medicare funding to have a least one dose of a COVID vaccine.

President Joe Biden says 14.5 million Americans got private health insurance for this year under the Obama-era health law, thanks to help from his administration.

While some couples "spend down" their assets to qualify for Medicaid, another option may be an annuity that converts assets into income.

Biden's lengthy second news conference included some errant facts and claims without context.

Two rulings reveal just how hard-conservative the core of the Court is.

The Supreme Court ruled against the Biden administration's rule for OSHA, saying it did not have the power to require vaccination for millions of Americans.

Medicaid's transportation contracts can be worth tens of millions for companies that land them. But patients say rides to and from medical care often show up late — or sometimes not at all.

Medicaid expansion would insure many more Texans and bring billions of federal dollars. But, the effect to the state's economy would be even greater.

With annual adjustments pushing some costs higher, experts say it's important to consider how the changes will affect your household spending.

The U.S. government has approved California's overhaul of the nation's largest insurance program for low-income and disabled residents, officials said Wednesday, a decision that among other things allows Medicaid money to be spent on housing-related services as the most populous state struggles with homelessness and a lack of affordable housing. CalAIM — California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal — intends a more comprehensive approach that improves the "entire continuum of care” across the program that California calls Medi-Cal, according to the California Department of Health Care Services. Starting with the new year Saturday, California will among other things expand what had been a limited “whole person care pilot program" to eligible Medi-Cal members statewide.

But there are still provisions that could significantly expand home care in Michigan and across the U.S. and help raise wages for the people who provide it. That means that if the legislation passes as is, states will have an incentive to expand home care programs. “We know there is a crisis going on,” said Barry Cargill, president and CEO of the Michigan Home Care and Hospice Association, a group of some 250 providers. The added funding for expanded home care programs isn’t the only benefit provided in the Build Back Better plan as it passed the U.S. House. It also includes $1 billion for grants that could be used on programs to retain workers and provide better pay.

But there are still provisions that could significantly expand home care in Michigan and across the U.S. and help raise wages for the people who provide it. That means that if the legislation passes as is, states will have an incentive to expand home care programs. “We know there is a crisis going on,” said Barry Cargill, president and CEO of the Michigan Home Care and Hospice Association, a group of some 250 providers. The added funding for expanded home care programs isn’t the only benefit provided in the Build Back Better plan as it passed the U.S. House. It also includes $1 billion for grants that could be used on programs to retain workers and provide better pay.

MARQUETTE, MI -- A Menominee man will spend 18 months in prison after he was convicted of theft of government funds. Edward Douglas Cornman, 49, was also order to pay $297,768.31 in restitution after he illegally obtained government benefits for more than 10 years. Cornman pleaded guilty to charges in June when he admitted to lying about his work history and assets to obtain Medicaid benefits. Cornman failed to report his assets and work activities to the Social Security Administration from 2010 to 2019, and he improperly received Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, and other benefits during that time, authorities said.

A government report says U.S. health care spending rocketed to $4.1 trillion last year as Congress opened the spigot of federal dollars to battle the coronavirus pandemic across multiple fronts.

Direct certification makes it easier for children from low-income households to receive free and reduced-price school meals.

America’s complicated health-care system means everything is harder—even rapid testing.

State expands opioid health home services to Monroe County

Medicaid issues are turning up as winners in President Joe Biden’s social budget framework even as divisions force Democrats to hit pause on far-reaching improvements to Medicare.

The political organization led by prominent Democrat Stacey Abrams is branching out into paying off medical debts.

The Democrats’ social spending and climate change bill would put the United States back on a path to reducing its persistent pool of uninsured people.

Starting this month, 13 mental health and addiction clinics across Michigan will receive the same Medicaid funding as any other health center in an effort to help bridge the stigmatic and funding divide between mental and physical health.

Democrats are fretting about how they’d divide a shrinking pie amid signs that negotiations over President Joe Biden’s massive domestic policy bill could yield a smaller serving of health care spending.

Dental work for Medicare recipients.

House Democrats said Friday they planned to take action next week to suspend the cap on the government’s borrowing authority.

President Joe Biden says nearly 3 million consumers took advantage of a special six-month period to sign up for subsidized health insurance coverage made more affordable by his COVID-19 relief law.

California may become the first state to pay drug addicts to stay sober.

A Dearborn dentist is facing 10 counts of fraud after she lied about performing medical care for children from low-income households, officials said.

Connecticut has become the latest state to mandate that workers in nursing homes be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Illinois is leading a handful of Democratic-run states in extending health insurance coverage to adult immigrants living in the country illegally, including seniors.

Three Democratic U.S. senators from states that have refused to expand Medicaid want the federal government to set up a mirror plan to provide health insurance coverage to people in those states.

Missouri Gov. Mike Parson has dropped plans to expand the state's Medicaid program after the Legislature declined to provide money for a measure approved by voters.

President Joe Biden has proposed a major expansion of the government’s role in long-term care, but questions are being raised over his use of the low-income Medicaid program and piggybacking the whole idea on an infrastructure bill.

The government says more than a half million Americans have already taken advantage of the Biden administration’s special health insurance sign-up window that's keyed to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, the COVID-19 relief bill is offering states a generous funding boost for home- and community-based care as an alternative to institutionalizing disabled people. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)WASHINGTON – With the memory of the pandemic's toll in nursing homes still raw, the COVID-19 relief law is offering states a generous funding boost for home- and community-based care as an alternative to institutionalizing disabled people. As it has grown to cover about 1 in 5 Americans, it's also become the nation's default long-term care program, although qualifying is often an arduous process. While the federal government requires state Medicaid programs to cover nursing home care for low-income people, that's not the case for home- and community-based support services. For now, states and advocates for the disabled are awaiting guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on how the money in the COVID-19 law can be spent.

Henry McMaster remains firmly opposed to the Medicaid expansion. The bump in federal funding would last two years for the states that join the Medicaid expansion. Laura Kelley this year called for legalizing medical use of marijuana and using the tax revenue to pay for expanding Medicaid. "It’s a nonstarter, and we will continue to oppose the liberal wish list item of Medicaid expansion,” he said. Kay Ivey left open the possibility of expanding Medicaid at some point in the future, but there are no plans to do so.

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court said Thursday it has called off upcoming arguments over a Trump administration plan to remake Medicaid by requiring recipients to work, agreeing to a request from the Biden administration. But the Biden administration already has decided preliminarily that work requirements do not fit with Medicaid's goal of providing health care to lower-income people. AdOther cases involved Trump administration immigration policies and a fight over unreleased portions of grand jury documents from special counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation of Russian interference in the 2016 elections. The high court had in December agreed to review lower-court decisions involving Arkansas and New Hampshire that found that the Trump administration’s support for work requirements went beyond what’s allowed by law. Arkansas had opposed the Biden administration’s request that the cases be dropped.

Labor and delivery are thought of as the riskiest times for new mothers, but many women die in the months after giving birth. The legislation gives states the option of extending Medicaid coverage to women with low to modest incomes for a full year after childbirth. Maternal health advisory groups in 19 states, from Texas to Massachusetts, and Washington to Tennessee, have recommended such an extension. AdSome Republicans who disdain the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package say they would like to see the maternal health provisions made permanent. “We must strive to improve maternal health outcomes and reduce maternal mortality,” said Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas, who cosponsored legislation with Kelly, the Chicago Democrat, in the last Congress.

WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is asking the Supreme Court not to hear arguments in two cases on its March calendar about the Trump administration's plan to remake Medicaid by requiring recipients to work. The Biden administration has been moving to roll back those Trump-era plans and cited “greatly changed circumstances” in asking Monday that the cases be dropped from the court's argument calendar. The high court had in December agreed to review lower-court decisions involving Arkansas and New Hampshire that found that the Trump administration’s support for work requirements went beyond what’s allowed by law. Medicaid is a $600 billion federal-state program that covers about 70 million people, from pregnant women and newborns to disabled people and nursing home residents. Under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act, states gained the option of expanding the program to many low-income adults previously ineligible.

(AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – The Biden administration is moving to roll back Medicaid work requirements in its latest effort to undo a controversial Trump-era policy. Federal health officials planned Friday to inform 10 states that they would revoke permissions granted by the Trump administration to impose such requirements, according to a Biden official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal plans. Officials were also set to withdraw the past administration’s invitation for states to apply for approval for work requirements. AdThe Trump administration allowed states to require “able-bodied” adults drawing Medicaid benefits to work, volunteer or study. Before the pandemic, nearly 20 states had tried to implement requirements after the administration invited them in 2018 to submit such proposals.

Kelly championed Medicaid expansion in her first race in 2018 and promised to sign legislation legalizing medical marijuana, though she has not pushed that issue aggressively so far. But University of Kansas political scientist Patrick Miller said he wonders why any Kansas politician still opposes medical marijuana. The Legislature has taken only relatively small steps toward legalizing medical marijuana even as most other states have done it. She said legalizing medical marijuana could raise up to $50 million a year and her proposal “eliminates the argument” that Kansas can't afford Medicaid expansion. AdBut Republican lawmakers remained skeptical that medical marijuana could raise much money or cover Medicaid expansion costs.

AdThe Biden administration has ample resources for marketing, said Karen Pollitz, a health insurance expert with the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation. “The reason it wasn’t spent is the Trump administration spent its time in office cutting services that support consumer enrollment,” Pollitz said. He cited a Trump policy that allows employers to provide tax-free money for workers to buy individual plans. AdThe idea of reopening Obamacare's health insurance markets in the pandemic has had broad support from consumer, medical, and business organizations. As the number of uninsured Americans grew because of job losses in the pandemic, the Trump administration resisted calls to reopen HealthCare.gov.

President Joe Biden holds his face mask as he delivers remarks on COVID-19, in the State Dining Room of the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 26, 2021, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)WASHINGTON – Fulfilling a campaign promise, President Joe Biden plans to reopen the HealthCare.gov insurance markets for a special sign-up opportunity geared to people needing coverage in the coronavirus pandemic. Biden is expected to sign an executive order Thursday, said two people familiar with the plan, whose details were still being finalized. Coverage is available to people who don't have job-based health insurance, with the Medicaid expansion geared to those with low incomes. “President Biden does not believe, as a principle, it should be difficult ... for people to gain access to health care,” she said.

Health care remains a top issue for voters, particularly during the spread of the coronavirus as millions lost their jobs and health insurance over the course of pandemic. According to the non-partisan Kaiser Family Foundation roughly 25 million people get their health care through the federal ACA marketplace or the ACA’s Medicaid expansion. Here’s one from President Trump about Biden’s plan:“The bigger problem that you have is that you’re going to extinguish 180 million people with their private health care,” Trump said. While estimates differ, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services do estimate that roughly 180 million Americans have private health insurance. Biden’s plan creates a public option for low income Americans but does not get rid of private insurance.

Federal officials say a sharp decline in routine medical care for low-income children during the coronavirus shutdown will cause long-term harm if not reversed. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)WASHINGTON – A sharp decline in routine medical care for low-income children during the coronavirus shutdown could cause long-term harm if not reversed, federal officials warned Wednesday. Among the findings:— Early childhood vaccinations declined by 22%, or 1.7 million fewer immunizations for kids up to age 2. — Even after accounting for increased use of telehealth, there were 6.9 million fewer mental health visits. The changes mirror what happened with everyday health care services for adults.

Median household income in 2019 was $68,703, an increase of 6.8% from the previous year. That figure surpassed past boom-before-the bust years in 2007, when it was $62,090 in 2019 dollars and in 1999, when it was $62,641 in 2019 dollars, according to the Census Bureau. It was the fifth consecutive annual decline in the national poverty rate, according to the Census Bureau. Hispanics saw the greatest jump in the uninsured of any racial or ethnic group, going from 17.9% in 2018 to 18.7% in 2019. But even taking into consideration that bias, median household income in 2019 would have been 4.1% higher than it was in 2018, showing that the median household income last year was the highest on record, the Census Bureau concluded.

President Donald Trump is still trying to overturn Obamacare, but his predecessor's health care law keeps gaining ground in places where it was once unwelcome. Missouri voters this week approved Medicaid expansion by a 53% to 47% margin, making the conservative state the seventh to do so under Trump. The six states where voters have approved Medicaid expansion in the Trump years are Idaho, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Utah. In Virginia, the legislature passed a Medicaid expansion after Democrats made political gains. In Missouri, support for Medicaid expansion in cities and suburbs overcame opposition in rural communities.

The situation underscores the vulnerability of many elderly residents and potential confusion about what homes can and cant do with residents money. One worry is that nursing homes could pressure residents to use the checks to pay outstanding balances. Its not yet known whether there are widespread problems with nursing homes taking residents' checks, said Lois Greisman of the Federal Trade Commission. Cole, the southwest Ohio nursing home resident, said he still has some stimulus money left after buying a 55-inch television and gaming device. Hell said he'll likely wait until his nursing homes lockdown ends to spend the rest.

OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma voters will decide Tuesday whether to expand Medicaid to tens of thousands of low-income residents and become the first state to amend their Constitution to do so. While an increasing number of Oklahoma voters took advantage of mail-in voting for Tuesday's primary, polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide. Amending the Oklahoma Constitution will prevent the Republican-controlled Legislature, which has resisted Medicaid expansion for a decade, from tinkering with the program or rolling back coverage. Oklahoma is one of 14 states, along with neighboring Texas and Kansas, that have not expanded Medicaid under the 2010 federal Affordable Care Act. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority has projected that about 215,000 residents would qualify for a Medicaid expansion, for a total annual cost of about $1.3 billion.

Oklahoma voters will vote in Tuesday's primary election on State Question 802, which would amend the Oklahoma Constitution to expand Medicaid health insurance. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki, Pool, File)OKLAHOMA CITY A question on whether to expand Medicaid in Oklahoma and a crowded Republican field vying to challenge the state's lone congressional Democrat are drawing the most attention ahead of Tuesday's primary election. According to the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation, states that have expanded Medicaid through a ballot measure include Idaho, Maine, Nebraska and Utah. This is going to cost our state $200 million," Stitt said during an event this week with Americans for Prosperity. Republicans clearly see OK-5 as one of their best chances to flip' a House seat, and theyre correct to see it that way," said Matthew Motta, a political science professor at Oklahoma State University.

(Leah Millis/Pool via AP)WASHINGTON Compounding the hardships of the coronavirus, some nursing homes have demanded that low-income residents turn over their $1,200 economic stimulus checks, a cash grab lawmakers want to halt. Low-income Medicaid recipients must not be coerced into wrongly handing over their checks for fear of being kicked out of their homes, wrote Neal and Pallone. We are not aware of widespread issues with resident stimulus funds," the American Health Care Association said in a statement. Generally, a Medicaid recipients taxable income is taken into account in determining their eligibility for the program. CMS chief Seema Verma tweeted on Tuesday that nursing homes engaging in this behavior will be subject to enforcement action.

WASHINGTON Many laid-off workers who lost health insurance in the coronavirus shutdown soon face the first deadlines to qualify for fallback coverage under the Affordable Care Act. We are in the middle of a pandemic, and God forbid if I get sick and I don't have it," she said of her health insurance. They can go to the federal HealthCare.gov or their state's health insurance website. The federal-state Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid cover kids in families with incomes well above the poverty level. Government statistics on people losing and finding health insurance coverage in the coronavirus contraction won't be available for months.

Gretchen Whitmer has signed changes to Michigans reporting requirements for people who will have to meet work-related requirements to qualify for Medicaid coverage. But shes accusing the Republican-led Legislature of not allocating $10 million she requested to implement the rules, which will take effect in January. Whitmer on Monday signed a law exempting some enrollees in the states Medicaid expansion program Healthy Michigan from having to meet monthly reporting rules if the state can verify their compliance with work requirements through other data. People would have a month to verify their compliance, instead of 10 days under existing law. The Democratic governor, who opposes the work requirements, says lawmakers should automatically suspend the rules if data in early 2020 show significant numbers of Michiganders will lose coverage.

Rod Meloni explains important Medicaid rules for you and your loved ones. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Rod Meloni explains important Medicaid rules for you and your loved ones. Copyright 2019 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved.

Doctors and public health experts warn of poor health and rising costs they say will come from sweeping Trump administration changes. Some advocates say they're already seeing the fallout even before the complex 837-page rule takes effect in October. They're not going to go get health care, or not until they have to go to an emergency room," said Lisa David, president and CEO of Public Health Solutions, New York's largest public health organization. Two California counties and attorneys general in 13 states sued, saying the changes will increase public health risks. New York's largest public health organization, Public Health Solutions, which serves a large immigrant population, reported a 20% drop in food stamps enrollment since the rule was first proposed in the fall.

Administration has issued new rules denying immigrants who use Medicaid, food stamps and housing vouchers access to green cards