Medicaid

A new measure from Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) would raise the federal government's contribution to Medicaid in the District by five percent — a step advocates say is sorely needed for the city without a state.

Introducing the bill Tuesday, Norton drew a contrast between D.C. and New York City, which pays less than 25 percent of its total Medicaid bill.

"The District pays for 30 percent of Medicaid," Norton said. "Considering the expansion of Medicaid eligibility under the new healthcare reform law, effective 2014, now is the time to make the District's Medicaid burden more equitable." 

The federal government would save hundreds of billions of dollars — and millions of people would lose access to healthcare coverage — under the spending cuts House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) outlined Tuesday.

Ryan would repeal the coverage expansion under President Obama's healthcare law and make deep additional cuts to Medicaid — cuts that far outstrip his more politically controversial cuts to Medicare.

All told, Ryan says those cuts would save the federal government roughly $2.5 trillion over the next decade. As many as 64 million people could lose access to healthcare coverage in the same time frame.

The newly unveiled measure could disrupt Medicaid programs and other services, according to state governments.

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie upset some conservatives by participating in the Medicaid expansion under President Obama's healthcare law, but his colleagues in Washington took a wait-and-see attitude Tuesday.

Christie announced in his budget address Tuesday that he will be the eighth GOP governor to accept the Medicaid expansion — a major part of the Affordable Care Act that Republicans strongly oppose.

Rep. Scott Garrett (R-N.J.) withheld judgment Tuesday when informed by a reporter that Christie had signed on to the Medicaid expansion. 

Christie became the eighth GOP governor to endorse the expansion, delivering a big political win for the president.

The nation's largest seniors' lobby is stepping up its effort to sell governors on the Medicaid expansion in President Obama's healthcare law.

AARP said Monday it's "ramping up" an advocacy push to persuade governors to take part in the Medicaid expansion. The lobbying effort includes advertising and in-person lobbying in more than 40 states, AARP said.

The White House still opposes entitlement cuts it once supported, Treasury secretary nominee Jack Lew said in response to questions from Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah).

Hatch, the top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, asked Lew about Medicare and Medicaid cuts in written questions following a hearing on his nomination. 

In his responses to Hatch, Lew made clear that the White House does not support raising the eligibility age for Medicare — a proposal Obama had supported in 2011 deficit talks with House Speaker John Boehner.

Planned Parenthood's political arm claimed victory Friday as a federal judge chose to permanently block an Arizona law aiming at barring the group from Medicaid.

Arizona's GOP governor, Jan Brewer, had declared it a priority to ensure no state dollars flowed to abortion providers that also offer women's health services. State and federal law prohibit public funds from supporting abortion procedures.

But the law became entangled in the courts, with Planned Parenthood arguing that it was discriminatory and neglectful to low-income women. 

Protesters disrupted a fundraiser featuring Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) on Friday, criticizing him for refusing to implement central parts of President Obama's healthcare law.

Protesters interrupted Perry's speech during a fundraising breakfast in Washington. A larger group gathered outside Republicans' Capitol Hill Club, where the event was held.

"Healthcare is a human right, Gov. Perry. Do what is right for Texas," shouted one woman, who said she was from Houston, before being escorted out of the event.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush (R) told statehouse Republicans they should reject the Medicaid expansion that Gov. Rick Scott (R) has now endorsed, according to a report at National Review Online (NRO).

Bush addressed Medicaid during a visit earlier this month that was primarily centered on education reform, NRO reported.

“He said that rejecting the Obamacare expansion was good policy, and told them to come up with some conservative alternatives," a source told the magazine.