Medicaid

Registered voters in seven states want their governors to participate in the Medicaid expansion under President Obama's healthcare law, according to polling released Wednesday by the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN).

The survey found majority support for the Medicaid expansion in each of the seven states surveyed, some of which are on the fence about the expansion.

The smallest majority supporting the expansion was in Texas, where 58 percent said their states should accept federal funding to expand the healthcare program for poor and disabled people.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has said he will probably reject the expansion.

The Obama administration released new regulations Monday to implement central provisions of President Obama's healthcare law, including its controversial Medicaid expansion.

The Health and Human Services Department gave states and insurance plans more information about the Medicaid expansion, as well as the creation of new insurance exchanges where people will be able to shop for private insurance.

The Democratic senator helped create the Children's Health Insurance Program and shaped the healthcare law.

Jack Lew's nomination to Treasury secretary will likely elevate one of the Obama administration's most adamant supporters of Medicaid.

Lew has been a staunch advocate for Medicaid in his role as President Obama's chief of staff, and the program's outside supporters are excited that Lew will now play a bigger role.

"I'm thrilled. We're gaining even a stronger voice in the Treasury Department, and Jack is undoubtedly going to play a pivotal role in many of the future budget negotiations," Families USA Executive Director Ron Pollack said.

Participating in the Medicaid expansion in President Obama's signature healthcare law will cost California about $350 million, according to the budget Gov. Jerry Brown (D) released Thursday.

The costs to the state come mostly from people who are eligible for the program now but not enrolled, and are expected to join once the high-profile expansion takes effect.

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The Obama administration will not allow Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) to drop more than 37,000 low-income people from Medicaid, instead approving plans that will affect coverage for about 20,000 Mainers. 

President Obama's acting Medicare chief cited healthcare reform Monday in denying LePage's plan to eliminate coverage for parents whose incomes fall between the federal poverty level and 133 percent of that number.

LePage also sought to cut insurance for 19- and 20-year-olds to save a total of $23 million.

The lead advocate for public hospitals is already making the case that safety-net providers cannot sustain cuts as part of a deficit-reduction deal this spring.

Bruce Siegel, who leads the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, congratulated lawmakers and the White House for avoiding the worst effects of the "fiscal cliff."

But he warned that public hospitals should not be expected to bear any cuts as part of a deal to replace the sequester and raise the debt ceiling in two months. 

Sen. Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) said his debilitating stroke has sparked a new interest in the experience of people on Medicaid.

In an interview published Wednesday, Kirk said that most Illinois residents insured through the low-income health program would be eligible for just 11 rehabilitation sessions following a stroke.

"Had I been limited to that I would have had no chance to recover like I did. So unlike before suffering the stroke, I’m much more focused on Medicaid and what my fellow citizens face," Kirk told the Chicago Sun Times. 

The Republican senators want a focus on entitlement reform after Congress addresses the impending expiration of the Bush-era tax rates.