Health Care Groups and Finance Committee Chair Advocate Expansion of Medicaid Program

Families USA, a national consumer health organization, and PhRMA, a pharmaceuticals group, are joining together to promote the expansion of the Medicaid program. On April 21, the groups launched a campaign to make health care more accessible and affordable by reforming Medicaid eligibility. These policy changes are intended to be included with health care reform legislation being developed in Congress. The groups advocate establishing an eligibility floor for Medicaid of 133 percent of poverty and sliding-scale subsidies for those who cannot afford to purchase insurance but do not qualify for Medicaid. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Baucus (D-MT) released a statement on the proposal saying that “increasing Medicaid access is a critical part of health care reform.” Read more!

HHS Releases FMAP Rates for First Two Quarters of FY 2009 Recalculated Based on ARRA Increases

The Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) released today in the Federal Register is for the first two quarters of FY 2009 (effective from October 1, 2008 through March 31, 2009). Rates are recalculated pursuant to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) including 6.2 increase to every state, plus the unemployment adjustment. See ANCOR's National Issues FMAP page to find your state's adjustment.






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Providers in Idaho Sue State Over Budget Cuts

On April 3, 16 providers of supports and services to individuals with disabilities filed a lawsuit against the state of Idaho stating that budget cuts could force 900 people with disabilities to lose residential services. The groups have asked the Judge to grant a temporary order preventing the state from enacting cuts set to begin on May 1. If the state is allowed to continue with the cuts it announced in March, providers will be forced to go out of business because of inadequate reimbursement rates, the plaintiffs say, resulting in more individuals with disabilities being moved to institutional settings. The suit alleges that the cuts are in violation of federal laws that require reimbursement rates to be high enough to ensure that all Medicaid recipients in a state have equal access to community-based programs. Read more!