Medicaid Will Expand, Regardless of What States Do
From Kevin Outterson:
[W]hether a state takes the non-elderly expansion to 133% FPL or not, other changes in PPACA will make some people newly eligible for Medicaid. Examples include the required use of Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI) and the 5% income offset; the elimination of the asset test; conforming the definition of “household” for Medicaid income eligibility purposes to existing tax rules; and other administrative changes to streamline eligibility determinations (details here, in Part II.D.)
And from the Leavitt report:
IDHW estimates that the Medicaid provisions outlined above could increase Idaho’s Medicaid enrollment by 5% to 10%, regardless of whether the State decides to expand or not…
Some specifics:
“States are prohibited from applying asset or resource tests on populations whose eligibility is based on MAGI”
“A single income disregard of 5% FPL will be applied instead of using the current income disregards.”
“family size will now be based on the number of personal exemptions an applicant claims on their tax return…Under the current Medicaid system, states differ in their approach to determining household size and determining whose income to include when calculating eligibility”
“The Medicaid Agency is required to pre-populate and electronically verify as much of the renewal application as possible in order to minimize the burden on the applicant…The new processes also lack active cooperation from the recipient, placing the burden largely on the states to determine Medicaid eligibility”
“states are required to provide a standard application form, accessible through the exchange, for all state health subsidy programs starting in 2014”
Of course it will, might as well dress Medicare up with a little squiggly tail and a snout for halloween, because that’s exactly what it is.
Yesterday I read that the Louisiana Rep who was instrumental in pushing Medicare Part D through Congress was offered a 2 million a year job lobbying for big pharm immediately after finishing his term.
He didn’t seek reelection.
So states don’t have to expand Medicaid… but they have to expand Medicaid?
Not sure what to make of this. It looks like another imposed decision in which no one has a say…but policy makers of course.
I agree with you Alex.The words states don’t have to expand Medicaid, but they have to expand Medicaid?