Leftenent Governor Delbert Hosemann issued the following statement.
Senate Medicaid Chairman Kevin Blackwell delivered another signed compromise proposal to the House on healthcare reform.
The newest proposal is a version of the Senate compromise delivered to the House on Friday, April 26. The House objected to the requirement that the Attorney General appeal to the federal courts if CMS denied the waiver. The new compromise would require the state, if the waiver was denied, to reapply only if another state’s work requirement was approved by CMS instead of contesting through the courts.
The newest proposal would also move the work requirement—which already contains significant exceptions for students, parents of children who are not school-age, and others—to 100 hours a month from 120 hours a month.
“We have provided three conference reports over the past three days. The House got back to us this afternoon countering with, essentially, their original bill,” Blackwell said. “We now submit a fourth report, which provides a path to implementation and is reflective of an attempt to compromise between the two chambers.”
All four signed Senate conference reports will be published online for the public to review: https://www.legislature.ms.
“A compromise requires concessions between the chambers. The Senate requires a real work requirement, but our plan now covers individuals up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level,” Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann said. “This is a good step which would cover thousands more Mississippians than our Medicaid program covers now—and we hope the House will sign on to give us the opportunity to vote on the bill.”
The three previous proposals included the following:
- Original Senate proposal: requires the Mississippi Division of Medicaid to apply for a waiver to cover people making up to 100 percent of the federal poverty level (less than $31,200 for a family of four). The plan would not move the 140,000 people between 100-138 percent of the federal poverty level who are currently on commercial plans on the federal health insurance exchange to Medicaid plans—and the state would receive no federal match money for this population. The waiver, if approved by CMS, would allow the state to draw down 77 percent in federal match money and would primarily be paid for through an assessment on managed care organizations. The proposal includes a work requirement.
- Senate compromise proposal: requires the Mississippi Division of Medicaid to apply for a waiver to cover people making less than 100 percent of the federal poverty level to be covered by a managed care organization. Medicaid would also cover people between 100-138 percent of the federal poverty level through the federal health insurance exchange (138 percent of the federal poverty level is less than $43,056 for a family of four). The waiver, if approved by CMS, would allow the state to draw down 90 percent in federal match money, but would also require the state to pay 10 percent of the cost of coverage/the commercial plans through 138 percent of the federal poverty level. The program would be largely paid for through an assessment on managed care organizations and an increased insurance premium tax on exchange plans provided to the eligible Medicaid beneficiaries. The proposal includes a work requirement but would require the Attorney General to appeal to the federal court if CMS denies the waiver.
- Second Senate compromise proposal: a variation of the first compromise proposal, but instead of appealing to the federal courts upon denial, the Division would be required to reapply only if another state’s work requirement was approved by CMS.
The House and Senate also signed a placeholder bill updating the Medicaid statutes (commonly known as the “Medicaid tech bill”). The legislation as drafted by the Senate it easier for children who are severely disabled to receive coverage; increase reimbursement rates for physicians and certain services, including services for patients with autism; include new areas of coverage, like glucose monitoring; and preserve the changes made last year to the hospital tax, which allows for additional revenue for hospitals.
22 comments:
The politicians that hardly ever work deciding who needs to work? If it was a beef plant, timber sales, lignite reclaim they would rubber stamp that mofo so fast your head would spin.
They were shamed into passing this by Democrats-
Delbert knows the work requirement won't fly (it has been rejected in every state that has tried it) but he has to participate in this dog and pony show so he can tell the Republican base that he tried. Seems like this phase of negotiations is all just theater.
What am I missing ? You call the politician wanting a work requirement the " leftenant " Governor ? You like the guywho does not want a work requirement [ Jason White ] and think he is conservative. I must have missed out on some of this narrative I suppose.
@10:05 AM
You need to watch more Masterpiece Theater or at least watch the movie Master and Commander to understand that Leftenant is the English pronunciation of the French word Lieutenant.
I hope these Legislators have enough foresight to see the struggles this state will be facing years from now when it's debating how to continue paying out of the general fund to match the federal Medicaid expansion carrot. This tar baby will be hard to get away from, and yet they act like it's nothing but a passing thing. Oh, and by the say, when Medicaid is expanded the same people pushing for that will be wanting more taxpayer dollars for a new intitiative yet to be revealed.
The Guv (British slang for governor) has his veto pen locked and loaded.
Shamed into passing this-
If medicaid is such a negative influence on citizens why doesn't the governor and state legislature just choose not to participate in it at all. States are not required to participate if they don't want to.
This year's ENTIRE session was a waste of time for everyone in Mississippi. Every one of the sapsuckers did nothing regarding the public interest.
10:47 - He doesn't meant it that way. It's a slur, plain and simple.
"The House objected to the requirement that the Attorney General appeal to the federal courts if CMS denied the waiver. The new compromise would require the state, if the waiver was denied, to reapply only if another state’s work requirement was approved by CMS instead of contesting through the courts."
This is ridiculous. Either the requirement is in or it is not.
...reapply only if somebody else was approved..... So. If the waiver is denied, does the bill STILL GO INTO EFFECT just without the work requirement?
No. MS cannot afford this. Most used Obama care until they got back on their feet. Most elderly on SS don’t make 36K year so how do you expect them to pay more. You should be helping elderly & stop diverting funds to illegals and non Americans!
3:21
If the waiver is not accepted the plan is null and void .
We have us a psychic at 3:14, y'all.
Governor's veto in 5, 4, 3, 2, 1...
So, threaten those who worked and earned their PERS, and give away medicare. Classic communism.
BIG POISON PILL IN THIS BILL!
Let’s go ahead and start calling Tate and telling him to fully expand Medicaid. Call his office at 601-359-3100 and tell him whatever you want to, but please do consider the following points:
1. Full Medicaid expansion means $1 billion a year for MS doctors and hospitals
2. This is not a cash handout to poor people
3. Expansion funds will also create jobs, jobs, and more jobs in healthcare we desperately need
4. More healthcare jobs means more people paying taxes, spending money in our local economies, and contributing to the vitality of our communities
5. Full expansion means way less uncompensated care, which is currently crippling our in emergency rooms and increasing healthcare costs for folks with private coverage
6. Our state’s annual budget is $7 billion. As governor, are you really willing to pass up $1 billion of OUR federal tax dollars?!!
@9:46 Thank you so much for making this simple for Mississippians to understand. I'm fortunate that I have a job that pays for my health insurance, but I know lots of working people who cannot afford it. Healthcare should be a basic right for everyone.
@9:46 PM. You forgot one little bitty piece of information. Once the fed dollars dry up....and they do.....then the state is on the hook for covering all of the expense. If anyone doesn't believe me, please, take a moment and look at some of the states who signed up for this. They are in horrible shape now with massive deficits.
Its great to look at this like is a solution to everything BUT if you do not look at the whole picture, then you are wearing rose tinted glasses.
"...$1 billion a year for MS doctors and hospitals."
That says it all.
But what happens when that "free" money from Washington dries up? Where do you think that "free money" really comes from.
This is how it works: The states send Washington billions and billions of dollars. After taking their huge cut, Washington sends the states millions and millions of dollars.
Post a Comment