Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Idaho Lawmakers Fail To Vote On Medicaid Expansion, Opt For New Studies Instead
Idaho lawmakers have failed to finalize a proposal to expand Medicaid eligibility that would appease the Republican supermajority in the waning days of the legislative session. Instead, two minor proposals were approved Wednesday by the House to devote more resources to studying the so-called Medicaid gap population. (Kruesi, 3/22)
Reginald Rogers owes his dentist a debt of gratitude for his new dentures, but no money. Indiana鈥檚 Medicaid program has them covered, a godsend for the almost toothless former steelworker who hasn鈥檛 held a steady job for years and lives in his daughter鈥檚 basement. 鈥淚 just need to get my smile back,鈥 Rogers, 59, told his dentist at a clinic here recently. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 get a job unless I can smile.鈥 Rogers is among the more than 240,000 low-income people who gained health coverage in the past year when Indiana expanded Medicaid as part of the Affordable Care Act. Rogers pays $1 a month -- a fee that is a hallmark of the state鈥檚 controversial plan. (Galewitz, 3/24)
