�鶹Ů��

Kansas and Texas will file amicus briefs supporting Florida in its lawsuit against the federal government over Medicaid expansion, Gov. Rick Scott announced Monday. Scott filed suit last week, alleging that the federal government is “coercing” the state into accepting Medicaid expansion by witholding the extension of a different Medicaid program. The Low Income Pool brings $1.3 billion in federal funds to the state to pay hospitals for care for the poor and uninsured and is set to expire June 30. (Rohrer, 5/4)

The legal challenge alleges that federal health officials are trying to coerce Florida into expanding Medicaid by threatening to end the $2.2 billion Low Income Pool program, which reimburses hospitals for uncompensated care. ... Kansas and Texas are in a similar situation when it comes to healthcare funding. The Republican-led Legislatures in both states have rejected federal Medicaid expansion money. But each receives supplemental federal funding for hospitals that treat large numbers of uninsured and Medicaid patients. The program in Texas is scheduled to end in September 2016. The program in Kansas runs through 2017. (McGrory, 5/4)

The Obama administration has written Florida — and Kansas — threatening to cut off the payments [designed to help hospitals care for low-income patients], which provide Kansas with roughly $45 million annually. Federal officials say the payments aren’t needed because low-income patients now have access to Medicaid health insurance. But Kansas and Florida have refused to expand Medicaid. And on Monday Brownback said the federal government can’t force the states to widen the insurance program with threats to cut off the hospital funding. (Helling, 5/4)

Kansas will join a brief in support of a lawsuit brought against the Obama administration by the state of Florida, Gov. Sam Brownback said in a statement Monday. ... “The Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that the federal government is prohibited from coercing the states to expand Medicaid,” Brownback said in a statement. “Kansas intends to join Texas through an amicus brief supporting Florida’s effort to stop the Obama administration from cutting off health care dollars for the Low Income Pool in an effort to force Obamacare upon the states,” Brownback continued. “In joining with Florida and Texas, Kansas is protecting the states’ right to make their own determinations about these issues.” (Lowry, 5/4)

Gov. Sam Brownback on Monday announced that Kansas would file a brief supporting Florida Gov. Rick Scott’s lawsuit against the federal government over Medicaid expansion. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently warned Florida, Kansas and Texas that failing to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act could jeopardize special funding to pay hospitals and doctors for treating the poor. (5/4)

The federal government is quietly warning states that failure to expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act could imperil billions in federal subsidies for hospitals and doctors who care for the poor. In an April 14 letter to Florida Medicaid director Justin Senior, Vikki Wachino, acting director of the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) wrote: “Uncompensated care pool funding should not pay for costs that would be covered in a Medicaid expansion.” (Vestal, 5/5)

For the first time, state legislators opened a crack in the political door that could lead to Louisiana participating in Medicaid expansion — a key component of the Affordable Care Act — but only after a new governor takes office. A state House panel Monday advanced legislation that would allow Louisiana hospitals to assess fees on themselves to attract more federal dollars for patient care. But it would only take effect if the state agrees to change Medicaid income qualifications to sign up uninsured people who make too much to join the government coverage but too little to buy adequate insurance on the private market. (Shuler, 5/5)

Lawmakers have repeatedly refused to expand Louisiana's Medicaid program, siding with Gov. Bobby Jindal in opposition. But on Monday, they started advancing a proposal that would help pay for an expansion if Louisiana's next governor has any interest. Without objection, the House Appropriations Committee approved legislation by House Speaker Chuck Kleckley that would let hospitals pool their dollars and use that money to help pay for the state's share of the cost for a Medicaid expansion. (DeSlatte, 5/4)

[State House Speaker Chuck] Kleckley indicated Jindal's unwavering opposition to Medicaid expansion -- a major component of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul -- likely makes the issue a nonstarter until he leaves in January. "There's not a whole lot I can do about that," Kleckley said. He noted, though, that most of the candidates running for governor have suggested they are at least open to Medicaid expansion. The resolution, sponsored by Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, and Walt Leger, D-New Orleans, sets up a framework that allows hospitals to pool their money to draw down matching federal dollars made available by expanding Medicaid. (Lane, 5/4)

Republican Rep. Kevin Brooks of Cleveland says all he did in January was ask fellow GOP lawmakers to keep an open mind on Republican Gov. Bill Haslam's Insure Tennessee proposal. But the House assistant majority leader quickly found himself under attack in his own back yard from a barrage of radio ads, courtesy of the Tennessee chapter of a powerful national group, Americans for Prosperity. (Sher, 5/5)