Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Medicaid Expansion Bill Clears Montana Senate But Faces Hurdles In House
Senator Ed Buttrey says he's pleased his bill to extend Medicaid coverage to the state's working poor won final approval in the Senate. Senate Bill 405 is the last bill alive to provide this type coverage. The House essentially killed the governor's proposal by giving it an adverse committee report and Democrats were unable to muster enough votes from Republicans to bring House Bill 249 to the floor for debate. ... [Buttrey] is hopeful his Senate Bill 405 will get a fair hearing in the House Committee and make it to the House floor for a debate. (Yamanaka, 3/30)
Gov. Bill Haslam on Monday urged fellow Republicans to look beyond political considerations as they prepare to vote on a revived version of his Insure Tennessee proposal. Haslam told reporters that he spent the weekend talking to fellow Republicans on the state Senate Commerce Committee who are scheduled to vote Tuesday on the proposal to extend health coverage to 280,000 low-income Tennesseans. (Schelzig, 3/31)
Several factors, including the state’s rejection of Medicaid expansion, are conspiring to put some Kansas hospitals at risk. Two southeast Kansas hospitals — one in Independence, the other in Fort Scott — are among several that might have to close their doors. (McLean, 3/30)
Meanwhile, several media outlets write about the special sign-up period for Obamacare coverage for tax filers facing penalties -
The deadline to sign up for private insurance under the federal health law this year is long past, but some state residents who are currently uninsured will have a 30-day window to sign up for plans during April – if they meet certain criteria. (Levin Becker, 3/30)
For the estimated 75 percent of tax filers who can report that everyone in their household had coverage in 2014 through employer sponsored plans, Medicare, Medicaid or individual plans, they'll only have to check a box attesting to that their coverage status. If you obtained coverage through an Affordable Care Act marketplace, you should have received Form 1095-A, the Department of Health and Human Services says in a memo. That form will show the amount of income-based advance tax credits. In some cases, actual income might result in a lower or higher tax credit -- that will be reflected in your final tax refund or payment due amount. (Alpert, 3/30)
