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The coming months could make the difference in whether or not New Jersey becomes a national leader in how healthcare is delivered to Medicaid recipients. But if it’s going to happen, according to advocates and experts, the state government and the health insurance industry are going to have to pull together. And they’re going to have to set a smart pace. By July, the state’s three Medicaid Accountable Care Organizations must have a plan in place for how they will share the savings that could result from their efforts to better coordinate the healthcare of residents in high-poverty areas of Camden, Newark, and Trenton. (Kitchenman, 10/13)

A new report shows that growing Medicaid spending is responsible for much of the growth in the Virginia state budget. A report by the Joint Legislative Audit and Review Commission issued Tuesday showed that Medicaid spending rose by 75 percent from fiscal 2006 to 2016. That accounted for 25 percent of the state budget’s total growth from $32 billion to $47 billion during that time. (10/13)

[House Speaker William J.] Howell also took aim at Medicaid spending, which increased by almost $3.5 billion over 10 years, or 74 percent, and accounted for 23 percent of budget growth. General fund spending on the federal-state program rose 79 percent, accounting for 54 percent of new spending. (Martz, 10/13)