By: Leonardo Cuello
Executive Summary
Health Policy Director Leonardo Cuello provides updates on the states seeking to expand Medicaid pursuant to the Affordable Care Act, and examines the troubling deviations from Medicaid law that some states are pursuing. As Cuello notes in the August “Health Advocate,” the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) should never approve demonstration waivers “that reduce access to care for enrollees.” Cuello writes that several states, such as Ohio, Kentucky, Arkansas and Utah are proposing waivers that if approved by HHS would greatly weaken Medicaid coverage for enrollees.