Just not to me – or any other media types for that matter. The new head of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid has, until today, been kept under virtual lock and key by the Obama Administration. He was installed via recess appointment, circumventing the Senate confirmation process, which would have included a public hearing. He hasn’t …
medicaid
Pawlenty Will Take Extra Medicaid Funds
Today, Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, who’s apparently trying to build GOP party cred by bucking the Affordable Care Act, said he will take about $260 million in Medicaid funds approved by the Obama Administration.
Last week, Pawlenty signed an executive order banning state agencies from applying for grant funding provided by the new …
For the Record
The Congressional Budget Office said in a recent letter that repealing the parts of the Affordable Care Act, including changes to Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program, would increase the deficit by $455 billion. The CBO released the figure this week in a letter responding to a request from Republican Sen. Mike …
We Need More Money! Wait – Maybe Not.
There’s not a better illustration of the priority divide between Republicans in Washington DC and those in the states than the Medicaid funding passed by the House today. In a 247 to 161 vote – taken after Nancy Pelosi called her members back from recess – the chamber just passed legislation that will provide $26 billion in …
National Politics and State Realities at Odds
Kevin Sack has an illuminating piece in the New York Times on the conundrum that politicians – especially Republicans and Blue Dog Democrats – face while trying to balance a fiercely partisan political climate against the woes of a sagging economy. Case in point: Medicaid, one of the most expensive programs in every state in the …
Pawlenty Tells Feds to Keep Their Medicaid Money
Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty is feeling pretty good today. After using his political power as the state’s Republican leader and his veto power as governor, Pawlenty has notched a massive state budget victory that Politico’s Ben Smith says lays the groundwork for the governor’s assumed 2012 presidential run.
Refusing to compromise …
Why The Deficit Commission?
The president’s “National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform,” chaired by Democrat Erskine Bowles and former Republican Senator Alan Simpson, held its first official meeting this morning at the White House. Speaking about the endeavor, Obama pointed to the challenges financial crisis and economic downturn thrust on the …
Another Critical Health Reform Report
Health reform proponents got another round of bad headlines today, as the chief actuary for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a report saying that the new law will increase costs. According to an AP story by Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar, the report is “a worrisome assessment for Democrats,” showing that while cost …
Obama To Fill A Big, Big Job
In this week’s cover story, we noted that one of the biggest challenges for the Obama Administration in implementing the new health care law is:
… filling key posts in the Executive Branch that remain empty more than 14 months after Obama was inaugurated. After all, there will be thousands and thousands of new regulations to
…
The Other Public Option (Cont’d.)
I’m still going through the CBO document, but one thing that jumps out: It would shift another 1 million people out of the exchanges and into Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.* The Governors are not going to be happy. Here is an earlier look I took at this issue. Also, Kate and I wrote about this subject in a …
Health Care: Obama Adopts A Good Idea From The GOP
President Obama picked up a good idea from the Republicans at last week’s health care summit, one that will add a badly needed dose of fiscal reality to the health care bill. What’s more, this Republican idea will improve the lives of tens of millions of poor people.
It has to do with the dramatic expansion of Medicaid that is …
The Democrats’ Communication Problem
Democrats are still smarting from Scott Brown’s upset victory in Massachusetts last week. Health reform seemed inevitable and then, suddenly, it wasn’t. As Karen pointed out, Democratic lawmakers are still searching for a path forward that might include reconciliation. They may succeed, but certainly not because the American people …
UPDATE: Health Reform and the States
As Karen noted earlier today, she and I have a story in this week’s magazine about how much states will be on the hook if and when federal health reform passes.
The impetus for the story was, in part, the growing number of governors across the country publicly slamming the idea of expanding insurance coverage to millions of …