Republican governors are pressuring the federal government to give states more control over Medicaid programs in anticipation of the program’s expansion under healthcare reform, according to a report issued Tuesday.
The state-federal Medicaid program, which has been a drain on many debt-saddled state governments, pays for healthcare costs for low-income disabled and elderly adults, many of who are in nursing homes. The detailed report, authored by the health care task force of the Republican Governors Public Policy Committee, pushes for solutions such as block grants, which gives states a lump sum to cover costs, and greater flexibility in using managed care. It also calls for a loosening of maintenance-of-effort rules that requires states to maintain the Medicaid eligibility requirements in place before the Affordable Care Act was passed. The law will expand Medicaid coverage from its current level of 69 million beneficiaries to 90 million, according to The Washington Post.
“The PPACA expansion of the Medicaid program is the largest expansion of this program in history. As a result, we are deeply concerned the existing challenges Medicaid faces today will be exacerbated by the program’s unprecedented growth over the next few years,” the report states.
The governors, who plan to present their case to the 12 congressional super committee members, also have recommended a Medicaid-savings measure that would require the federal government to pay for costs associated with illegal immigrants, according to the report.
