Introduction
With the first quarter of the new year coming to a close, we are taking this opportunity to do a national review of major state health policy activity in 2019. Nineteen new governors were sworn into office in January, and many of them assumed office with health care at the top of their agendas. Our primary focus this month is how the change in administrations at the state level is impacting health policy across the nation.
We also share updates and insights from America’s Health Insurance Plans National Health Policy Conference, which took place in mid-March. It was an exciting week to be in D.C., with breaking news on a number of key topics, including Medicaid work requirements and Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance plans.
On the topic of Medicaid work requirements, just on Wednesday, Federal District Judge James Boasberg again ruled against the implementation of Kentucky’s Medicaid work requirement, while simultaneously ruling that Arkansas must halt the operation of its work requirement, vacating Secretary Azar’s approval of the waiver provisions in both states. For links to more information on both decisions, please see our article about the AHIP Conference. We look forward to providing a more in-depth analysis on the Health Policy News blog, and in our April edition.
Newly-Elected Governors Set their Sights on Healthcare Reforms
The new year brought changes to state leadership across the nation, with 19 governors newly entering the corner office—seven of whom took over from an administration on the other end of the political spectrum. This refresh has brought a surge of new ideas and energy in the realm of state health policy. This month’s feature article highlights the health policy priorities of the new governors in Maine, California and Colorado, who put health care at the top of their administrations’ agendas. We also share examples of similar priorities and actions taking center stage in other states across the country. Click here to read more.
Insights from the AHIP National Health Policy Conference
America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) held its annual health policy conference in Washington D.C. on March 14th and 15th, with top industry leaders, regulators, and policymakers convening to provide diverse voices and perspectives on today’s most urgent healthcare issues. The recurring themes of the conference were familiar and front-of-mind issues, and the conference also touched on breaking developments in the area of Medicaid work requirements and Congressional action underway to investigate the sale of Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance plans. To read more about the range of topics discussed, and pending action at the Federal and State level, click here.
