Expanding the program for low-income residents would help bring new revenue to the hospitals. Meanwhile, supporters of Medicaid expansion offer a new proposal in Nebraska and a young man in Utah diagnosed with cancer faces treatment problems because he lost his Medicaid coverage.
The Richmond Times-Dispatch: High Stakes For Hospitals In Medicaid Fight
Bon Secours Virginia Health System faces $55.6 million in cuts in federal Medicare payments in the next two years. But the nonprofit health system, which operates four hospitals in the Richmond area and three in Hampton Roads, could more than offset those losses with an estimated $134.7 million in revenues if Virginia expands its Medicaid program. ... The stakes in the state political debate over Medicaid expansion are becoming starker for Virginia hospitals, which are counting on new revenue from patients who are now uninsured to offset cuts in Medicare reimbursements and subsidies for indigent care. The Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association has compiled estimates for 107 hospitals in the state (Martz, 1/16).
The Associated Press: Nebraska Lawmakers Unveil New Medicaid Plan
Nebraska would use the state Medicaid program and private health insurers to cover tens of thousands of uninsured, low-income residents, including those who have fallen into the so-called "coverage gap," under a new proposal unveiled Tuesday. Supporters of expanded Medicaid introduced the "Wellness in Nebraska Act" -- dubbed WIN -- as they prepared for another attempt to expand coverage under the federal health care law (1/15).