TheRepublic.com - Government-funded health insurance News

Budget debate scheduled to continue in SC Senate

Tue, 21 May 2013 04:05:38 -0400

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - The budget debate in the South Carolina Senate enters week two.

Bill bars future governors from Medicaid expansion

Mon, 20 May 2013 23:41:15 -0400

AUSTIN, Texas - The House has approved requiring any decision by a future Texas governor to expand Medicaid first be approved by the Legislature.

NC NAACP protests reach highest arrest count yet

Mon, 20 May 2013 21:09:08 -0400

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Nearly 60 protestors were arrested Monday at the North Carolina General Assembly, bringing the demonstrations led by the state chapter of the NAACP to their highest total in their fourth straight week.

Proposals would limit cuts in Medicaid program

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:58:26 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - Proposals that would make it more difficult to cut the rates paid to private hospitals and nursing homes for taking care of Medicaid patients are nearing final passage in the Louisiana Legislature.

Brewer bill signing halt stays after vote

Mon, 20 May 2013 19:02:18 -0400

PHOENIX - Gov. Jan Brewer is refusing to begin signing bills passed by the Legislature again even though the Arizona Senate has passed a budget that includes the Medicaid expansion she's demanding in return for her signature, her spokesman said.

NC Senate budget plan heavy on Medicaid spending

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:54:42 -0400

RALEIGH, North Carolina - Senate Republicans said Monday their two-year budget proposal demonstrates how Medicaid keeps siphoning away money from other priorities, but critics assert that the GOP spending plan keeps taking from the needy and the middle class.

Maley recommends ways to combat painkiller abuse

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:29:29 -0400

COLUMBIA, South Carolina - Prescription painkiller abuse is rampant in South Carolina, but there's no statewide effort to combat it, the state inspector general said Monday.

Branstad says he's open to health care compromise

Mon, 20 May 2013 18:21:09 -0400

DES MOINES, Iowa - Gov. Terry Branstad said Monday he was prepared to consider accepting federal Medicaid expansion funding as part of a compromise health care plan for low-income Iowans.

Senate budget committee stalls Medicaid expansion

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:58:35 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - State senators rejected a proposal on Monday for Louisiana to offer government-subsidized health insurance to the working poor through the federal health overhaul law known as the Affordable Care Act.

Gov. Bullock's health policy adviser resigns

Mon, 20 May 2013 15:01:21 -0400

HELENA, Montana - Gov. Steve Bullock's health policy adviser has left the governor's office to take a new job.

Mo. social services director resigns

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:30:34 -0400

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - The director of the Missouri Department of Social Services has resigned after five months on the job.

Medicaid backers call on Ohio Legislature to act

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:24 -0400

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Advocates for extending the Medicaid program to cover more low-income Ohioans are holding events statewide in an effort to keep the issue before state lawmakers.

Alabama Democrats fail in expanding Medicaid

Mon, 20 May 2013 10:00:25 -0400

MONTGOMERY, Alabama - Democrats in the Alabama Legislature failed to achieve their top goal for the 2013 session.

Long-term care Medicaid patients start enrolling

Mon, 20 May 2013 09:44:04 -0400

TALLAHASSEE, Florida - Phone counselors are now available to help long-term care Medicaid recipients choose their health plans.

Mo. lawmakers to study issues before 2014 session

Mon, 20 May 2013 05:05:19 -0400

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Missouri's legislative session is over, but the work may continue for some lawmakers.

Mich. cancer patients to back Medicaid expansion

Mon, 20 May 2013 04:07:17 -0400

LANSING, Michigan - Cancer patients and survivors in Michigan are expected to call on lawmakers to expand Medicaid coverage for about 400,000 uninsured Michigan residents.

Maine budget committee holds meeting

Sun, 19 May 2013 20:53:13 -0400

AUGUSTA, Maine - Some members of the Maine Legislature's budget-writing committee said Sunday they were surprised by the projected funding shortfall at the Department of Health and Human Services but Gov. Paul LePage was rebuffed when he tried to address the panel.

Brewer wrestled with decision on Medicaid proposal

Sun, 19 May 2013 16:23:11 -0400

PHOENIX - The weekend before Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer made her State of the State address in January, she practiced two versions of her speech: One with a Medicaid expansion in it and one without it.

Ohio to bolster checks on home health care workers

Sun, 19 May 2013 13:35:29 -0400

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Ohio officials plan to bolster criminal background checks for those home health-care workers who provide direct care to the disabled and elderly.

Nebraska lawmakers push toward session's end

Sun, 19 May 2013 10:02:58 -0400

LINCOLN, Nebraska - Nebraska lawmakers are forging ahead slowly this year with a state budget, a new school funding formula, and an overhaul of juvenile services, but many of the most contentious priorities will likely have to wait.

Maine State House tension grows over budget

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:23:35 -0400

PORTLAND, Maine - A day after warning that the state is running out of money to pay Medicaid providers, Gov. Paul LePage used his weekly radio address Saturday to chide Democratic leaders for failing to act on his two-year budget proposal and to deride the Democratic alternative for repaying $484 million in hospital debt.

Nixon, GOP clash over Medicaid, driver's licenses

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:36:30 -0400

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon began his second term with ambitions to expand Medicaid coverage, cap campaign contributions and lengthen the school year. But those priorities ran into a wall of opposition from the largest Republican legislative majority since the Civil War.

Mo. lawmakers give mixed results on business aid

Fri, 17 May 2013 20:58:28 -0400

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri - Missouri lawmakers revamped four of the state's main business incentives on the final day of their legislative session, but failed Friday to pass a broader measure that would have scaled back costly tax credits for developers.

Democrats say Oregon budget will go forward

Fri, 17 May 2013 19:58:36 -0400

SALEM, Oregon - The Democrats in charge of writing a new state budget said Friday they're casting aside proposed tax increases and public-employee pension cuts and will begin advancing early pieces of a spending plan for the next two years.

Analyst says funding gap for LSU hospital deals

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:55:13 -0400

BATON ROUGE, Louisiana - The first three LSU hospital privatization deals appear to use up 94 percent of the funding Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration set aside for eight such arrangements, budget analysts told senators Friday.