Latest news with #FederalMedicalAssistancePercentage
New York Post
3 days ago
- Politics
- New York Post
Senate parliamentarian scraps GOP's Medicaid reforms in ‘big beautiful bill'
WASHINGTON — Republicans faced another obstacle to passing President Trump's 'big beautiful bill' Thursday after the Senate parliamentarian ruled several health care spending reforms would need 60 votes to pass muster rather than the 51 sought by the GOP — likely preventing hundreds of billions of dollars in potential savings. Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined some of the megabill's Medicaid provisions — including changes to federal funding for US states' share of health care provider taxes — were not eligible for approval via the simple majority gambit, known as reconciliation. Other axed provisions eliminated some Medicaid eligibility for non-citizen adults and children and lowered Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding percentages for states that let non-citizens obtain health care coverage from 90% to 80%. Still another section that failed to pass muster with MacDonough blocked federal funding for Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) to provide gender-transition medical care. 'The WOKE Senate Parliamentarian, who was appointed by Harry Reid and advised Al Gore, just STRUCK DOWN a provision BANNING illegals from stealing Medicaid from American citizens,' erupted Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.). 'This is a perfect example of why Americans hate THE SWAMP.' 'Unelected bureaucrats think they know better than U.S. Congressmen who are elected BY THE PEOPLE,' he added. 'Her job is not to push a woke agenda. THE SENATE PARLIAMENTARIAN SHOULD BE FIRED ASAP.' 'How is it that an unelected swamp bureaucrat, who was appointed by Harry Reid over a decade ago, gets to decide what can and cannot go in President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill?' griped Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.). 'It is time for our elected leaders to take back control. [Vice President JD Vance] should overrule the Parliamentarian and let the will of the people, not some staffer hiding behind Senate procedure, determine the future of this country.' 3 Senate parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough determined some of the megabill's Medicaid provisions can't pass by a simple majority because they violated the Byrd Rule. via REUTERS The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) determined that the House-passed version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which the Senate has been revising, would add up to $3 trillion to the federal deficit over the next decade. House Republicans had previously boasted that as much as $1.6 trillion in spending cuts were included in their version of the tax-and-spending package. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) described MacDonough's ruling as a 'speed bump' in the bill's progress. 3 Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) has indicated in the past that overruling the parliamentarian would be tantamount to abolishing the 60-vote filibuster. AP Thune, 64, has indicated in the past that ignoring the parliamentarian would be tantamount to abolishing the 60-vote filibuster, a feature that sets the upper chamber apart from the lower and provides a check for the party out of power. Vance, though president of the Senate, can't overrule the parliamentarian's decision outright either, but would need a vote by the full chamber. Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon, the top Democrat on the Senate Budget Committee, celebrated the ruling in a statement, sharing other provisions that had been struck down by the upper chamber's referee. 3 Republicans are balking at the Senate parliamentarian's decision on Thursday to scrap several health care spending reforms tucked into President Trump's 'big beautiful bill.' AP 'Democrats are continuing to make the case against every provision in this Big, Beautiful Betrayal of a bill that violates Senate rules and hurts families and workers,' Merkley (D-Ore.) said. 'Democrats are fighting back against Republicans' plans to gut Medicaid, dismantle the Affordable Care Act, and kick kids, veterans, seniors, and folks with disabilities off of their health insurance – all to fund tax breaks for billionaires.' Reconciliation legislation is subject to parliamentary scrutiny under the so-called 'Byrd Rule' — named for former Senate Majority Leader Robert Byrd — which requires bills to focus strictly on fiscal issues.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
25K+ DC residents could lose Medicaid. Now what? Here's what you can do.
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Mayor Muriel Bowser's proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026 would leave more than 25,000 D.C. residents without health insurance due to Medicaid cuts. On May 2, the Bowser Administration urged Congress to maintain the District's Federal Medical Assistance Percentage, saying that changes will have severe impacts on the city's entire health care system. DC Council votes to pause July 1 wage bump under Initiative 82 Twenty days later, on May 27, cuts to Medicaid were announced during her budget presentation, with more than 25,000 residents expected to be impacted. Adults without children and adult caregivers between 138%-200% of the federal poverty level would be moved to D.C. Health Benefits Exchange, according to the mayor's presentation. The D.C. Health Benefits Exchange is expected to help around 90% of those losing access to Medicaid under the proposed eligibility changes, said Wayne Turnage, D.C. deputy mayor of health and human services. 'It won't be precisely the same benefits structure, but it will be very close,' Turnage said. See full interview with Turnage below: The Basic Health Plan is being developed by the Executive Director of the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority, Mila Kofman, in order to serve those individuals. Those eligible for the exchange program will need to apply once the program is fully up and ready in order to receive those benefits. DC police recinds request to close Dupont Circle park during WorldPride after pushback from DC community For the other 10% not covered by the program being developed, you may need to consider health insurance. Shadow Rep. Oye Owolewa (D) said these changes could potentially lead to a health care 'crisis' in the District, but he plans to take every step to ensure residents are prepared. 'As a pharmacist, an elected official, Ward 8 resident, we are reaching out to all of our residents who take or use D.C. Medicaid,' Owolewa said. 'We are trying to find them alternative strategies to get health care. We are also going to be doing a lot of men's health round tables to make sure folks who are using D.C. Medicaid, or folks who are 21 years or older, know how to get their health insurance.' Many who lose access to Medicaid may need to rely on hospitals and clinics that offer uncompensated care, said Zach Gaumer, managing principle of Health Management Associates' Washington, D.C. office. The company specializes in Medicaid and Medicare policy consulting for providers, payers, etc. 'Medicaid is often thought of as the insurance of last resort for low-income individuals,' Gaumer said. 'In a lot of cases, what happens to individuals when they lose Medicaid coverage is that they go uninsured. They have to turn to sources of care that are uncompensated.' Residents may also be able to go directly to their providers for additional resources and help on where they can get care at a reduced price or even at no cost, Gaumer said. Health care prices are the number one reason people go uninsured, he added. 'It's very expensive to insure individuals at this point in time, and it can be thousands of dollars a month to buy insurance,' Gaumer said. Republicans eye cuts to Medicaid If you become ineligible for Medicaid, there are still ways to have lower health insurance plans and pay less for premiums. The Health Insurance Marketplace allows low-income families to explore health care plans that are tailored to their income. Affordable Care Act (ACA) Health Insurance Benefits and Coverage, also known as 'Obamacare,' matches individuals with health care plans with the goal of being affordable. This is offered by private health insurance companies rather than through the federal government. Register here. DC Health Link offers users the option to compare plans to see if they qualify for lower monthly premiums. To assist with premiums, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) offers tax credits to help cover premiums. It's a refundable tax credit for eligible individuals and families to cover premiums purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace. To get this credit, you must meet certain requirements and file a tax return with Form 8962, Premium Tax Credit (PTC). This includes not being eligible for Medicare. Click here for full eligibility requirements. Fredericksburg mother voice fears about potential Medicaid cuts D.C. Exchange has a hotline of (855) 532-5465 that's available Monday through Friday to assist with questions. PAN Foundation The organization helps with health insurance premium grants for patients being treated for various disease states. U.S. Citizenship is not a requirement, and you must have an income that falls at or below 500% of the Federal Poverty Level. The grant can help cover a portion of the premium costs for the following diseases: Fabry disease premium Hemolytic uremic syndrome premium Hemophilia premium Hypophosphatasia premium Inherited retinal disease premium Lysosomal acid lipase deficiency premium Myasthenia gravis premium Neurofibromatosis premium Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria premium Pompe disease premium Short bowel syndrome premium Additional programs can help with prescription costs, HIV/AIDS treatment and more. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio would see more than $1 billion in revenue if Medicaid expansion group stays, new study finds
A poll released Thursday, May 1 showed 76% of Americans oppose cuts to Medicaid. (Photo via Getty Images) A new study of Ohio Medicaid showed the Affordable Care Act expansion group of nearly 770,000 would bring the state an economic benefit of $1 billion if it survives cuts at the federal and state level. But Ohio Republicans might include a trigger in the state budget to cut the expansion if Medicaid budget cuts come down from Congress. The Ohio Senate is expected to release its proposed state operating budget in the next few days, a proposal that will then be compared to and combined with the Ohio House's version already passed last month, before a final draft heads to the governor for his signature. The Ohio House's version of the budget absorbed a proposal by Gov. Mike DeWine in his executive budget that creates a trigger effect, eliminating Group VIII, or the Medicaid expansion eligibility group, 'if the federal government sets the federal medical assistance percentage below (its current level of) 90%,' according to budget documents. Child health programs including even pediatric cancer research see cuts in Ohio House budget draft The expansion group, which was introduced administratively in Ohio in 2014, represents adults aged 19 to 64 who earn less than 138% of the federal poverty level but aren't eligible for Medicaid in other categories. For a family of two, the poverty level stands at $21,150 in Ohio and other contiguous states. The federal budget, which is being reviewed by the U.S. Senate, could include a larger state contribution to the Medicaid program than seen in the past, dropping the federal contribution, called the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage or FMAP, from its current share of 90%. If that is passed into law, and if the state budget is passed and signed with the trigger in place, the expansion population would face cuts. According to the Health Policy Institute of Ohio's newest policy brief, written by Amy Rohling McGee, the 10% the state currently pays to support Medicaid stands in juxtaposition to revenue and state savings generated by the program. After accounting for the savings the state nets as a part of the program and revenue created, researchers found that the state share is effectively 1.4%. 'Discontinuing expansion would save substantially less than the state share amount, it would reduce federal funds coming to Ohio by over $42 billion over five years, and would leave an estimated 435,000 Ohioans without coverage,' Rohling McGee wrote as part of the HPIO's 2025 Ohio Medicaid Expansion Study. The economic activity that results from those in the Medicaid expansion group having their health insurance covered 'is projected to generate over $1.1 billion over the next five years in state general revenue from personal income taxes, sales taxes and gross receipts taxes,' according to HPIO researchers. State revenue would drop in a number of other ways without the expansion group, according to the HPIO Medicaid study. The population brings state revenue through health insuring corporation (HIC) premium taxes and franchise fees, along with prescription drug rebates. 'As part of the federal Medicaid Drug Rebate Program, Ohio's Medicaid program receives rebates from drug manufacturers in exchange for the program's coverage of most of the manufacturer's drugs,' the HPIO wrote. 'These rebates offset the costs of most outpatient prescription drugs dispensed to Medicaid patients.' Money the state receives from drug rebates goes back into the Medicaid budget to support spending, according to the study. Along with drops in economic health for the state, the loss of the Medicaid expansion group could negatively impact the state's overall health, dropping the number of insured Ohioans. The institute's research said Ohio's uninsured rate 'would potentially increase by 80%' in fiscal year 2026 without the existence of Medicaid expansion. Those in the expansion group can include students, Ohioans with chronic health conditions, and older residents. Almost 50% of the Ohioans covered under the Medicaid expansion are among the state's workforce, according to the Center for Community Solutions. If the Medicaid expansion remained as it is now, the policy institute found Ohio would get more than $42 billion from the federal government over five years to fund the population in that expansion. 'The state would have to raise considerable revenue to be able to fill the gap that elimination of expansion would leave,' the study stated. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
The Hill
25-05-2025
- Business
- The Hill
These are the changes Senate Republicans are eyeing for the GOP's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Senate Republicans say they're going to rewrite the 1,116-page bill the House narrowly passed Thursday to enact President Trump's agenda. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) urged GOP senators at a meeting Tuesday to keep their changes to the bill as minimal as possible to avoid wrecking the delicate compromises he cobbled together in the House to muster 215 votes for the legislation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), however, told reporters that the Senate will have its 'imprint' on the bill, and his GOP colleagues are looking to make changes to an array of provisions. Here are some of the changes they are eyeing. Deficit reduction Senate conservatives led by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) want to include bigger spending cuts in the bill, arguing to colleagues that the legislation, as drafted in the House, will do little to rein in spending. Ron Johnson isn't laying out specific cuts but calling for a return to prepandemic levels of federal spending adjusted for inflation and population growth. 'My primary focus now is spending. This is completely unacceptable. Current projections are $2.2 trillion per year deficit,' he said. 'There should be a goal of this Republican Senate to reduce the deficit, not increase it. We're increasing it.' While House Republicans backed away from making changes to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid, Johnson and other Senate budget hawks want to address it. Scott, a close ally of Trump, is calling for a complete repeal of the renewable energy incentives created under then-President Biden in the Inflation Reduction Act. 'We should completely eliminate the Green New Deal,' he said. Lee is looking at federal benefits going to immigrants lacking permanent legal status, which he said have not been completely zeroed out in the House bill. Medicaid Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) are threatening to oppose Medicaid reforms that would cut benefits, and they are taking a close look at limits in the bill on states' ability to use health care provider taxes to collect more federal Medicaid funding. Their chief concern is that reductions in federal Medicaid funding to states would put pressure on rural hospitals and could force some of them to close. 'We're still trying to figure out what the provider tax reforms are, but I'm very worried about our rural hospitals in Maine,' Collins told The Hill Wednesday. Another area of concern is language in the House bill requiring people earning between 100 percent and 138 percent of the federal poverty level to pay up to $35 per medical service. Hawley says that would mean 'beneficiaries pay more.' 'These are working people in particular who are going to have to pay more,' he said. But other Republicans want to expand the Medicaid reforms to further reduce the program's costs over the next decade. Some senators want to further restrict the availability to Medicaid coverage to able-bodied adults. 'Medicaid ought to go back and do what it was set up to do. It was set up to take care of poor children and the chronically ill, and that's what the focus should be,' Scott said, noting that Florida didn't expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Green energy incentives Senate Republicans may want to loosen the tough stance the House bill takes on climate-friendly tax credits. In 2022, the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act included billions of dollars in tax credits that supercharged investment in low-carbon energy technologies including wind and solar. The House version of the bill put tough new restrictions on some of those credits — especially now that for many types of energy they only apply to projects that break ground within 60 days of the bill's enactment. Prior to the text's release, Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Murkowski and Moran issued a letter calling for a 'targeted, pragmatic approach' and warning against a 'full-scale' repeal. Tillis told The Hill this past week that changes would need to be made to help companies that have already invested in the credits. 'If millions or billions of dollars have been deployed, we've got to give those businesses some off-ramp,' he said. Meanwhile, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) also called for some changes last week, particularly to help emerging technology like geothermal energy. State and local tax deductions Speaker Johnson and House Republicans hailing from high-tax blue states held intense talks in recent weeks to nail down a deal on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap that helped the chamber clear the bill before Memorial Day. Much to their chagrin, it's possible that could all be for nought. Senate Republicans are widely expected to throw their weight around over how to handle the SALT deduction cap, which Johnson and House SALT Caucus members set at $40,000 for those making $500,000 or less — up from the $10,000 cap that was set by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Complicating things for SALT members in the House is there is no similar dynamic across the Capitol. There isn't a single Senate Republican from any high-tax blue state, leaving many members wanting to chop down what they view as a generous $40,000 figure to something more manageable. 'It's not a Senate issue,' Thune told The Hill. 'I know the House had to make a deal, but our members want to be heard on it, and I assume we'll have something to say,' he added. The cap is set to expire at the end of the year, giving the half-dozen SALT members leverage as they hold the keys to final passage so long as they vote as a bloc. But Senate Republicans have made it known they expect to have their voices heard on the subject, though they are cognizant of the Speaker's plight. 'The number we care most about is 218,' said Cramer, a former House member. 'Obviously, we'd be open to the Speaker's desires, just like he's been open to ours.' Sunsets A top priority of Thune and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will be to make several high-profile business tax breaks permanent — or at least extend them over the next decade. The House bill restores 100-percent bonus depreciation for short-term investments from 2025 to 2029. Similarly, it restores immediate expensing for domestic research and development and the EBITDA-based limit on business interest deductions from 2025 to 2029. Thune on Thursday flagged that as an issue that Senate Republicans want to change. He said GOP senators are reviewing 'the question of permanence,' noting the House bill has 'shorter-term windows' on the corporate tax provisions. Crapo said the business bonus-depreciation and expensing provisions 'need to be permanent.' Spectrum auction The House Republican bill would plan for the sale of 600 megahertz of government-owned spectrum to help offset the cost of tax breaks, something that has drawn strong opposition from Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and other defense hawks. 'It has to be taken out or modified,' Rounds said of that House language on spectrum. 'That to me is of critical national importance.' He explained that House negotiators 'extended the [spectrum] auction authority until 2034' but only protected the military portions of the spectrum in the first auction sale. 'If they're going to have auction authority until 2034, the [Department of Defense] portions and the [intelligence community] portions have got to be protected during the time this auction authority exists,' Rounds said.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These are the changes Senate Republicans are eyeing for the GOP's ‘big, beautiful bill'
Senate Republicans say they're going to rewrite the 1,116-page bill the House narrowly passed Thursday to enact President Trump's agenda. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) urged GOP senators at a meeting Tuesday to keep their changes to the bill as minimal as possible to avoid wrecking the delicate compromises he cobbled together in the House to muster 215 votes for the legislation. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.), however, told reporters that the Senate will have its 'imprint' on the bill, and his GOP colleagues are looking to make changes to an array of provisions. Here are some of the changes they are eyeing. Senate conservatives led by Sens. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Rick Scott (R-Fla.) and Mike Lee (R-Utah) want to include bigger spending cuts in the bill, arguing to colleagues that the legislation, as drafted in the House, will do little to rein in spending. Ron Johnson isn't laying out specific cuts but calling for a return to prepandemic levels of federal spending adjusted for inflation and population growth. 'My primary focus now is spending. This is completely unacceptable. Current projections are $2.2 trillion per year deficit,' he said. 'There should be a goal of this Republican Senate to reduce the deficit, not increase it. We're increasing it.' While House Republicans backed away from making changes to the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage for Medicaid, Johnson and other Senate budget hawks want to address it. Scott, a close ally of Trump, is calling for a complete repeal of the renewable energy incentives created under then-President Biden in the Inflation Reduction Act. 'We should completely eliminate the Green New Deal,' he said. Lee is looking at federal benefits going to immigrants lacking permanent legal status, which he said have not been completely zeroed out in the House bill. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) are threatening to oppose Medicaid reforms that would cut benefits, and they are taking a close look at limits in the bill on states' ability to use health care provider taxes to collect more federal Medicaid funding. Their chief concern is that reductions in federal Medicaid funding to states would put pressure on rural hospitals and could force some of them to close. 'We're still trying to figure out what the provider tax reforms are, but I'm very worried about our rural hospitals in Maine,' Collins told The Hill Wednesday. Another area of concern is language in the House bill requiring people earning between 100 percent and 138 percent of the federal poverty level to pay up to $35 per medical service. Hawley says that would mean 'beneficiaries pay more.' 'These are working people in particular who are going to have to pay more,' he said. But other Republicans want to expand the Medicaid reforms to further reduce the program's costs over the next decade. Some senators want to further restrict the availability to Medicaid coverage to able-bodied adults. 'Medicaid ought to go back and do what it was set up to do. It was set up to take care of poor children and the chronically ill, and that's what the focus should be,' Scott said, noting that Florida didn't expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act. Senate Republicans may want to loosen the tough stance the House bill takes on climate-friendly tax credits. In 2022, the Democrats' Inflation Reduction Act included billions of dollars in tax credits that supercharged investment in low-carbon energy technologies including wind and solar. The House version of the bill put tough new restrictions on some of those credits — especially now that for many types of energy they only apply to projects that break ground within 60 days of the bill's enactment. Prior to the text's release, Sens. John Curtis (R-Utah), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Murkowski and Moran issued a letter calling for a 'targeted, pragmatic approach' and warning against a 'full-scale' repeal. Tillis told The Hill this past week that changes would need to be made to help companies that have already invested in the credits. 'If millions or billions of dollars have been deployed, we've got to give those businesses some off-ramp,' he said. Meanwhile, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) also called for some changes last week, particularly to help emerging technology like geothermal energy. Speaker Johnson and House Republicans hailing from high-tax blue states held intense talks in recent weeks to nail down a deal on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap that helped the chamber clear the bill before Memorial Day. Much to their chagrin, it's possible that could all be for nought. Senate Republicans are widely expected to throw their weight around over how to handle the SALT deduction cap, which Johnson and House SALT Caucus members set at $40,000 for those making $500,000 or less — up from the $10,000 cap that was set by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Complicating things for SALT members in the House is there is no similar dynamic across the Capitol. There isn't a single Senate Republican from any high-tax blue state, leaving many members wanting to chop down what they view as a generous $40,000 figure to something more manageable. 'It's not a Senate issue,' Thune told The Hill. 'I know the House had to make a deal, but our members want to be heard on it, and I assume we'll have something to say,' he added. The cap is set to expire at the end of the year, giving the half-dozen SALT members leverage as they hold the keys to final passage so long as they vote as a bloc. But Senate Republicans have made it known they expect to have their voices heard on the subject, though they are cognizant of the Speaker's plight. 'The number we care most about is 218,' said Cramer, a former House member. 'Obviously, we'd be open to the Speaker's desires, just like he's been open to ours.' A top priority of Thune and Senate Finance Committee Chair Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) will be to make several high-profile business tax breaks permanent — or at least extend them over the next decade. The House bill restores 100-percent bonus depreciation for short-term investments from 2025 to 2029. Similarly, it restores immediate expensing for domestic research and development and the EBITDA-based limit on business interest deductions from 2025 to 2029. Thune on Thursday flagged that as an issue that Senate Republicans want to change. He said GOP senators are reviewing 'the question of permanence,' noting the House bill has 'shorter-term windows' on the corporate tax provisions. Crapo said the business bonus-depreciation and expensing provisions 'need to be permanent.' The House Republican bill would plan for the sale of 600 megahertz of government-owned spectrum to help offset the cost of tax breaks, something that has drawn strong opposition from Sen. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, and other defense hawks. 'It has to be taken out or modified,' Rounds said of that House language on spectrum. 'That to me is of critical national importance.' He explained that House negotiators 'extended the [spectrum] auction authority until 2034' but only protected the military portions of the spectrum in the first auction sale. 'If they're going to have auction authority until 2034, the [Department of Defense] portions and the [intelligence community] portions have got to be protected during the time this auction authority exists,' Rounds said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
