Article
Expanding Medicaid Through Section 1115 Waiver
Author(s):
An analysis of the Medicaid expansion plans of 6 states that have been granted Section 1115 waivers identified both the promise and limits that have emerged through these alternative expansion approaches.
The Section 1115 demonstration waiver allows states to tailor their Medicaid expansion plans to meet practical and political realities. An analysis of the Medicaid expansion plans of 6 states—Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania—that have been granted the waivers identifies both the promise and limits that have emerged through these alternative expansion approaches.
States looking to expand Medicaid under Section 1115 must still demonstrate that the plan will be consistent with Medicaid objectives, specifically that it will extend coverage to low-income and vulnerable populations. While HHS can approve many of the changes under Section 1115, some need to be left up to Congress, experts wrote in a blog post for The Commonwealth Fund. There 3 specific areas of concern:
- Work requirements
- Higher premiums
- Low-income pools
Read more at The Commonwealth Fund: http://bit.ly/1dEUrSp
