Balancing State and Federal Responsibilities in Medicaid
<p>One of Medicaid’s defining characteristics is that the federal government and the states share responsibility for the program. In a new blog post, Cindy Mann and Deborah Bachrach of Manatt Health Solutions say that even though the Affordable Care Act imposes greater uniformity around eligibility and enrollment, states continue to play a central role.</p><p>For the past five years, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has been supporting states’ efforts to test new approaches to delivering care. In addition, several states have secured waivers to test alternative expansion models, such as adding premiums and copays to coverage.</p>
<p>Mann and Bachrach say the flexibility debate will continue. “It’s a valuable debate, helping to draw lines as to which level of government drives which decisions and figure out what ‘shared responsibility’ really means.” </p>