HHS Details Limits to Medicaid Expansion
NAPH estimates that by 2019 between 6 million and 10 million people could remain uninsured than when Congress passed the PPACA. That could increase hospitals' uncompensated care costs by more than $53 billion for the period.
"This swelling demand for safety net services, along with planned cuts to federal funding for the very hospitals that provide it, could take a terrible toll on access to care for the uninsured and underinsured," Siegel said.
"We look to the promise of reform to expand healthcare coverage as broadly as possible and call on lawmakers to preserve the funding we have. We also urge the administration to work with states to ease their transition to an expanded Medicaid program and support innovative approaches to enhancing access to care."
Also Monday, HHS announced that six states have had their health insurance exchange plans conditionally approved, which means they are on track to meet all deadlines for the program, which begin assisting consumers with their enrollment options on Oct. 1, 2013. Those states are: Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington.
"We are excited to be reviewing applications from other states making progress in building their Exchange," Sebelius said in an HHS blog post. "We will make many more announcements like this in the weeks and months to come and expect that the majority of states will play an active role operating their Exchanges."
John Commins is a senior editor with HealthLeaders Media.
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