{"id":7867,"date":"2018-01-12T18:33:12","date_gmt":"2018-01-12T18:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/?p=7867"},"modified":"2018-01-12T18:33:12","modified_gmt":"2018-01-12T18:33:12","slug":"feds-grant-texas-25-billion-extension-of-medicaid-waiver","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/?p=7867","title":{"rendered":"Feds Grant Texas $25 Billion Extension of Medicaid Waiver"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"While<\/a>

While Texas has consistently refused to expand Medicaid, the state has received an extension of a Medicaid-based program that helps cover health-care costs for lower-income residents. Photo: Klimek\/GettyImages<\/p><\/div>\n

by Mark Richardson<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

AUSTIN, Texas \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0Health care providers in Texas are getting a $25 billion shot in the arm with the five-year extension of a Medicaid program by the federal government.<\/p>\n

The plan, known as an\u00a01115 Demonstration Waiver<\/a>\u00a0is considered a low-cost alternative to traditional Medicaid.<\/p>\n

It provides hospitals and other caregivers with incentives to improve care access and quality, and helps pay for uncompensated care.<\/p>\n

Stacy Wilson, president of Children\u2019s Hospital Association of Texas, says since Texas chose not to expand full Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act, the waiver extends coverage to many low-income patients who might otherwise go without.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very excited about the opportunity to continue the waiver because, number one, we\u2019ve seen a lot of improvement in outcomes and lowering the cost of care,\u201d she states. \u201cAnd number two, it helps shore up our safety net hospitals, like our children\u2019s hospitals, who are so heavily reliant on Medicaid.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Obama administration originally approved the 1115 waiver for Texas in 2011, but it was set to expire Dec. 31.<\/p>\n

Medicaid expansion under the ACA was meant to replace the waiver program, but some states, including Texas, declined to expand Medicaid.<\/p>\n

The extension allows state officials to continue funding a number of health care programs without disruption.<\/p>\n

While providers welcome the money from the waiver program, Wilson points out it isn\u2019t a substitute for traditional Medicaid coverage.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we don\u2019t get paid to cover our costs in Medicaid, we\u2019ve become, unfortunately, reliant on these supplemental payment programs,\u201d she states. \u201c[We\u2019d] Much rather be paid our costs upfront, but those are not the policy decisions some of our elected officials have made.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wilson says hospitals and clinics urgently need more funding to cover people who can\u2019t afford to pay.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne of the things that the state could do is pay us closer to our Medicaid costs,\u201d she states. \u201cThat would help, especially children\u2019s hospitals.<\/p>\n

\u201cSeventy percent of the Medicaid enrollees in Texas are children, so we are disproportionately reliant on the Medicaid program.\u201d<\/p>\n

The extension, which runs through 2022, apparently came just in time for Texas. Federal officials say they will not approve any more states\u2019 requests to renew funding for waivers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Mark Richardson AUSTIN, Texas \u2013\u00a0Health care providers in Texas are getting a $25 billion shot in the arm with the five-year extension of a Medicaid program by the federal government. The plan, known as an\u00a01115 Demonstration Waiver\u00a0is considered a low-cost alternative to traditional Medicaid. It provides hospitals and other caregivers with incentives to improve […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":7868,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-state"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7867","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=7867"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7867\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7869,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7867\/revisions\/7869"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/7868"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=7867"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=7867"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/losfresnosnews.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=7867"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}