State updates as of April 28, 2023.

On March 30, 2023 a federal district court judge issued a ruling in Braidwood Management, Inc v. Becerra, blocking the federal government from enforcing the Affordable Care Act’s requirement that health plans and issuers cover, without cost-sharing, high value preventive services. If allowed to stand, the decision would invalidate life-saving benefits that more than 150 million Americans have relied on for over a decade, including cancer and mental health screenings and medications to prevent heart disease and the transmission of HIV/AIDS. This expert perspective discusses who will be impacted by the court’s decision and the preventive services most at risk, and provides a checklist of actions states can take to maintain access to preventive services.

State updates as of April 21, 2023.

On April 17, 2023, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released a State Medicaid Director Letter (SMDL), “Opportunities to Test Transition-Related Strategies to Support Community Reentry and Improve Care Transitions for Individuals Who Are Incarcerated.” The SMDL outlines the opportunity for states to waive the inmate exclusion and receive federal financial participation for expenditures for certain pre-release healthcare services provided to individuals who are incarcerated and otherwise eligible for Medicaid prior to their release.

State updates as of April 14, 2023.

This second expert perspective in the new States of Unwinding series highlights the work states are engaged in to operationalize unwinding following the expiration of the Medicaid continuous coverage requirement as of March 31. While states continue to focus on outreach and communication efforts, they are also working on coordinating with their State-Based Marketplaces, investing additional resources to increase their workforce and leveraging federal flexibilities. This States of Unwinding features updates from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Idaho, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New York and Texas.

Individual-level data on race and ethnicity collected within the Medicaid program and in other state agencies is greatly influenced by federal guidance. This expert perspective summarizes the proposed revisions to the federal standards for collecting race and ethnicity that are currently out for comment, and provides considerations for states interested in submitting comments. The comment period on the proposed revisions has been extended until April 27, 2023.

State updates as of April 7, 2023.

This expert perspective highlights the latest updates to the Compendium of Medicaid Managed Care Contracting Strategies to Promote Health Equity which describes approaches states are taking within Medicaid managed care to promote health equity.

Google recently announced it is highlighting Medicaid renewal-related information in relevant search results to make the information easier for consumers to find. This expert perspective provides more information on the new search features and how state health agencies can ensure their landing pages appear in Google search results related to Medicaid renewal.