HHS says no to full funding for partial Medicaid expansions

Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius posted a blog Monday that clarified HHS’ position on funding for state Medicaid expansions clear: No full expansion, no full funding.

"While the law does not create an option for enhanced match for a partial or phased-in Medicaid expansion to 133 percent of poverty, we will consider waivers at the regular matching rate now and, in 2017 when the 100 percent federal funding for the expansion group is slightly reduced, broad-based State Innovation Waivers," Sebelius wrote in the posted guidelines.

The same day, HHS also posted a detailed FAQ document to address some of the questions that have been circulating about state health exchanges (HIX), Medicaid expansion and coordination between exchanges and other federal programs.

Sebelius also announced that six states who submitted their plans early to HHS have been granted conditional approval for their state exchange plans: Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon, and Washington. 

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Pamela Tabar

Pamela Tabar was editor-in-chief of I Advance Senior Care from 2013-2018. She has worked as a writer and editor for healthcare business media since 1998, including as News Editor of Healthcare Informatics. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Kent State University and a master’s degree in English from the University of York, England.