Archive: July 2019

Shelley Starkey

Congress has the authority to review and overturn Trump Administration guidance on state innovation waivers according to a report released this week by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The guidance from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued last October, relaxed requirements around Section 1332 waivers, the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) vehicle for states to make changes to their individual insurance markets. GAO’s opinion states that the guidance is subject to review by Congress and can be overruled with a simple majority vote in both chambers.

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Ranjani Sudarsan

Intern, Policy and Practice Improvement

Last week, the Partnership for Medicaid, a nonpartisan advocacy coalition including the National Council, hosted a congressional staff briefing to discuss and unravel some of the most common misconceptions about the Medicaid program and its beneficiaries. The briefing focused specifically on individuals who receive health care via Medicaid and its impact on their lives. The diverse panel of speakers provided an overview of how millions of Americans benefit from the Medicaid program and how Medicaid expansion has led to increases in coverage, access to care and improved health outcomes for beneficiaries.

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Shelley Starkey

The Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2019 (H.R. 3591), introduced late last month, would help institutions of higher education support students experiencing substance use disorder (SUD). The bill aims to implement evidence-based programs, promote collaboration between schools and state treatment agencies, and encourage integration between primary care, mental health and SUD services in campus-based health centers. The National Council applauds Representatives David Trone (D-MD), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Chris Pappas (D-NH), John Joyce (R-PA), Lucy McBath (D-GA), and Michael Guest (R-MS) for their leadership on this issue.

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