{"id":169,"date":"2017-03-09T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-03-09T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/index.php\/2017\/03\/09\/how-will-the-american-health-care-act-affect-medicaid\/"},"modified":"2024-03-15T17:17:36","modified_gmt":"2024-03-15T17:17:36","slug":"how-will-the-american-health-care-act-affect-medicaid","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eccovia.com\/blog\/how-will-the-american-health-care-act-affect-medicaid\/","title":{"rendered":"How Will The American Health Care Act Affect Medicaid?"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

Earlier this week the U.S. House of Representatives released legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA). One key area the new American Health Care Act (AHCA, also known as Patient-Centered Care) legislation addresses is Medicaid reform. As over 72.5 million people currently receive benefits under Medicaid it is an area of considerable concern. Here is an overview of some of the proposed changes:<\/p>\n

Medicaid Expansion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Beginning in January 2020, the bill would allow states to continue to receive the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) expansion rate for individuals who are already enrolled in Medicaid as of December 31, 2019, as long as they do not have a break in eligibility for more than a month. After January 1, 2020, the state could only enroll newly eligible individuals at the state\u2019s traditional FMAP and not at the expansion rate.<\/p>\n

Per-Capita Allotments<\/strong><\/p>\n

Starting in FY 2020, each state would receive a fixed amount of money based on the total they received in 2016 per enrollee category (e.g. elderly, blind, and disabled.) Each state\u2019s targeted spending amount would increase by the percentage increase in the medical care component of the consumer price index for all urban consumers from September 2019 to September of the next fiscal year. Starting in FY 2020, any state with spending higher than their specified targeted amount would receive reductions to their Medicaid funding for the following fiscal year.<\/p>\n

Eligibility Redeterminations<\/strong><\/p>\n

States with Medicaid expansion populations would be required to re-determine the enrollee eligibility every six months.<\/p>\n

Medicaid Essential Health Benefits<\/strong><\/p>\n

Starting on December 31, 2019, non-grandfathered health plans in the individual and small group markets would no longer be required to provide all of the following Essential Health Benefits required under the ACA which include:<\/p>\n