Category: Washington Wire

Washington Wire: March 2019

Protections for people with pre-existing conditions. You may recall that last December, a federal district court ruled in Texas v. United Statesthat the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional in its entirety. This ruling, if upheld, would: eliminate important protections for people with pre-existing conditions; end the ACA’s Medicaid expansion; abolish the requirement that health plans […]

Washington Wire: February 2019

Featured Story: State Legislative Sessions Pick Up Steam In last month’s edition of the Washington Wire, we wrote about steps some states are taking with respect to their Medicaid programs. Here is a brief update on some of the Medicaid-related developments that have happened since then. Utah: the state legislature and Governor acted to override […]

Washington Wire: January 2019

FEATURED STORY What to Watch in the States in 2019 – State Medicaid Trends Legislative sessions have begun in all but four states (Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Nevada begin sessions in the months ahead).  As lawmakers begin to tackle the numerous issues they need to address in the coming months, let’s look at what to […]

Washington Wire: December 2018

Featured Story: Federal court rules that the ACA is unconstitutional: Texas v. Azar On Friday, Dec. 14, we learned a federal judge had ruled in the case of Texas v. Azar that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional in its entirety. This news has alarmed many. HFA staff posted a number of updates to tell the […]

Washington Wire: November 2018

Featured stories: Healthcare was a driving issue for many voters in the 2018 mid-term elections. The results of the 2018 election are in and we now know that the 116th Congress will be a divided Congress –  a Republican Senate and a Democratic House. Will the new Congress do anything to impact access to meaningful healthcare? […]

Washington Wire: October 2018

Featured stories: New HHS policy could diminish protections for people who depend on quality, affordable health insurance. On Oct. 22, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released new guidance spelling out how states can win approval to waive various Affordable Care Act requirements. This arcane new policy could seriously impact protections for patients […]

Washington Wire: September 2018

Featured Stories: As November draws near, #DefendPreEx remains in the spotlight. We have written before about Texas v. United States, a lawsuit that seeks to overturn the Affordable Care Act’s protections for patients with pre-existing conditions. In September, the federal court with jurisdiction over the case held a hearing to consider the parties’ arguments. At issue […]

Washington Wire: August 2018

Featured Stories: HFA, along with other patient groups, continues to argue against restrictive Medicaid eligibility policies. HFA has written before about a new federal policy that allows states to cut off Medicaid coverage for adults who don’t meet state work requirements. The US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has so far approved work requirements […]

Washington Wire: July 2018

Featured Stories: HFA joined with other patient groups, including many other bleeding disorders groups, in calling on the US government to restore federal funding for ACA navigators. On July 10, the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced it will further reduce funding for navigators. (Navigators are individuals or organizations that are trained […]