Medicare Blog

how would turning medicare into block grants work

by Abby Swift PhD Published 2 years ago Updated 1 year ago
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At the federal level, a primary goal of turning Medicaid

Medicaid

Medicaid in the United States is a federal and state program that helps with medical costs for some people with limited income and resources. Medicaid also offers benefits not normally covered by Medicare, including nursing home care and personal care services. The Health Insurance As…

into a block grant would be to slow the growth of federal Medicaid spending. For example, President Trump’s proposed FY 2020 budget would let federal Medicaid funding grow no faster than general inflation. That is slower than the growth expected under current law.

Under the guidance, states could apply for waivers that would convert their Medicaid programs for many adults into a form of block grant, with capped federal funding and new authorities to cut coverage and benefits. The proposed waivers are a lose-lose proposition for people with Medicaid and for states.Feb 6, 2020

Full Answer

What does the new block grant policy mean for Medicaid?

Jan 25, 2017 · Since block grants aren’t based on individual enrollment each year, the state wouldn’t necessarily get more money to compensate if, say, more people qualified for Medicaid because of an ...

Can Republicans pass a block grant plan to replace Obamacare?

Jan 24, 2017 · Since block grants aren’t based on individual enrollment each year, the state wouldn’t necessarily get more money to compensate if, say, more people qualified for Medicaid because of an ...

Who introduced Medicaid block grants in the past?

Jan 30, 2020 · January 30, 2020. Today, the Trump administration released guidance to help states convert some of their federal Medicaid funding into a block grant. In exchange for accepting this capped funding, states will receive more power to cut care and restrict coverage.

How are block grants calculated for States?

Feb 07, 2020 · Under the CMS plan, states could seek waivers that would allow them to cover some Medicaid recipients’ health care costs with block grants. Unlike matching funds, block grants are capped and can’t be adjusted to reflect a state’s actual expenses. States that use block grants would not receive additional federal funding to cover enrollment spikes during …

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What is the biggest problem with block grants?

A block grant wouldn't respond the same way to a faltering economy and greater need. Fixed funding levels would require states to absorb higher costs — or to cut eligibility or benefits. And the economy would lose an automatic stabilizer, which would worsen the downturn.

What are the advantages of a block grant?

Block grants address broader purposes, are distributed by formula, allow greater flexibility in the use of the funds, and have fewer administration conditions than categorical grants.Feb 21, 2020

How are block grants funded?

A block grant is supported by federal funds but administered by state or local governments, the thought being local authorities are better suited to handle local issues. Such programs are often meant to improve social welfare programs.Feb 16, 2022

What would be the major challenges in introducing block grants for Medicaid?

Block grants' funding levels tend to fall short of meeting need, requiring benefit cuts, eligibility restrictions, or waiting lists. Funding levels are often inadequate initially and typically erode over time.

What are the disadvantages of grants?

CONS
  • You need to do time-consuming research on the granting agency before writing the grant.
  • You need a person talented and experienced in writing grants who is also very familiar with your organization.
  • Competition is fierce, and the success rate is low. ...
  • There are strings attached to the money you receive.

What is the difference between a grant program and a block grant?

Block grants are distinct from discretionary grants because they generally allow for more autonomy and flexibility to the states to decide how to implement the program. States may use the block grant funding to establish a program or to make sub-awards to local organizations to provide the services within their region.Jan 21, 2020

What party supports block grants?

Though today Republicans tend to promote them more often, the first block grants were introduced and passed by Democrats. Those first two block grants addressed health programs and promoting public safety through the Safe Streets Program. But after that, Republicans tended to lead the block grant wave.Jul 25, 2014

What is a block grant example?

Block grants are funds the federal government gives to state and local governments to spend on broadly defined purposes. For example, the federal government may offer block grants to help fund law enforcement, public health, or community development programs.

What are the three types of block grants?

(For more on how and why that happened, see our explainer on TANF.) Other significant block grants include the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG), the Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) and the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG).Oct 30, 2017

What is one of the biggest problems with federal block grants group of answer choices?

What is one of the biggest problems with federal block grants? There is a need for greater accountability in how the funds are actually spent by the states.

Why do states prefer block grants?

Block grants are given to states or communities and they decide how to spend the money. States prefer block grants because there are less strings attached and the money can be used for a broader purpose.

How do block grants increase state power?

Block grants are federal grants-in-aid that allow states considerable discretion (within broad limits) about how the funds will be spent. These give greater flexibility to state political actors to tailor programs to the state's particular needs than do categorical grants.

What is block grant system?

The block grant system is a radical shift from how Medicaid has worked previously. Republicans say it could save the government billions of dollars. But other analysts note those savings could limit access to health care if the funding becomes squeezed. Thanks to the 2010 health law, which led states to expand Medicaid eligibility, more people would face the brunt of those cuts.

Who pushed Medicaid in 1981?

This dates back at least until the 1980s. President Ronald Reagan pushed Medicaid block grants in 1981, House Speaker Newt Gingrich in 1995 and President George W. Bush in 2003.

What would happen if Medicaid was changed to a per capita cap?

Changing Medicaid’s federal funding structure to a block grant or to a per capita cap would shift significant costs to states, and ultimately cause service cuts and harm to tens of millions of seniors, people with disabilities, and children and families who rely on the program.

How much did medicaid cost in 2015?

It costs a lot more to provide medical care to the country’s poor today than it did when Medicaid was introduced: about $554 billion in 2015, compared with about $1 billion in 1966, the program’s first full year.

Is Medicaid more efficient than private insurance?

There would be no way to hold beneficiaries harmless from such cuts, because Medicaid is already highly efficient. The program provides more comprehensive benefits at significantly less cost than private insurance. Adults on Medicaid cost about 22% less than if they were covered by private insurance, Urban Institute research shows. Per-beneficiary costs on average have grown much more slowly over the past three decades than costs under private insurance, and are expected to continue growing more slowly, according to a study by the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission, or Macpac.

Do you have to get prior CMS approval for managed care?

Under the guidance, states would no longer be required to get prior CMS approval of managed care rates, contract amendments, or fee-for-service provider payment rates. They also may depart from the regulatory standards that currently govern network adequacy and access to care. CMS monitoring after the fact could, however, result in a state having to revise their policies at a later time.

Does Medicaid have a cap?

Under Medicaid law, states and the federal government jointly finance the cost of the program; all program expenditures are shared without a cap. That means that when spending increases as a result of rising drug prices, newly available treatments, or an enrollment surge during an economic downturn, the federal contribution automatically adjusts.

What is a per capita cap?

A per capita cap allows federal funding to adjust for changes in enrollment but not health care costs, while an aggregate cap ( also known as a block grant) puts states at risk for both higher costs and increased enrollment. States that cover new populations under the capped demonstration — for example, taking up the ACA Medicaid expansion for ...

Does CMS allow Medicaid expansion?

Notably, CMS will not allow states to implement a partial Medicaid expansion or cap enrollment and still receive the enhanced federal match rate for expansions. 80 percent requirement: CMS will rebase or reduce a state’s caps if the state does not spend at least 80 percent of its capped allocations.

How much will Medicaid be reduced in 2021?

In 2021, when the block grant first goes into effect, the median state (Washington) would need to reduce its Medicaid expenditures by 5.7 percent ($210 million) to remain below its caps. 11 By 2025, it would need to reduce expenditures by 14.6 percent to remain below the $675 million cap (Exhibit 2).

What is the cap on medicaid?

On January 30, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a new Medicaid demonstration initiative that places a cap on states’ federal Medicaid funding in exchange for less federal oversight and the ability to impose reductions in coverage, benefits, payment rates, and access to care to keep costs below the cap. 1 Called the Healthy Adult Opportunity, the nearly 60-page guidance advances an optional Medicaid block grant akin to proposals that Congress rejected in the 2017 debate over repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). 2

What percentage of the federal poverty level is covered by Medicaid?

The new policy applies to adults covered under the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility for people with incomes up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which to date has been taken up by 35 states and the District of Columbia.

What is CMS 1115?

CMS has already used its Section 1115 demonstration authority to allow states to impose new conditions of Medicaid eligibility and undo beneficiary protections in waivers without funding caps. States taking up these same policies as part of the Healthy Adult Opportunity block grant option would be required to accept reduced and capped federal funding. Many of these previously approved demonstrations are now caught up in litigation, and states considering the new block grant option also should anticipate legal challenges.

What is the Healthy Adult Opportunity?

The Healthy Adult Opportunity demonstration allows states to choose between a per capita cap or an aggregate cap (block grant) in exchange for fewer federal rules and less federal oversight. These are the key elements applicable to the block grant:

What is a block grant?

Block grants are fixed pots of money that the federal government gives to states to provide benefits or services. Some policymakers call their block grant proposals "Opportunity Grants" or “merged funding streams.”.

Why are entitlements important?

By assisting people when times are tough, entitlements also help stabilize the economy. As the economy recovers, fewer people qualify for benefits. A block grant wouldn’t respond the same way to a faltering economy and greater need.

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