Long-awaited Medicaid expansion is coming to Nebraska; Ricketts says they're 'getting it right'

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Martha Stoddard

LINCOLN — Gov. Pete Ricketts promised Monday that Nebraska is “doing it right” on implementing the long-awaited launch of enrollment for Medicaid expansion.

He joined the state’s top health official to highlight the Aug. 1 start date for low-income working-age adults to start applying for Medicaid coverage. They will be able to start getting care two months later, on Oct. 1.

“We are very excited to be able to launch the Medicaid expansion piece,” said Dannette Smith, CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. “We are making sure that everyone in Nebraska has a wonderful customer experience.”

Medicaid expansion will provide coverage for working-age adults whose incomes fall below 138% of the federal poverty level — $17,236 for a single person or $35,535 for a family of four.

Read more: https://omaha.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/long-awaited-medicaid-expansion-is-coming-to-nebraska-ricketts-says-theyre-getting-it-right/article_2b43a503-6aa3-56b1-93ff-c9325efbf818.html

[John Fante]

1. Obama: "you're welcome."

[OAITW r.2.0]

2. Funny how Governors and Federal Legislators in the Republican Party have a

philosophical disconnect on state level healthcare.

[DallasNE]

3. I'm Confused

Medicaid expansion was on the ballot and passed. The Legislature then passed a bill to rescind the will of Nebraska voters. At this point I thought the issue was dead.

Was there a court challenge to the bill that passed with the court overturning the bill passed by the legislature? Or was there a change of heart with COVID-45 and a new bill authorizing Medicaid expansion?

What happened?

I know that Oklahoma recently had the issue on the ballot to add it as a Constitutional Amendment and it passed.

[not fooled]

4. What does "getting it right" mean?

Spoken by a puke, presumably it means they figured out how to contract the program out to a bunch of private, for-profit companies who will skim a significant percentage.

The fact that the head of the Department of Health and Human Services--presumably a government post--is designated a "CEO" is a major hint that someone's making a big profit.

The time has come to stop thinking "run it like a business" has merit.

[riversedge]

5. good eye! --the reference calling the head of the HHS Nebraska a CEO is strange

indeed !!

...........“We are very excited to be able to launch the Medicaid expansion piece,” said Dannette Smith, CEO of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. “We are making sure that everyone in Nebraska has a wonderful customer experience.”

[dalton99a]

6. Fucking assholes

Nebraska voters approved the Medicaid expansion in the November 2018 general election. State officials have taken more time implementing the new coverage than any other state.