Stakeholders Slam Block Grant Guidance As Partisan Politics

Providers, beneficiary advocates and Democratic lawmakers quickly slammed as partisan politics the Trump administration’s Thursday (Jan. 30) decision to let states receive block grants for optional Medicaid populations, coming as the Republican governor of Oklahoma said he plans to take advantage of the opportunity. The critics alleged the administration’s move offers a politically viable way for GOP states to partially expand Medicare while simultaneously cutting back funding and benefits and imposing work requirements. CMS issued guidance Thursday allowing states to...