Discussion of Medicaid Cuts, but Little Action on Capitol Hill - May 24, 2011

On May 23, Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.), Chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Finance, sent a letter to Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour asking the governor to provide feedback on his ideas for “how to make Medicaid work better.” In the letter, the authors suggest the welfare reform law of the 1990s may serve as a guide for future Medicaid legislation. While the Committees continue to seek information on how to reform Medicaid, the Energy and Commerce committee postponed its scheduled mark-up of legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act’s provisions requiring states maintain current Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility. The Committee has not said when it will reschedule the mark-up.