- Arizona Gov. Brewer secures Medicaid expansion after months-long fight with Legislature, Associated Press, June 13, 2013, Washington Post: “Ending a six-month legislative session, Arizona lawmakers endorsed a key element of President Barack Obama’s health care law in a huge political victory for Republican Gov. Jan Brewer, after a lengthy fight over Medicaid expansion that divided the state’s Republican leadership. The expansion that will extend health care to 300,000 more low-income Arizonans came after months of stalled negotiations, tense debates and political maneuvering as Brewer pushed the Medicaid proposal through a hostile Legislature…”
- House approves bill to expand Medicaid to 470,000 low-income Michiganders, By Kathleen Gray, June 14, 2013, Detroit Free Press: “Expanding Medicaid coverage to 470,000 low-income Michiganders was not an easy vote for many on the floor of the state House of Representatives on Thursday. But in the end, the bill that would take advantage of an element of the Affordable Care Act passed the House by a 76-31 vote. But it didn’t come without hours of private deliberations and public passions on both sides of the political aisle. The bill was described as both a historic tool to get health care to Michigan’s most vulnerable residents and an unprecedented expansion of the federal government…”
Day: June 14, 2013
Medicaid Reform – Florida
Fla. gets final OK for Medicaid privatization, By Gary Finehout and Kelli Kennedy (AP), June 14, 2013, Miami Herald: “Federal health officials have given final approval to a plan to overhaul Florida’s safety net health insurance program. Gov. Rick Scott announced the decision on Friday, saying it would allow the state’s Medicaid program to ‘to provide Medicaid users with quality, value-based and patient-centered care…'”
Public Criminal Defense System – Michigan
Indigent defense: Michigan looks to overhaul system for low-income criminal defense, By Jonathan Oosting, June 14, 2013, MLive.com: “Michigan lawmakers on Thursday took a major step towards overhauling the state’s public criminal defense system, which critics say has been broken for years and failed to protect some residents who cannot afford their own attorney. The Senate and House on Thursday approved identical bills, setting the stage for them to be finalized and sent to the governor as early as next week, to create the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission. The 16-member body would be tasked with researching, developing and enforcing minimum standards for constitutionally-guaranteed legal representation in jurisdictions around the state…”