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Medicaid makeover waits on word from Washington
New Jersey wants to remake its Medicaid program to improve healthcare and save money, goals applauded by many in the medical community. But the state was counting on a $107 million refund from the federal government to help its efforts, money it looks unlikely to get — at least not in time for this fiscal year’s budget.
That doesn’t mean Medicaid reform is in jeopardy, but the state has more work to do if it’s going to meet its targets, which call for a Medicaid makeover by next July.
The clock is ticking. Meanwhile New Jersey is still waiting for the federal government to give its approval to a 160-page Medicaid Reform Proposal known as the Comprehensive Waiver. Submitted in September by the state Department of Human Services (DHS) to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the waiver was meant to save $300 million this fiscal year, through major changes to the $11 billion Medicaid program. (Fitzgerald, NJ Spotlight)
