Episode 8: Medicaid Block Grants and the Cancer Population

Tina Harris MS, NP-C, AOCNP

In early 2020, the Trump administration rolled out a Medicaid block grant program, where states apply to received capped federal funding and have new flexibility to dictate coverage and benefits. Tennessee's application is a telling example of how health benefits for the most vulnerable populations have the potential to change drastically.

References:

Kaiser Family Foundation estimates based on 2017 National Health Expenditure Accounts data from CMS, Office of the Actuary; The Kaiser Family Foundation, Medicaid in the United States Fact Sheet, October 2019. http://files.kff.org/attachment/fact-sheet-medicaid-state-US

The Facts on Medicare Spending and Financing https://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/the-facts-on-medicare-spending-and-financing/

Trump Administration Announces Transformative Medicaid Healthy Adult Opportunity https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/trump-administration-announces-transformative-medicaid-healthy-adult-opportunity

Trump Administration Clears The Way For Medicaid Block Grants https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/01/30/800841612/trump-administration-offers-states-a-way-to-block-grant-medicaid