Center Urges Support for Medicaid Redesign Act

February 25, 2015 Leave a comment


*Jon Bailey will be at the Unicameral today, testifying in support of LB 472 and specifically discussing details of the new Center for Rural Affairs report entitled, LB 472 and Leveraging Federal Dollars to Reform Corrections. His written testimony is available here: http://www.cfra.org/sites/www.cfra.org/files/LB472testimony.pdf
Lincoln, Nebraska – Today at the Unicameral, the Health and Human Services Committee is hearing public testimony on LB 472 – a legislative proposal that would help redesign Nebraska’s Medicaid program and close the existing health care coverage gap for low-income, working Nebraskans.
“The Center for Rural Affairs supports LB 472, the Medicaid Redesign Act, for all of the supportive reasons you are hearing today and the for the reasons we supported LB 887 in 2014 and LB 577 in 2013,” said Jon Bailey, Director of Rural Policy at the Center for Rural Affairs. “We support providing health insurance to thousands of low-income working Nebraskans who are unable to obtain traditional Medicaid coverage, who do not have access to employer-sponsored private insurance, and who are unable to afford insurance plans in the health insurance marketplace, and thus fall into a coverage gap not of their making.”
Nebraska is losing over $930,000 every day by failing to provide health coverage to its low-income, working citizens and the federal funding that will provide it. Since January 1, 2014, Nebraska has lost a total of over $391 million in available federal Medicaid funds, Bailey added.
For an up to the minute figure on Medicaid dollars lost to Nebraska, see the Center for Rural Affairs Medicaid Gap Counter at: http://www.cfra.org/news/141103/medicaid-expansion-bring-our-tax-dollars-home
“Today we come in support of LB 472 for another reason,” Bailey testified. “Today, in conjunction with Nebraska Appleseed, we released a report,  LB 472 and Leveraging Federal Dollars to Reform Corrections, showing the benefits of a redesigned Medicaid program to our corrections program, our corrections population and the state’s taxpayers.”
“Nebraska clearly has issues in its corrections programs that affect the state’s taxpayers and public safety. Just as clear is the connection between mental health and substance abuse treatment and criminal offenses and recidivism. Examples from initiatives in other states and long-term research show that this connection can be addressed through mental health and substance abuse treatment to low-income people where needed and to offenders released from the corrections population or on parole or probation.”
Jon Bailey, Center for Rural Affairs
Bailey provided a copy of the Center’s report to the Committee and it can also be viewed or downloaded here:http://www.cfra.org/LB472-Reform-Corrections
Bailey further explained to the Committee, based upon Nebraska corrections data, findings from other states, and findings from research on the connections between Medicaid and health insurance coverage, necessary treatments, and criminal justice system outcomes, that:
  • A lack of mental health services and substance abuse treatment is a primary cause of re-offending, recidivism and a return to jail or prison.
  • A redesigned Nebraska Medicaid program such as proposed in LB 472 would help keep nearly 400 people from returning to prison in one year.
  • A redesigned Nebraska Medicaid program such as proposed in LB 472 would result in gross savings to the state’s correctional budget of nearly $11 million in one year.
  • A redesigned Nebraska Medicaid program could save additional state and county dollars that have already been invested or will be invested in corrections reform.
“Research clearly shows recidivism can come from a lack of health coverage,” continued Bailey. “There is a consensus among national and Nebraska research and analysis that mental health and substance abuse treatment are what many in the corrections population need. Examples from national research and from other states clearly show linking people to coverage and necessary treatments work in reducing criminal offenses and recidivism.”
Since traditional Medicaid is unavailable to most of the correctional population and private health insurance is unattainable, Nebraska needs LB 472 to make these necessary connections. The Nebraska taxpayer and public safety, as well as those in the corrections population, will all be beneficiaries, Bailey concluded.

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Center for Rural Affairs Testifies in Support of LB 887

January 31, 2014 Leave a comment


Lyons, Nebraska  –  Today, the Health and Human Services Committee is hearing public testimony on LB 887, the Wellness in Nebraska Act. LB 887 would expand Medicaid in Nebraska to provide coverage to Nebraskans making under 133% of the Federal Poverty Limit who are not otherwise qualified for Medicaid.

“For the health and well-being of Nebraska’s people, we urge the advancement of LB 887,” said Jon Bailey, Director of Rural Research and Analysis at the Center for Rural Affairs. “The failure of Nebraska to approve and implement the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act has created a coverage gap that an estimated 33,000 Nebraskans have fallen into. The coverage gap has real and significant ramifications for our citizens.”

According to Bailey’s testimony, there is essentially no help that that can be offered for Nebraskans that fall into the gap. They do not qualify for insurance marketplace tax credits because their incomes are too low. Consequently, even the least expensive insurance on the marketplace is generally unaffordable; and their employers do not provide health insurance.

“All that we can do and all that the ACA navigators can do is tell them the truth and send them on their way disappointed, frustrated and still uninsured,” explained Bailey.

The demographics, economy and the health insurance market in rural Nebraska make LB 887 critical for our rural residents. These people and their families rightfully deserve to be insured. It is simply immoral to enact a public policy of negligence that leaves them by the side of the road with no options and with the disappointment and frustration of being in the coverage gap. Most importantly, it is immoral to leave them without the ability to resolve their health care needs and without the tools to enhance their long-term health, Bailey testified.

“LB 887 will allow those in the coverage gap to become healthier and responsible health care consumers,” concluded Bailey.

To view or download a copy of Jon Bailey’s testimony for the Center for Rural affairs go to:

http://www.cfra.org/LB887Testimony

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