States that opt into the Medicaid expansion can later decide to drop out, according to Cindy Mann, CMS deputy administrator and director of the CMS Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services.
Ms. Mann spoke at the National Conference of State Legislatures' 2012 Summit in Chicago. The Supreme Court ruled the Medicaid expansion, which is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is optional for states. Ms. Mann further explained that states could accept the Medicaid expansion initially but could later opt out because they have that option within a voluntary program.
"Our key message to states is that there's a lot to think through and there's no deadline by which states have to make that determination," Ms. Mann said. "…We made it clear that the expansion for low-income adults is voluntary with states. That means a state can decide when to come in, if to come in and also, if a state does adopt the expansion and determines at a later time, for whatever reason, that it does not want to maintain the expansion, it could also decide, because it's a voluntary program, to drop the expansion."
Ms. Mann spoke at the National Conference of State Legislatures' 2012 Summit in Chicago. The Supreme Court ruled the Medicaid expansion, which is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, is optional for states. Ms. Mann further explained that states could accept the Medicaid expansion initially but could later opt out because they have that option within a voluntary program.
"Our key message to states is that there's a lot to think through and there's no deadline by which states have to make that determination," Ms. Mann said. "…We made it clear that the expansion for low-income adults is voluntary with states. That means a state can decide when to come in, if to come in and also, if a state does adopt the expansion and determines at a later time, for whatever reason, that it does not want to maintain the expansion, it could also decide, because it's a voluntary program, to drop the expansion."
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