Republican lawmakers want to know if ineligible people are receiving Medicaid, as Obamacare’s expansion of the law would be a casualty of any repeal.
Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan, Joseph Pitts of Pennsylvania and Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah sent the Obama administration a nine-page letter on Monday seeking answers on how the administration has been handling the expansion. All but 19 states have signed up for expanded Medicaid under Obamacare.
“It is crucial that [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] ensure lawmakers both in Congress and state capitals have a clear understanding from CMS regarding its role in overseeing the program,” the letter sent to CMS administrator Andy Slavitt said.
Lawmakers asked CMS a series of questions about what it does to ensure Medicaid dollars are spent appropriately.
Questions include what steps the agency takes to ensure that states that expanded the law are accurately classifying people who enrolled.
They also asked about people who were enrolled in Obamacare coverage and getting subsidies but can now sign up for expanded Medicaid coverage.
“It has been interesting to watch Louisiana’s recent Medicaid expansion unfold, since many now-Medicaid eligible consumers already were enrolled in exchange coverage,” the letter said.
Lawmakers refer to a recent article that said state officials told those people that they can keep their marketplace plan or move to Medicaid.
The letter comes as the future of the expansion is in doubt. Republican lawmakers pledged to repeal Obamacare early next year but are giving themselves a few years to develop an alternative plan.
Republican plans suggested so far have not preserved the Medicaid expansion and would turn it into a state block grant program. Under such an approach, a state would get money and have more freedom to run the program.
CMS did not return a request for comment on the lawmakers’ request.
