Critics of West Virginia's Mountain Health Choices Medicaid program reportedly are delighted at one of the choices made by President Barack Obama's administration for a key federal position.
It was revealed last week that Cindy Mann, who had been director of Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families, has been named to head the federal Center for Medicaid and State Operations. In that position she will have a substantial amount of power over how states handle their Medicaid programs.
While Mann was at Georgetown, the Center for Children and Families released a report highly critical of West Virginia's Medicaid program. It maintained that 93 percent of low-income children eligible for Medicaid have been unfairly penalized by the state program. In other words, the program isn't good for children, according to the report.
As we have explained repeatedly, the Mountain Health Choices Medicaid program denies coverage to no one who would have been covered under the old Medicaid requirements. The program offers Medicaid recipients a choice: If they agree to a personal responsibility contract, they receive enhanced Medicaid coverage. If they do not agree, their benefits are limited to basic coverage. The contracts are not terribly restrictive; their primary requirements are that Medicaid recipients keep health care appointments and that they find health care "homes" such as family doctors.
Because of her former position, critics of Mountain Health Choices hope Mann will force the state to drop or change Mountain Health Choices. We urge her to do no such thing. The program still is in its infancy - and yes, some fine-tuning may be needed. But if it is allowed to continue, it could improve the health of many West Virginia Medicaid clients.
That is something that Mann, in her new position, ought to be interested in promoting.