Administration slashes grants to help Americans get Affordable Care Act coverage

The Trump administration is eliminating most of the funding for grass-roots groups that help Americans get Affordable Care Act insurance and will for the first time urge the groups to promote health plans that bypass the law's consumer protections and required benefits. The reduction - the second round of cuts that began last summer - will shrink the federal money devoted to the groups, known as navigators, from $36.8 million to $10 million for the enrollment period that starts in November.

Maine’s Medicaid expansion funding bill faces long odds

Tens of thousands of Maine residents who could qualify for voter-approved Medicaid coverage face lingering questions on the expansion's fate as a funding plan lacks the House Republican votes needed to override the Republican governor's veto. Lawmakers are scheduled to return Monday and face about three dozen vetoes from Gov. Paul LePage, who rejected Medicaid expansion funding legislation and called for long-term funding.

Benefit cuts announced following Medicaid ruling

Gov. Matt Bevin's administration is cutting dental and vision coverage for nearly a half-million Kentuckians after his Medicaid overhaul plan was rejected in court. The state Cabinet for Health and Family Services calls the cuts an "unfortunate consequence" of Friday's ruling by a federal judge who said Kentucky can't require poor people to get jobs to keep their Medicaid benefits.

Op-Ed Columnist: The Millennial Socialists Are Coming

Illustration by Selman Design; Photographs by Tammy Bradshaw, Seth Wenig/Associated Press, Mark Makela for The New York Times, and Jeff Swensen for The New York Times. In May, three young progressive women running for the state Legislature in Pennsylvania, each endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America, won decisive primary victories over men heavily favored by the political establishment.

Federal judge blocks Kentucky’s Medicaid work requirements

A federal judge says Kentucky can't require poor people to get a job to keep their Medicaid benefits, chastising President Donald Trump's administration for rubber-stamping the new rules without considering how many people would lose their health coverage. The decision is a setback for the Trump administration, which has been encouraging states to impose work requirements and other changes on Medicaid, the joint state and federal health insurance program for the poor and disabled.

House Passes Bipartisan Legislation on Opioids

The House on Friday voted 396 to 14 to send the Senate more than 50 bills aimed at tackling the opioid crisis, which is claiming more than 115 lives each day in the U.S. The bills, nearly all of which were bipartisan, were wrapped into a single package, named the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act . They aim to study the crisis and treatment efforts, increase treatment options and bed space, aid the development of non-addictive pain treatments, fight trafficking of counterfeit and illicit drugs, and more.

Biden backs Abrams in closely-watched Georgia race

Former Vice President Joe Biden endorsed Stacey Abrams Wednesday in her bid to become Georgia's first Democratic governor in 15 years and the nation's first-ever black female state executive. The former vice president hailed Abrams in a statement to The Associated Press for her "track record of building consensus across party lines" while still advancing Democratic priorities like Medicaid expansion and public education.

Congress tackles mounting opioid epidemic

House Republicans are beefing up their efforts to tackle the nation's deadly opioid crisis, but some experts question how effective their piecemeal approach will be. Congress is touting its recent flurry of action - the House is on track to pass more than 50 bills addressing the issue by the end of this week - on an issue that is hitting many constituents hard, and one that lawmakers are sure to hear about on the campaign trail this year.

Medicaid Work Requirement Bill Sent to Michigan Governor

The Republican-led Michigan Legislature on Thursday gave final approval to a bill requiring able-bodied adults in the state's Medicaid expansion program to meet work or job-related requirements, sending it to Gov. Rick Snyder for his expected signature. Starting in 2020, adults age 18 to 62 would have to show workforce engagement averaging 80 hours a month - through work, school, job or vocational training, an internship, substance abuse treatment or community service.

Daily on Healthcare: Schumer signals healthcare at center of Democrats’ midterm strategy

SIGN UP! If you'd like to continue receiving Washington Examiner's Daily on Healthcare newsletter, SUBSCRIBE HERE: Schumer signals that healthcare will be central to Democrats' midterm strategy. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer is calling on Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to use the August work period to expand Obamacare .