Brian Blase, Ph.D., is the President of Paragon Health Institute. Brian was Special Assistant to the President for Economic Policy at the White House’s National Economic Council (NEC) from 2017-2019, where he coordinated the development and execution of numerous health policies and advised the President, NEC director, and senior officials. After leaving the White House, Brian founded Blase Policy Strategies and served as its CEO.
Brian Blase Quoted in Inside Health Policy – September 13, 2024
On September 13, 2024, Paragon’s Brian Blase was referenced in Inside Health Policy.
From the article:
There’s still political momentum among conservatives to pass work requirements in Medicaid and perhaps roll back enhanced reimbursements for a state’s Medicaid expansion population, but block granting Medicaid funds to states is not currently politically feasible, Paragon Health Institute President Brian Blase told Medicaid Health Plans of America conference attendees Friday (Sept. 13).
Blase said he hasn’t seen any recent proposals from Republicans that are serious on creating Medicaid block grants, per capita grants or per capita caps. The 2017 proposal on implementing per capita caps for certain populations was weak, Blase said.
In addition to momentum on Medicaid work requirements — policies the Biden administration sought to immediately revoke once in office — Blase sees room for lawmakers to phase out the higher federal match for the Medicaid expansion population.
In August, Paragon unveiled a proposal to accomplish this phase out as well as reduce the floor for all payments in order to end what the group views as more favorable treatment of able-bodied adults over traditional beneficiaries and of wealthier states over those with lower income residents — all while saving the federal government billions.
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