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A report by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities released last week said states that expanded Medicaid showed significant reductions in death rates for older adults who fell into the income brackets that allowed them to gain the coverage. The report cited research estimating that, between 2014 and 2017, some 19,200 people who gained access in expansion states would have otherwise died. (Conark and Koh, 11/14)

The Wyoming Legislature will take another crack at Medicaid expansion. The legislature's Joint Revenue Committee approved a proposed bill that will ask Gov. Mark Gordon to explore options for Wyoming's participation in expansion and determine whether it's financially viable for the state. Eventually lawmakers would need to approve a Wyoming plan. (Beck, 11/14)

Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) said Thursday that Congress won't reform the Medicaid disproportionate-share formula this year as anticipated, but they will likely temporarily delay cuts to the program. Grassley said he expects the delay of $4 billion in DSH cuts for fiscal 2020 to be extended in an end-of-year appropriations fight. Congress has not yet passed a patch to avert a government shutdown on Nov. 22, but they are expected to punt a funding fight to December. (Cohrs, 11/14)

The CMS is considering several changes to the methodology it uses to determine hospital star ratings, but some healthcare experts are concerned that the proposed changes don't really account for patient needs. While hospitals and policymakers debate the CMS' proposed changes to the star quality rating methodology, the needs of patients have been cast aside, according to members of the CMS Advisory Panel on Outreach and Education during their meeting on Thursday. (Bady, 11/14)