Medicaid Block Grants - Another Example that CMS Can Do "Anything" Under SSA 115A (CMMI)

Back when the ACA was relatively new, I pointed out that the creation of Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, CCMI, sometimes called "Innovation Center" by CMS, had large ramifications.

CMMI is created by Section 1115A of the Social Security Act.  CMMI can run demonstration programs, for the purpose of which it may waive any section of the Social Security Act for CMS.

Think about that - why not a demonstration program that (A) waives some fundamental legal principal, B) applies nationwide, and (C) for 100 years?

CMS announced Medicaid block grants for "healthy adults" on January 30, 2020.  Back in her initial hearings in 2017, the Administrator, Seema Verma, highlighted "healthy adults in Medicaid" as an area of major interest for her.  (As opposed to disabled adults on Medicaid or elderly people on Medicare, or children on Medicaid.)

On block grants, NYT here.
CMS press release here.
CMS letter to Medicaid directors here.
CMS fact sheet here.

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Prior to the Trump presidency, in 2016, Republician legislators were very much against the power of CMMI under a Democratic president, here.

See the full text of 1115A here.