President Trump and Republican leaders have called for fundamental changes in Medicaid’s financing through conversion to a block grant or per capita cap. Such a change could reduce federal spending and offer more  flexibility for states to manage their programs. However, the switch also could eliminate eligible individuals’ entitlement to coverage and shift costs to states, beneficiaries, and providers.

On Thursday, February 23 from 12:30 p.m. ET to 1:30 p.m. ET, the Kaiser Family Foundation hosted a web briefing for journalists to explain how block grant and per capita cap spending proposals for Medicaid would work and what the possible implications are.

Panelists included MaryBeth Musumeci, associate director of the Foundation’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured; Robin Rudowitz, associate director of the Foundation’s Program on Medicaid and the Uninsured; and Matt Salo, executive director of the National Association of Medicaid Directors. Diane Rowland, the Foundation’s executive vice president, moderated.