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Governor Kotek warns federal Medicaid paperwork could put medically frail patients at risk of losing coverage
Summary
In a brief address to Oregonians, Governor Kotek said proposed federal paperwork requirements tied to legislation associated with President Trump could cause people identified as "medically frail" to lose Medicaid coverage and urged that beneficiaries focus on receiving care rather than dealing with new administrative hurdles.
Governor Kotek said a long-standing goal of federal Medicaid policy has been to help people with severe medical conditions that affect daily life and identified that group as "medically frail." She warned that recent legislative language associated with President Trump would add new documentation requirements that could imperil coverage for some beneficiaries.
"The last thing that people who are medically frail need to worry about is government red tape," Governor Kotek said, arguing that added paperwork would endanger people living with serious illnesses, substance-use disorders, disabilities and mental health conditions. She said those Oregonians should be focused on getting care rather than fighting new administrative obstacles.
Kotek framed the change as "one of the most harmful parts" of the proposal, saying it would impose additional steps for people who now qualify for protections under Medicaid. She did not cite specific statutory citations, timelines, or estimates of how many people would be affected in Oregon during this address. No formal vote or local action was taken during the remarks.
