The trust fund will be exhausted in 2026, two years later than forecast.
USA Today
May 31, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/31/medicare-social-security-trustees-report/2375581/
The federal Medicare trust fund will be exhausted in 2026, two years later than last year's forecast, according to the Medicare trustees report released Friday. The report, which also projected the Social Security system trust fund would be exhausted by 2033, is expected to influence upcoming congressional debates over the nation's debt ceiling, proposals to reduce the deficit and the future of entitlement programs.
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Social Security will reach insolvency in 2033, Medicare in 2026
The Hill
May 31, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/302719-social-security-insolvent-by-2033
Social Security’s two trust funds will become insolvent by 2033, the program’s trustees reported Friday, while Medicare will reach insolvency by 2026. Unless Congress acts, Social Security will no longer be able to pay full benefits to retirees after 2033. Only three-quarters of benefits will be delivered after the projected insolvency date.
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Gearing Up For Online Insurance Markets
Kaiser Health News
May 29, 2013
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2013/May/29/health-reform.aspx
The Wall Street Journal profiles the man overseeing California's online insurance marketplace and spotlights one business owner's decisions about whether and how to offer his employees coverage. Other media outlets explore Democrats' outreach efforts -- and how Republicans embrace the individual mandate for illegal immigrants.
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Audit eyes Medicare payments for hospice care
Modern Healthcare
May 29, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130529/NEWS/305299959/cms-audit-examines-medicare-payments-for-hospice-care
With Medicare spending on hospice skyrocketing in recent years, the program's watchdog office says tying hospital payment more closely to the timing of patient transfers from the hospital to the hospice could have cut federal spending by as much as $600 million over two years. But those savings would come out of hospitals' pockets. That's prompting CMS officials to wonder whether making that payment change would drive hospitals to needlessly prolong acute care in order to guarantee full payments, an audit report published today says (PDF).
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Senior health care crisis looms; report ranks states
USA Today
May 28, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/28/senior-citizens-health-care-report/2354635/
An aging nation that's living longer but with growing rates of obesity, diabetes and other chronic diseases points to an emerging health care crisis, says a report out Tuesday that analyzes seniors' health status state-by-state. Just two years ago, the first Baby Boomers turned 65, setting into motion a "tremendous demographic shift in the U.S. population," said physician Rhonda Randall, a senior adviser to the not-for-profit United Health Foundation, which released America's Health Rankings Senior Report Tuesday.
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Sebelius asks physician assistants for Obamacare outreach help
Reuters
May 28, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/28/usa-healthcare-outreach-idUSL2N0E910M20130528
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asked a group representing nearly 46,000 physician assistants on Tuesday to help persuade uninsured Americans to sign up for coverage under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law. As part of a politically embattled administration effort to rally support for the landmark reform law, Sebelius appealed to physician assistants as care providers who treat large numbers of people with little or no health insurance, including those in Republican-controlled states that have rejected the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Arkansas lawmakers approve $16.5M for exchange
LifeHealthPro
May 28, 2013
http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/05/28/arkansas-lawmakers-approve-165m-for-exchange
Arkansas lawmakers on Tuesday approved spending nearly $16.5 million in federal funds to continue setting up a marketplace where more than 500,000 people can shop for insurance under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The Arkansas Legislative Council approved spending two grants from the federal government for Arkansas to set up its insurance exchange. The state has received more than $43 million in federal funds for the exchange.
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States’ Battle Against Health Care
The New York Times
May 28, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/29/opinion/global/states-battle-against-health-care.html
The fiscal, political and ideological barriers to health care in America are a national embarrassment, and the Affordable Care Act is a serious attempt to remove many of those barriers. While the act does not solve all of our nation’s health care problems, it is a far more effective and ethical approach to fixing health care than the highly objectionable behavior of those states opposing it. By obstinately refusing to expand their Medicaid program at virtually no cost to their state budgets, these states are recklessly imposing additional barriers to the welfare of millions. Hiding behind the Supreme Court decision affording the states the right to opt out of expanding Medicaid does not make it right to do so. These states’ leaders reveal how they have wrongly prioritized their opposition to President Obama and his health plan over their constituents’ access to health care.
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Nancy-Ann DeParle fundraising for Obamacare
Politico
May 28, 2013
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/nancy-ann-deparle-obamacare-insurance-91961.html?hp=t2_3
Nancy-Ann DeParle helped get Obamacare enacted during President Barack Obama’s first term. In his second term, she’s trying to get insurers to pony up millions to get the law successfully launched. Now in the private sector, DeParle is asking top executives at several health insurance companies to donate $1 million or more to Enroll America, a nonprofit organization promoting Obamacare enrollment, several sources familiar with her role said.
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Poll: Do you support or oppose the health care law?
CNN
May 27, 2013
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/27/poll-do-you-support-or-oppose-the-health-care-law/
A majority of Americans still oppose the nation's new health care measure, three years after it became law, according to a new survey. But a CNN/ORC International poll released Monday also indicates that more than a quarter of those who oppose the law, known by many as Obamacare, say they don't support the measure because it doesn't go far enough.
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Lack of insurance choice troubles some in N.H.
Modern Healthcare
May 27, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130527/INFO/305279990/lack-of-insurance-choice-troubles-some-in-n-h
Consumer and small business advocates in New Hampshire are disappointed but not surprised that only one company plans to sell insurance through the new online marketplaces required under President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul. Companies have until June 1 to submit applications to the state, but an official with Anthem Blue Cross/Blue Shield of New Hampshire said last week that it is the only insurer that has applied to sell either individual or small group plans through the new markets. The insurance department confirmed that is the case.
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Investors Met With Obama Administration Officials On Health Care: Report
The Huffington Post
May 27, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/26/investors-health-care_n_3340988.html
Wall Street investors hungry for advance information on upcoming federal health-care decisions repeatedly held private discussions with Obama administration officials, including a top White House adviser helping to implement the Affordable Care Act.
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Republicans see 'Obamacare' debacle as key to 2014
Boston Herald
May 26, 2013
http://bostonherald.com/business/healthcare/2013/05/republicans_see_obamacare_debacle_as_key_to_2014
If Republicans were writing a movie script for next year's congressional elections, the working title might be "2014: Apocalypse of Obamacare." The plot: The rollout of President Barack Obama's health care law turns into such a disaster that enraged voters rebuke him by rewarding the GOP with undisputed control of Congress. But there's a risk for Republicans if they're wrong and the Affordable Care Act works reasonably well, particularly in states that have embraced it. Republicans might be seen as obstinately standing in the way of progress.
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Lawmakers credited for role in Iowa health deal
Modern healthcare
May 26, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130526/INFO/305269995/2-lawmakers-credited-for-role-in-iowa-health-deal
After months of partisan bickering seemed to have stalled negotiations on how to provide low-income healthcare in Iowa, two no-nonsense lawmakers from northern Iowa are credited with figuring out a compromise. Democratic Sen. Amanda Ragan, of Mason City, and Republican House Majority Leader Linda Upmeyer, of Clear Lake, led talks to develop the healthcare plan that won passage in the Legislature before lawmakers adjourned Thursday. The last-minute deal was viewed as a major breakthrough because there had been much speculation that the Legislature would have to return in a special session to deal with the contentious issue.
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Unions cool to health-care law
The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 26, 2013
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/nation_world/20130526_Unions_cool_to_health-care_law.html
When President Obama pushed his health-care overhaul plan through Congress, he counted labor unions among his strongest supporters. But some unions leaders have grown frustrated and angry about what they say are unexpected consequences of the new law - problems that they say could jeopardize the health benefits offered to millions of their members.
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Maryland already sets hospitals’ prices. Now it wants to cap their spending.
The Washington Post
May 25, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/25/maryland-already-sets-hospitals-prices-now-it-wants-to-cap-their-spending/
In a world of constantly rising health-care costs, Maryland has long stood alone. Through a novel system that gave regulators unusual leverage to set prices, the state delivered care at a price that grew more slowly than elsewhere in the country — even at some of the nation’s most renowned hospitals. But after saving an estimated $45 billion for consumers over four decades, the system is in danger of running aground. Hospital expenses have risen so relentlessly in recent years that the original price controls now appear unsustainable.
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IRS role in health care law troubling
TribLive
May 25, 2013
http://triblive.com/opinion/luisfabregas/4033271-74/irs-medical-records#axzz2UiYeoXTy
Quick — Which government agency will be responsible for enforcing a penalty on people who don't carry health insurance starting next year? If your answer is the Internal Revenue Service, give yourself a pat on the back. If you cringed upon learning this, I don't blame you.
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D.C.’s Medicaid upheaval puts health-care providers in a tight spot
The Washington Post
May 25, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dcs-medicaid-upheaval-puts-health-care-providers-in-a-tight-spot/2013/05/25/e546e456-c3b9-11e2-8c3b-0b5e9247e8ca_story.html
The letter faxed to Gloria A. Wilder’s Anacostia medical practice was short and to the point: D.C. Chartered Health Plan, the Medicaid contractor that insured roughly three-fourths of her patients, would no longer be paying its claims, effectively immediately. That meant Wilder would not be getting paid anytime soon for hundreds of office visits she had already handled, as well as dozens more she had scheduled for the coming week.
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States’ Policies on Health Care Exclude Some of the Poorest
The New York Times
May 24, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/25/us/states-policies-on-health-care-exclude-poorest.html?pagewanted=all
The refusal by about half the states to expand Medicaid will leave millions of poor people ineligible for government-subsidized health insurance under President Obama’s health care law even as many others with higher incomes receive federal subsidies to buy insurance. Starting next month, the administration and its allies will conduct a nationwide campaign encouraging Americans to take advantage of new high-quality affordable insurance options. But those options will be unavailable to some of the neediest people in states like Texas, Florida, Kansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia, which are refusing to expand Medicaid.
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Why Health Care and Immigration Is a Dangerous Combination
U.S. News & World report
May 24, 2013
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/05/24/why-health-care-and-immigration-is-a-dangerous-combination
This week, the working group in the House of Representatives that has spent the last four years hammering out a deal on comprehensive immigration reform threatened to call it quits. The issue? What to do about health care for the 11 million immigrants who came to the country illegally. Republicans in the group wanted immigrants to be completely barred from any government health care benefit, federal, local or otherwise. They also floated the idea of requiring immigrants to purchase their own private health care or be required to leave the country. But sources close to the negotiations said Democratic leadership worried the threat of deportation was simply too cruel considering the high price of private insurance.
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Health care reform's unexpected victims
CNN
May 24, 2013
http://management.fortune.cnn.com/2013/05/24/health-care-reform/
A new study suggests that American insurers may start prohibiting premium payments via debit or credit card, a move that will put Americans without bank accounts in a major bind. Health insurance companies are hectic places these days -- they're preparing for key pieces of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to go into effect next year. Given the frenzy, certain parts of the act could have unintended consequences. Specifically, a new report suggests, Americans without bank accounts could get left behind, unable to pay their insurance premiums.
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House takes final action on health care for 150,000
Des Moines Register
May 24, 2013
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130524/NEWS10/305240032/House-takes-final-action-on-health-care-for-150-000?Iowa%20Politics%20Insider
The Iowa House took final action Thursday on a bill to assure health care for about 150,000 low-income Iowans, resolving a public policy dispute that had eluded resolution until the final days of the 2013 session. The House voted 80-17 to pass Senate File 446, which was part of a massive $1.7 billion health and human services funding bill intended to help some of Iowa’s neediest people.
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Medicaid payment reform may be reducing costs but legislature delays further implementation | Arkansas Blog
Arkansas Times
May 24, 2013
http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2013/05/24/medicaid-payment-reform-may-be-reducing-costs-but-legislature-delays-further-implementation
Good news on the Medicaid cost front: in a joint Public Health committee meeting today, Department of Human Services officials testified that for the third straight quarter, cost growth of the program has slowed. This represents the slowest growth in 25 years (spending is still rising but is rising significantly more slowly than the long-term trend), and comes despite an improving economy and an increase in the rate of enrollment. Along with additional money coming in via healthcare expansion, the reduced costs mean that Medicaid providers will not face rate cuts or freezes as planned.
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Some medical device manufacturers not paying their share of health reform
The Hill. by Curtis Rooney
May 24, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/301887-some-medical-device-manufacturers-not-paying-their-share-of-health-reform
As debate over repeal of the medical device excise tax continues on Capitol Hill, evidence has begun to emerge that some medical device manufacturers have chosen to pass the costs of the tax directly to American hospitals and healthcare providers, and ultimately to patients and taxpayers. For hospitals already delivering effective and affordable care on shrinking budgets, this is tantamount to being double-billed for healthcare reform. Hospitals committed $155 billion over 10 years through cuts in reimbursement to help fund the Affordable Care Act (ACA). To further fund national healthcare reform, Congress imposed a 2.3 percent excise tax on the sale of “taxable medical devices” — everything from pacemakers and surgical tools to canes and wheelchairs — beginning Jan, 1, 2013.
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Reform Update: Panel queries AHIP, Blues Association about Sebelius' fundraising
Modern Healthcare
May 24, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130524/NEWS/305249967/reform-update-panel-queries-ahip-blues-association-about-sebelius
America's Health Insurance Plans is among the latest set of organizations that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is questioning in what has become an expanded probe of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' fundraising efforts to help implement the 2010 healthcare reform law. The committee's investigation, which began earlier this month, calls on the Government Accountability Office to conduct a thorough examination of HHS' activities to solicit funds for Enroll America, a private group that works to educate Americans about enrolling in healthcare coverage. In their letter to the GAO, the Energy and Commerce leaders contend that Sebelius' activities “show an apparent disregard for constitutional principles” and could violate federal law.
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Health care overhaul faces backlash from once supportive labor unions
The Washington Post
May 24, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/health-care-overhaul-faces-backlash-from-once-supportive-labor-unions/2013/05/24/c4a7a22a-c446-11e2-9642-a56177f1cdf7_story.html
Some labor unions that enthusiastically backed President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul are now frustrated and angry, fearful that it will jeopardize benefits for millions of their members. Union leaders warn that unless the problem is fixed, there could be consequences for Democrats facing re-election next year.
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Health care: Expansion includes state-paid premiums
Des Moines Register
May 23, 2013
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20130523/NEWS10/305230073/1056/NEWS09/Health-care-Expansion-includes-state-paid-premiums?nclick_check=1
After arguing for months over how to provide health care to poor Iowa adults, the Iowa Senate approved a compromise plan late Wednesday and sent it to the House. The proposal was expected to be considered today by the House, whose Republican leaders have endorsed it. Gov. Terry Branstad also supports it.
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Health care tops other industries for highest median CEO pay
The Washington Post
May 23, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/health-care-tops-other-industries-for-highest-median-ceo-pay/2013/05/23/8003ef12-c3be-11e2-9642-a56177f1cdf7_story.html
Here’s a look at median CEO pay by industry last year, as calculated by executive pay research firm Equilar. For the fourth time in five years, health care CEOs got the most pay and utilities CEOs got the least.
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Hobby Lobby seeks exemption to health care law on contraception
AP
May 23, 2013
http://www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2013/05/hobby_lobby_crafts_chain_seeks.html
In the most prominent challenge of its kind, Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. asked a federal appeals court on Thursday for an exemption from part of the federal health care law that requires it to offer employees health coverage that includes access to the morning-after pill. The Oklahoma City-based arts-and-crafts chain argued that businesses -- not just the currently exempted religious groups -- should be allowed to seek exception from that section of the health law if it violates their religious beliefs.
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Immigrant healthcare bills stump House group
Los Angeles Times
May 23, 2013
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-immigrant-health-care-bills-stump-house-group-20130523,0,7875462.story
Differences over whether immigrants should be deported for failing to have health insurance or pay their healthcare bills have stalled a bipartisan group of House lawmakers, who blew past a self-imposed Thursday deadline as they pressed forward on a sweeping immigration overhaul. Negotiators emerged upbeat from a closed-door meeting in the Capitol and said they remained on track to produce a bill by June. That, in itself, was significant, after the group of eight was on the verge of breakup.
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Taxpayers won't pay healthcare costs for undocumented immigrants: Pelosi
Modern Healthcare
May 23, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305239967/immigrant-coverage-wont-hit-taxpayers-pelosi
Two days after the Senate Judiciary Committee passed a comprehensive immigration reform bill, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) promised that U.S. taxpayers would not bear the cost of healthcare coverage for undocumented immigrants who are on the path to citizenship. Earlier reports had hinted that the coverage provisions under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act might be a sticking point as House members draft their own immigration-reform legislation. Not so, Pelosi said during her weekly news conference on Thursday, adding that undocumented immigrants would not have access to Medicaid. The California Democrat said the country must have comprehensive immigration form, and that legislation must protect the nation's borders, workers and taxpayers.
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Scandal draws questions about IRS role in enforcing Obamacare
Miami Herald
May 23, 2013
http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/05/23/3413509/scandal-draws-questions-about.html
The blossoming IRS scandal over the targeting of conservative groups is provoking new scrutiny and terse questions about the agency’s role in shaping and implementing the controversial new national health care law, with the biggest changes set to begin next year. The Internal Revenue Service is an important cog in the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, commonly shorthanded as Obamacare. The tax agency must act on 47 provisions of the new law, more than half of those already in effect, including the more controversial ones taking effect in 2014 such as the requirement that nearly all non-elderly adults have health care coverage.
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States delaying, dropping controversial dual-eligible pilot program
Modern Healthcare
May 23, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130523/NEWS/305239969/states-delaying-dropping-controversial-dual-eligible-pilot
More than half of the states that applied to participate in a controversial CMS pilot for dual-eligible beneficiaries have either dropped out or delayed implementation of their programs, according to health policy experts. Among the 26 states that applied to participate in the CMS Financial Alignment Initiative, which stems from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, six have dropped out or opted for different “customized” plans and nine have delayed their start dates.
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Reform Update: Rhode Island sets sights on healthcare overhaul
Modern Healthcare
May 22, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130522/NEWS/305229968/reform-update-rhode-island-sets-sights-on-healthcare-overhaul
Rhode Island policymakers and the state's healthcare industry began to draft plans last month on how best to overhaul payment to hospitals, doctors and other providers and simultaneously improve the health and well-being of its citizens. If successful, the state will end the effort in October with proposals for new payment initiatives, targets for community health improvement, information technology investment, state laws to be introduced (or repealed), and, possibly, spending targets.
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CMS allows some IT expenses in Medicare Advantage, Part D MLR
Government Health IT
May 22, 2013
http://www.govhealthit.com/news/cms-allows-some-it-expenses-medicare-advantage-part-d-mlr
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services has finalized medical loss ratio regulations for Medicare Advantage and Medicare prescription drug insurers, allowing some EHR and ICD-10 set-up costs to be counted as quality improvement. The Affordable Care Act’s rules for commercial health plan’s medical loss ratio took effect in 2011, requiring individual and small group health plans to spend at least 80 percent of customer premiums on medical claims or quality improvement expenses (or if not to issue consumer rebates), and spend only 20 percent on administration, marketing and profits, with a 85-15 percent ratio for large group health plans.
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Maine lawmakers refuse to repeal health care law
Boston Globe
May 22, 2013
http://www.boston.com/news/local/maine/2013/05/22/maine-lawmakers-refuse-repeal-health-care-law/vhpNq5OdILYbBRexjAUbcK/story.html
The Maine Legislature has said no to a move to bar enforcement of the national health care law. The Senate on Tuesday agreed with the House and voted to kill a bill that labeled the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 a violation of the United States Constitution, and null and void in Maine.
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House Pushes Bill to Fix Medicare Rural Floor Wage Index
Becker’s Hospital Review
May 22, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/racs-/-icd-9-/-icd-10/house-pushes-bill-to-fix-medicare-rural-floor-wage-index.html
U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas) put forth a bill on the House floor this week that would strike a part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act related to hospital wage-indexing that has led to hospitals in some states capturing a much larger share of certain Medicare payments than more rural states. The Medicare Hospital Wage Index Equity Act of 2013 would effectively overwrite the rural floor provision of the hospital wage index under Medicare, requiring urban hospitals to pay workers at least as much as rural hospital wages.
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Maryland cool on Web broker helpers
LifeHealthPro
May 22, 2013
http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/05/22/maryland-cool-on-web-broker-helpers
The heart of the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) health insurance exchange system will be sales systems that resemble current Web broker sales systems. Should states ask the Web brokers to help them enroll consumers in health plans?
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Medicare Proffers $1 Billion For Healthcare Innovation Projects
Information Week
May 22, 2013
http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/policy/medicare-proffers-1-billion-for-healthca/240155363
The U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will spend as much as $1 billion on a second round of innovation awards for projects that show strong potential to reduce costs and improve care for Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) patients outside hospital environments. "CMS is interested in finding models that change the way we deliver care in America," CMS spokesman Alper Ozinal told InformationWeek Healthcare. "These awards are designed to test models."
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Arizona health centers get federal funding
Biz Journals
May 22, 2013
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/health-care-daily/2013/05/arizona-health-centers-get-federal.html
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was created in 2010 to provide affordable health coverage for all Americans. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released funding to ensure that health centers nationwide will have the funding to help enroll uninsured individuals into affordable health insurance coverage.
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Casey promotes health-care research as job source
The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 22, 2013
http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-22/business/39421299_1_nih-funding-funding-issues-health-funding
U.S. Sen. Bob Casey says he doesn't have an answer to the national need for balance in creating health-care financing solutions, but he knows that National Institutes of Health funding helps put and keep jobs in the Philadelphia region. "I focus on NIH funding for a couple reasons," Casey said in a meeting with Inquirer editors and reporters. "No. 1 is because this region of the country has made great progress, but also there is no region more at risk than Southeastern Pennsylvania because of the dollars the state gets."
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Study: Romney's Healthcare Reform Law Did Not Increase Hospital Use, Costs
Becker’s ASC Review
May 21, 2013
http://www.beckersasc.com/news-analysis/study-romneys-healthcare-reform-law-did-not-increase-hospital-use-costs.html
Massachusetts' 2006 healthcare reform law, signed by former Gov. Mitt Romney and often considered the model for President Barack Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, did not cause increases in hospital use or costs, according to a report from U.S. News & World Report. The findings are based on a new study led by Amresh Hanchate, PhD, an economist with the Veterans Affairs Boston Healthcare System, and presented at an American Heart Association conference.
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Judge to Rule on Kentucky Health Exchange Lawsuit
The State Journal
May 21, 2013
http://www.state-journal.com/latest%20headlines/2013/05/21/judge-to-rule-on-kentucky-health-exchange-suit
A judge will decide whether to dismiss a case against Gov. Steve Beshear’s administration for implementing a state-run health benefit exchange as part of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. Dozens of tea party supporters filled the courtroom Monday as attorneys on both sides argued before Franklin Circuit Judge Phillip Shepherd.
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The Health Care Industry's Slow Embrace of Remote Access Technologies
iHealthBeat
May 21, 2013
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/perspectives/2013/the-health-care-industrys-slow-embrace-of-remote-access-technologies.aspx
We are all familiar with the bring-your-own-device (BYOD) and consumerization of IT trends that have taken the modern workforce by storm in recent years. And during that time, there has been no shortage of controversy over whether the pros outweigh the cons when it comes to the use of mobile devices and remote working, particularly in the health care industry. Take, for example, the imaging capabilities of smartphones and tablet computers. They have evolved to the point where physicians can use them to document patient injuries and conditions and make remote diagnoses, often equaling what you would get from an in-person examination. This could drastically improve collaborative efforts across the medical field and the ability to solicit expert opinions from specialists on the other side of the globe.
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Marilyn Tavenner approved by Senate for CMS post
Politico
May 21, 2013
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/marilyn-tavenner-cms-91438.html?hp=l1
Marilyn Tavenner on Wednesday was easily confirmed by the Senate to run the agency in charge of Medicare, Medicaid and setting up much of the health care law — the first nominee for the controversial job to get through the Senate in nearly a decade. Tavenner’s nomination to lead the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services passed the Senate in a 91-7 vote, with some Republicans using the vote to lodge opposition to her role in implementing the president’s health reform law.
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Obama’s Defense in IRS Case Is Pre-Election Ignorance
Bloomberg
May 21, 2013
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-21/obama-s-defense-in-irs-case-is-pre-election-ignorance.html
Whether the Internal Revenue Service controversy explodes into something bigger comes down to this: Did anyone in the Obama administration know before the Nov. 6 election that the agency singled out Tea Party groups for extra screening? “The first question is who knew what when before the elections,” said David Gergen, an adviser to Republican and Democratic presidents from Richard Nixon to Bill Clinton.
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Feds Approve Virginia's Dual-Eligible Coordination Project
Governing
May 21, 2013
http://www.governing.com/news/state/gov-virginia-approved-for-demonstration-coordinating-medicare-medicaid.html
Virginia is the sixth state to reach an agreement with the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for a pilot project coordinating care for dual eligibles, people enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid, the agency announced Tuesday. An estimated 78,600 elderly and disabled Virginians, living in more than 100 localities, will be enrolled in Medicare-Medicaid Plans under the program. One company will be responsible for overseeing their full continuum of care, from their primary care and medications to any hospitalizations and long-term care needs. Patients in certain areas of Virginia will be allowed to begin opting into the program starting in February 2014. The program will then be phased into other areas of the state over the following eight months.
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House immigration talks hang on health care
Politico
May 21, 2013
http://www.politico.com/story/2013/05/house-immigration-talks-hang-on-health-care-91709.html
House immigration negotiators have given themselves until the end of the week to hash out language on what kind of health benefits should be available to undocumented immigrants seeking U.S. citizenship, a crucial issue for the talks.
If they can’t resolve this issue, the four-year immigration negotiations could come to a crashing halt.
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Market, insurers will keep premiums low, analysts say
USA Today
May 21, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2013/05/21/unpredictable-health-care-premiums/2168479/
Market forces and an impetus to attract younger, healthier people into the insurance market will help keep health insurance premiums lower as the 2010 health care law takes effect on Jan. 1, industry analysts and insurance officials say. "If they price too high, young people won't buy insurance, and that's going to hurt the companies," said Jay Angoff, who led initial implementation of the law for HHS. "They need these people to come in. It's an industry problem."
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New Efforts to Undercut Health Reforms
The New York Times
May 20, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/21/opinion/new-efforts-to-undercut-health-reforms.html?_r=0
Congressional Republicans are trying to exploit two controversies bedeviling the Obama administration to undermine the health care reform law. They are using an uproar over misguided tactics by Internal Revenue Service employees to target conservative political groups seeking tax-exempt status as an excuse to prohibit the agency from playing a pivotal role in carrying out the Affordable Care Act. And they want to use a controversy over efforts by the secretary of health and human services, Kathleen Sebelius, to encourage private donations to help enroll people in new health care exchanges as a cudgel to disrupt such efforts.
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Healthcare regs move forward
The Hill
May 20, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/regwatch/healthcare/300709-administration-moves-forward-with-key-healthcare-regs-amid-renewed-fire-from-gop
The Obama administration is moving forward with a pair of major Affordable Care Act (ACA) regulations, as Republicans move to link the landmark law to the ongoing scandal at the Internal Revenue Service. Final rules written to extend access to insurance for people with pre-existing conditions and set maximum profit margins for certain providers are set to be published this week in the Federal Register.
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Emergency rooms gaining power in US healthcare, study finds
The Hill
May 20, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/other/300711-emergency-rooms-gaining-power-in-us-healthcare-study-finds
Emergency departments (EDs) play an increasingly important role in U.S. healthcare by sorting through possible hospital admissions and supplementing the work of primary care doctors, according to a new study. The RAND Corporation, a nonprofit research organization, found that emergency rooms (ERs) accounted for almost all growth in hospital admissions between 2003 and 2009. Emergency departments now pass on about half of all admissions to U.S. hospitals.
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Health-care training and data storage innovations featured at Silicon Valley conference
The Washington Post
May 20, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/05/20/health-care-training-and-data-storage-innovations-featured-at-silicon-valley-conference/
This year’s HealthBeat conference continues through Tuesday in San Francisco, with health technology innovators gathering to offer their take on what’s challenging, what’s working and what’s next in innovation for the health care industry.
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Is the future of American health care in Oregon?
The Washington Post
May 20, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/05/20/is-the-future-of-american-health-care-in-oregon/
The governor has a notion that you can move away from medical billing and towards a more flexible approach to health-care spending that makes more sense for the community,” John McConnell, a health economist at Oregon Health and Science University, is telling me. Then he stops. “You’ve heard the air conditioner story, right?”
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Obama seems to support Sebelius amid fundraising scandal
Daily Caller
May 20, 2013
http://dailycaller.com/2013/05/20/obama-seems-to-support-sebelius-amid-fundraising-scandal/
One of the players in President Barack Obama’s golf foursome this weekend is also a lead player in another administration scandal, Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius has been pressuring companies in the health sector to donate funds to allied advocacy groups, such as Enroll America, that are trying to help implement the complicated, far-reaching and politically sensitive Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.
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Kasich's Medicaid expansion would help Ohio's veterans: Thomas Moe and Victor Wilson
Plain Dealer
May 19, 2013
http://www.cleveland.com/opinion/index.ssf/2013/05/kasichs_medicaid_expansion_wou.html
It's not often that we see people on both ends of the political spectrum come together for a common purpose, but that's exactly what happened in April when thousands of people rallied on the Statehouse lawn in support of expanding health care to more than 275,000 low-income Ohioans, most of whom have jobs and are working taxpayers. Side by side in the pouring rain stood Republicans, Democrats, business groups, union members, advocates for the mentally ill and addicted, hospital officials and health care workers -- all with the goal of passing Medicaid expansion.
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How restaurants can prepare for health care mandate
Nation’s Restaurant News
May 19, 2013
http://nrn.com/nra-show/how-restaurants-can-prepare-health-care-mandate
On Oct. 1 this year, the federal health care exchange will open for enrollment. Before then, it’s important for restaurateurs — even those with small companies — to get a firm understanding of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and what it requires, said Michelle Neblett, director of labor and workforce policy, during a session at the National Restaurant Association.
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Is the health-care spending slowdown for real?
The Washington Post
May 19, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/robert-samuelson-is-health-cares-slowdown-for-real/2013/05/19/15bb0270-c0a9-11e2-8bd8-2788030e6b44_story.html
We all know that Stein’s Law will someday apply to health-care spending, which has risen from 5 percent of the economy (gross domestic product) in 1960 to almost 18 percent now. What we don’t know is how and when its share of the economy will stabilize. Will this result from spending controls imposed by Washington; or from delivery-system “reforms” that spontaneously cut “waste”; or from rationing, which limits spending by denying people treatment; or by some combination of these? As for when, could it be now?
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Kathleen Sebelius dances on an ethical line
The Washington Post
May 18, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/kathleen-sebelius-dances-on-an-ethical-line/2013/05/18/af480de6-be3a-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_story.html
ONE OF THE BIGGEST questions hanging over the health-care system is how many young Americans will sign up for coverage once the Affordable Care Act begins to phase in this October. If too few buy insurance on the markets that the government is creating, insurance companies would be stuck covering primarily the the old and the sick. They would have to pay out more per customer. Their customers, in turn, would have to pay more to those companies for coverage. The stakes for the Health and Human Services Department, which is overseeing the transition, are tremendous. But they are not high enough to justify HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius dancing around serious ethical lines.
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Florida legislators are friends but don't see eye to eye on health care
Tampa Bay Times
May 18, 2013
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/stateroundup/florida-legislators-are-friends-but-dont-see-eye-to-eye-on-health-care/2121793
Many friendships grow as state legislators tackle issues big and small in Tallahassee, but none is as fascinating as the close friendship between state Reps. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, and Richard Corcoran, R-Land O'Lakes, who is in line to be the next House Speaker. Fasano, the independent-minded populist, never shies away from taking on GOP leadership and this year vocally criticized fellow Republicans for refusing to accept $51 billion in federal funds to expand health coverage to more than 1 million Floridians. Corcoran, in contrast, passionately opposes anything that smacks of expanding Medicaid, and offered up his own bare-bones alternative low-income health care plan dubbed "Corcorancare" that would include no federal funding.
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Insurers seek approval for 300 plans for D.C.’s online exchange
Insurance & Financial Advisor
May 18, 2013
http://ifawebnews.com/2013/05/18/insurers-seek-approval-for-300-plans-for-d-c-s-online-exchange/
Four health insurance companies intend to offer nearly 300 different health insurance policies for sale on Washington, D.C.’s online health insurance exchange when it opens for enrollment on Oct. 1. Of the 293 plans submitted for approval to the District of Columbia’s Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking for approval, 259 are for small businesses and 34 for individual purchasers.
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D.C. Week: Tavenner OK'd by Senate
Medpage Today
May 18, 2013
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Washington-Watch/39237
In an otherwise rough week politically for President Obama, the president did score a victory when his latest nominee to run Medicare, Medicaid, and health reform implementation was confirmed by the Senate. The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Marilyn Tavenner to head the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), making her the first confirmed administrator of the agency in nearly 7 years.
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Pennsylvania receives grant to design state healthcare innovation plan
News Medical
May 17, 2013
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20130517/Pennsylvania-receives-grant-to-design-state-healthcare-innovation-plan.aspx
Governor Tom Corbett today announced that Pennsylvania was awarded a $1.5 million grant from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation to design a state healthcare innovation plan. "This initiative is an excellent example of how federal and state government can collaborate for healthcare reform to help cut costs and improve health care for Pennsylvanians," Corbett said.
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CMS Examines Interaction Between Medicaid And Health Insurance Exchanges
Kaiser Health News
May 17, 2013
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2013/May/17/medicaid-expansion.aspx
At MACPAC, Discussion Of Interaction Between Medicaid And Exchanges. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has put out most of the rules to implement coverage changes under the health care law, but a top official said Thursday that the public should expect more guidance on such issues as outreach and the enrollment of lawmakers and their staffs into the new marketplaces that will start accepting people in October. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, the deputy director for policy and regulations at the CMS Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, offered few new details in her wide-ranging remarks to the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission .
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Reforming Flawed Incentive Models in Healthcare Systems
The Huffington Post
May 17, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amy-guan/reforming-flawed-incentiv_b_3290555.html
It's no secret that the U.S. healthcare system has a cost-control problem. Unless you tuned out the most recent presidential campaign, you probably know that Medicare stands at the center of debates over rising medical costs: current estimates indicate that the program's hospital insurance component will run out of funds by 2024. Medicare's governing body, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS), has made strides to cut healthcare spending by establishing accountable care organizations (ACOs). ACOs are groups of medical practitioners who coordinate treatment options for their patients. Under the program, physicians are financially rewarded for improving patient outcomes and reducing costs. As a result, the program aims to reduce needless expenditures on repetitive procedures while improving patient quality of care.
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Watson goes to Washington: IBM shows off latest health-care work to lawmakers
The Washington Post
May 17, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/innovations/wp/2013/05/17/watson-goes-to-washington-ibm-shows-off-latest-health-care-work-to-lawmakers/
Watson, IBM’s supercomputer named after company founder Thomas Watson, was on Capitol Hill Thursday to show off what it has learned since it dove into health care roughly a year ago. “I thought I was coming up to play chess with a computer,” said Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Tex.) as he took the podium in the House Energy and Commerce committee room during an event hosted by IBM and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), vice chair of the committee. But the now-famous servers were nowhere in sight, since Watson’s computing power is now accessible to authorized users through the cloud.
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Oklahoma Lawmakers Vote to Repeal Health Care Law
NewsOK
May 17, 2013
http://blog.newsok.com/politics/2013/05/17/oklahoma-lawmakers-vote-to-repeal-health-care-law/
All five members of Oklahoma’s all-Republican delegation in the U.S. House voted Thursday to repeal the 2009 health care law. The 229-195 vote to repeal in the GOP-controlled House was symbolic. The Senate, controlled by Democrats, will not consider repeal. Here are comments from members of the Oklahoma delegation: Rep. Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne: “I voted for the third time to fully repeal Obamacare. “I have voted over 30 times to defund the flawed law, and I will continue to vote for measures that will dismantle the Affordable Care Act. My constituents in Oklahoma’s Third Congressional District and many other Americans have unanimously voiced their opposition to Obamacare. The law clearly isn’t working. Families have already seen a major increase in health care premiums, and the additional taxes and mandates continue to place an extra layer of burden on hard-working Americans.”
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Hospital lobby fears they might not get Medicaid subsidies
Arizona Capitol Times
May 17, 2013
http://azcapitoltimes.com/news/2013/05/17/arizona-hospital-lobby-fears-they-might-not-get-medicaid-subsidies/
Hospitals across the nation are threatening that unless state lawmakers implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act’s — Obamacare — Medicaid expansion, the law’s new taxes and spending cuts will lead to layoffs and closures.
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IRS Official Who Oversaw Tax Exemption Now Heads Affordable Care Act Office
Becker’s Hospital Review
May 17, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/legal-regulatory-issues/irs-official-who-oversaw-tax-exemption-now-heads-affordable-care-act-office.html
An Internal Revenue Service official who oversaw tax exemption at the time when the agency targeted conservative Tea Party groups is now overseeing the IRS' Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act office, according to an ABC News report. Sarah Hall Ingram served as commissioner of the IRS office responsible for tax-exempt organizations from 2009 through 2012. She departed that role to serve as director of the IRS office overseeing healthcare reform implementation.
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U.S. House votes to repeal Obamacare in 37th symbolic act
Chicago Tribune
May 16, 2013
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/sns-rt-us-usa-healthcare-repealbre94f1ce-20130516,0,2873095.story
The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives voted to repeal President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law on Thursday in a symbolic move aimed as much at healing internal Republican rifts as demonstrating dogged party opposition to "Obamacare." The 229-195 vote occurred largely along party lines and marked the 37th time the House has voted to repeal or defund the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, which is now in the final months before full implementation on January 1. Like previous attempts to dismantle the law, the measure will likely go nowhere in the Democratic-run Senate.
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House Republicans repudiate Obama healthcare program – again
Los Angeles Times
May 16, 2013
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-house-republicans-repudiate-obama-healthcare-20130516,0,3705333.story
House Republicans voted for the 37th time Thursday evening to repeal all or part of President Obama’s healthcare law, underscoring once again the deep partisan divide over the landmark 2010 legislation. The bill to roll back the entire Affordable Care Act passed 229 to 195, with just two Democrats crossing the aisle to join the GOP. No Republicans voted against the legislation, which is assured of going nowhere in the Senate.
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Democrat: Health care repeal a 'legislative fantasy'
The Washington Times
May 16, 2013
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politics/2013/may/16/democrat-health-care-repeal-legislative-fantasy/
A New York Democrat lawmaker accused House Republicans of acting out a “legislative fantasy” Thursday afternoon by holding yet another vote to repeal President Obama’s health care law. House Republicans have held dozens of votes to get rid of all or part of Affordable Care Act, and their first such vote of this Congress will allow freshmen GOP members to put their objections on the record while Democrats roll their eyes over the symbolic vote.
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CMS Easing Rules on Medicaid Changes
Medpage Today
May 16, 2013
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PublicHealthPolicy/Medicaid/39205
The Obama administration is trying to allow states greater flexibility to change their Medicaid programs without asking the federal government for special waivers, a top health official said here Thursday. For example, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has tried to ease regulations in recent months -- beginning last August -- to allow states to create integrated delivery models for Medicaid without such waivers, Cindy Mann, JD, said at a meeting of the Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (MACPAC).
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Appeals court in Va. hears Christian university’s suit against Obama health care law
The Washington Post
May 16, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/appeals-court-in-va-hears-christian-universitys-suit-against-obama-health-care-law/2013/05/16/32f2b742-be70-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html
A Liberty University lawyer urged a federal appeals court to overturn the Obama administration’s health care reform law Thursday, arguing that it violates the school’s religious rights by requiring it to provide insurance coverage for abortion-inducing drugs. Mathew Staver told a three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that the conservative Christian university founded by Jerry Falwell faces millions of dollars in penalties if it refuses to provide employee health insurance that violates its religious beliefs.
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Health care official used to lead IRS tax exempt office
CNN
May 16, 2013
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/16/health-care-official-used-to-lead-irs-tax-exempt-office/
Republicans using the Internal Revenue Service scandal to slam health care reform have a new twist in their argument. Sarah Hall Ingram, who heads the implementation of the Affordable Care Act at the IRS, formerly led the agency's tax exempt/government entities division, the same division that's now taking heat for targeting conservative groups in the past few years.
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Kentucky organizing PPACA exchange campaign
LifeHealthPro
May 16, 2013
http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/05/16/kentucky-organizing-ppaca-exchange-campaign
Gov. Steve Beshear predicted Wednesday that Kentucky's new health benefit exchange will provide an overdue dose of preventive care to ease the state's chronic health problems, as he announced plans to publicize efforts to steer more than 600,000 uninsured people toward health coverage. The exchange, an outgrowth of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), will curtail a common practice among many Kentuckians to skip check-ups, go without needed medication or rely on emergency rooms to treat ailments, Beshear said.
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Marilyn Tavenner wins confirmation for CMS post
LifeHealthPro
May 16, 2013
http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/05/16/marilyn-tavenner-wins-confirmation-for-cms-post
Marilyn Tavenner won bipartisan Senate approval Wednesday to become the permanent director of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Tavenner, who has been the acting CMS director since December 2011, has been playing a key role in overseeing federal efforts to implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), overhaul Medicare's finances, improve long-term care (LTC) services, and improve programs for people with disabilities.
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Reform Update: IRS controversy reaches ACA
Modern Healthcare
May 16, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130516/NEWS/305169967/reform-update-irs-controversy-reaches-aca
The tentacles of the Internal Revenue Service controversy have reached the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. On Wednesday, Sen. Dean Heller (R-Nev.) introduced legislation, the IRS Accountability Act, to halt funding to the IRS for new agents enforcing the ACA. He said Congress wants to “see an improvement” at the IRS, referring to greater accountability from the service regarding its activities with regard to the reform law.
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Governor Unveils Health Benefit Exchange website
The State Journal
May 16, 2013
http://www.state-journal.com/latest%20headlines/2013/05/15/governor-unveils-health-benefit-exchange-website
Months before Kentucky’s health benefit exchange opens for business, Gov. Steve Beshear unveiled Wednesday a website to help educate Kentuckians and small businesses shopping for health insurance. The website, kynect.ky.gov, features information for individuals, families, small businesses and insurance agents. Open enrollment begins Oct. 1 for those seeking insurance. The website’s launch comes on the heels of Beshear’s announcement last week that the state would expand Medicaid eligibility to 308,000 Kentuckians. The health benefit exchange and Medicaid expansion are two key provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, commonly referred to as Obamacare.
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GOP Again Tries to Take Away Health Care From Millions of Seniors, Women and Families
The Huffington Post
May 15, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethan-rome/gop-again-tries-to-take-a_b_3280870.html
While Americans clamor for jobs, House Republican Leadership has instead opted to hold its umpteenth vote to deny families and small businesses access to quality, affordable health care. Despite the GOP's relentless opposition, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has already improved the lives of more than 100 million people. The ACA is raising the quality of care, halting skyrocketing health costs, saving seniors money on prescription drugs, providing preventive care without co-pays, and eliminating the worst insurance company abuses. When fully implemented in the next few years, the law will provide affordable health benefits to 25 million uninsured Americans.
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Senate confirms Tavenner as head of Medicare-Medicaid services
The Washington Post
May 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/senate-confirms-tavenner-as-head-of-medicare-medicaid-services/2013/05/15/dbbfe652-bd98-11e2-9b09-1638acc3942e_story.html
The Senate on Wednesday confirmed Marilyn Tavenner, a former nurse and hospital company executive, as the first full-fledged administrator for the Medicare and Medicaid health-care programs since 2006. In a rare show of bipartisanship on a health-care issue, senators voted 91 to 7 to back President Obama’s nominee for administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, an $820 billion agency that oversees the bulk of federal health-care spending and health-care reform.
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Conservatives and Health Care Costs
The New York Times
May 15, 2013
http://douthat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/conservatives-and-health-care-costs/
Nested within the news about falling deficits is news about slowing health care cost inflation, which seems to be outlasting the recession and which is driving the long-term projections for Medicare spending downward. Since one of the big questions in the Great Obamacare Debate was whether the new health care law would accelerate cost growth (as expanded subsidies and regulations often tend to do) or reduce it (thanks to the various cost-containing experiments and pilot programs embedded within the bill), the news that costs are falling in advance of the bill’s implementation has some liberals crowing. Jonathan Chait, in particular, has taken to explaining why “the growing mass of evidence that the health-care-cost inflation problem is indeed solvable” cuts the legs out from under the entire right-of-center take on health care, deficits and entitlements, and puts the data squarely on the side of health care reform’s proponents.
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Health care exchange funding among final issues
Times Argus
May 15, 2013
http://www.timesargus.com/article/20130515/NEWS03/705159919
High on the list of “must-pass” bills as the Legislature inched toward adjournment Tuesday was a plan to finance Vermont’s new health care exchange beginning in January 2015. The estimated annual cost is $18 million. When the exchange goes into place, it will be financed initially by a continuation of the current assessment on employers that don’t offer coverage to their employees. That assessment is roughly $400 a year for each employee.
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U.S. sets $1 billion healthcare innovation initiative
Reuters
May 15, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/15/us-usa-healthcare-innovation-idUSBRE94E0P320130515
The Obama administration on Wednesday announced a $1 billion initiative to fund innovations in federal healthcare programs aimed at cutting costs while improving the health results. The Department of Health and Human Services said the money will be used to award and evaluate projects that test new payment and delivery models for federal programs including Medicare, Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program.
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MedPAC Could Tweak Recommendations In Line With New Scores for SGR Repeal
Bloomberg
May 15, 2013
http://www.bna.com/medpac-tweak-recommendations-n17179874011/
With new lower estimates for repealing the sustainable growth rate (SGR) formula that controls Medicare physician payments, the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission could alter the recommendations it made previously to Congress for transitioning the payment system, MedPAC's executive director told a Senate committee May 14. “Given that the cost of repeal has decreased, the 10-year path of legislated updates described in our October 2011 letter could be revised,” Mark E. Miller told the Senate Finance Committee.
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What the IRS scandal means for health-care reform
The Washington Post
May 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/15/what-the-irs-scandal-means-for-health-care-reform/
The revelation that the Internal Revenue Service targeted conservative groups for extra scrutiny has given fuel to Republican complaints of government overreach. It’s also given them more ammunition in their fight against the implementation of President Obama’s health care law. Half of the billion dollars allocated to cover implementation of the Affordable Care Act went to the IRS. Starting in 2014, the agency will distribute subsidies for health-care coverage through state exchanges and issue penalties against individuals who do not get or businesses that do nor provide insurance.
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Let's Move On and Implement Health Care Reform
The Huffington Post, by Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Calif.)
May 15, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-tony-cardenas/lets-move-on-and-implemen_b_3281278.html
For many Latino families in my district, there is no more important issue than access to quality, affordable health care. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 30 percent of Latinos lack health insurance. This is the highest uninsured rate of any racial and ethnic group in the United States. Too many hardworking families are one hospital visit away from bankruptcy. This is why the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is so critical for working Latino families. It is also why Congress needs to focus on implementation of the ACA, not its elimination. No family should have to choose between putting food on the table and visiting a doctor. No worker should ignore treatable ailments until they are forced to the emergency room. This costs individuals and families too much and places a significant burden on our healthcare system.
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CMS tightens focus with next round of innovation awards
Modern Healthcare
May 15, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130515/NEWS/305159969?AllowView=VW8xUmo5Q21TcWJOb1gzb0tNN3RLZ0h0MWg5SVgra3NZRzROR3l0WWRMWGJVZndFRWxiNUtpQzMyWmV1NW5rWUpicW8=&utm_source=link-20130515-NEWS-305159969&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=hits
The CMS Innovation Center will apply a more focused approach for the second round of the healthcare reform law's Health Care Innovation Awards that the agency announced Wednesday. Totaling nearly $1 billion, this set of funding will look for proposals in four categories: models that quickly lower Medicare, Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program costs in outpatient and/or post-acute settings; improve care for populations with specialized needs; test approaches for specific types of providers to change their financial and clinical models; and improve the health of populations with an emphasis on prevention, according to an announcement from the CMS. Meanwhile, the CMS Innovation Center, which oversees the program, will also lend a more critical eye to the payment structures of the proposals they receive in this set of awards.
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CBO projects less growth in healthcare spending
Modern Healthcare
May 15, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130515/NEWS/305159959/cbo-projects-less-growth-in-healthcare-spending
Noting the society-wide slowdown in healthcare spending, Congressional Budget Office analysts on Tuesday sharply lowered their projections for the next decade's outlays on Medicare, Medicaid and covering the uninsured under the healthcare reform law. The changes – sure to be welcomed by the White House and healthcare reformers – helped lower the CBO's overall projections for the government deficit by $618 billion through 2023 compared with estimates offered just three months ago.
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House GOP knocks healthcare reform in 'Arrested Development' spoof
The Hill
May 15, 2013
http://thehill.com/video/policy-areas/299979-house-gop-knocks-health-care-reform-in-arrested-development-spoof
House Republicans are jumping on the recent woes of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and tying the agency's credibility to its forthcoming role in implementing President Obama's healthcare reform. Spoofing the opening credits of the popular TV show "Arrested Development," the House Republican Conference blasts ObamaCare's impact on small businesses saying the legislation would have a devastating impact on insurance premiums for business owners.
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CBO: Repealing Obama healthcare law will increase budget deficit
The Hill
May 15, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/healthcare/299895-cbo-obamacare-repeal-will-increase-the-deficit
Congressional budget analysts said Wednesday that repealing ObamaCare would increase the deficit by scrapping the law's taxes, fees and spending cuts. The notice from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) came ahead of Thursday's House vote on full repeal of the Affordable Care Act. The CBO refused to provide a new cost estimate for repeal, saying there is too little time before the vote. But Director Doug Elmendorf pointed to an estimate from July 2012 that abolishing healthcare reform would raise the deficit by $109 billion over 10 years.
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House readies to vote on yet another bill to repeal health-care law
The Washington Post
May 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/house-readies-to-vote-on-yet-another-bill-to-repeal-health-care-law/2013/05/15/78d0d2b2-bd71-11e2-89c9-3be8095fe767_story.html
Doing the same thing over and over again — and expecting a different result — is supposed to be the definition of insanity. On Thursday, it is the only thing on the calendar for the House of Representatives.
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Health care law changes could affect Okla. tribes
San Francisco Chronicle
May 15, 2013
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Health-care-law-changes-could-affect-Okla-tribes-4519241.php
As a policy advisor for the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority, Melanie Fourkiller knows that documented Native Americans can access the tribe's health care services even if they are not members of the Choctaw Nation or any other federally recognized tribe.
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U.S. charges 89 people with healthcare fraud
Reuters
May 14, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/14/us-usa-holder-fraud-idUSBRE94D0UV20130514
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said on Tuesday the Department of Justice had charged 89 defendants in eight cities with healthcare fraud, and warned that budget cuts could limit future efforts to crack down on fraudulent claims.
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CMS Won’t Penalize Hospitals In States Slow To Expand Medicaid
Kaiser Health News
May 14, 2013
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2013/05/cms-wont-penalize-hospitals-in-states-slow-to-expand-medicaid/
That sigh of relief you heard Monday was from hospital administrators in nearly two dozen states, including Florida and Texas. That’s because the Obama administration announced that for the next two years, it doesn’t plan to penalize states that have yet to expand Medicaid coverage under the federal health law by targeting them for reduced Medicaid funding, according to a proposed rule unveiled Monday. That money goes to hospitals that treat large numbers of poor people.
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House to Vote Yet Again on Repealing Health Care Law
The New York Times
May 14, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/15/us/politics/house-republicans-to-vote-again-on-repealing-health-care.html?_r=0
The 37th time won’t be the charm. But House Republicans are charging forward anyway this week on a vote to repeal President Obama’s signature health care overhaul, which will put the number of times they have tried to eliminate, defund or curtail the law past the three-dozen mark.
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Not-for-profit systems back support for ACA
Modern Healthcare
May 14, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130514/NEWS/305149946/not-for-profit-systems-back-support-for-aca
If HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius was indeed calling healthcare executives to solicit donations, she didn't dial the leaders of some of the largest not-for-profit hospital systems or their national trade group. She didn't need to. Republican lawmakers are gunning for Sebelius over reports that she contacted health industry executives to raise funds for organizations campaigning on behalf of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's insurance expansion.
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Could the IRS Tea Party Scandal Harm the Healthcare Reform Law?
Becker’s Hospital Review
May 14, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/legal-regulatory-issues/could-the-irs-scandal-harm-the-healthcare-reform-law.html
The Internal Revenue Service is under fire this week, as news broke of the agency's targeting conservative political groups for tougher scrutiny in their applications for tax-exempt status. The ordeal has prompted a storm of political controversy, and it may pose problems down the road for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act as well, according to a Fiscal Times report. The IRS will largely oversee and enforce the provision of near-universal health insurance, a PPACA initiative set to begin in 2014. The agency is responsible for overseeing the tax credits and tax increases in the law and for ensuring businesses and individuals comply with the individual mandate and other major provisions. If individuals are not insured after the individual mandate takes effect, they will be responsible for paying a fine to the IRS.
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Medical Device Companies Will Absorb Excise Tax Costs Instead of Passing to Hospitals
Becker’s ASC Review
May 14, 2013
http://www.beckersasc.com/asc-supply-chain-materials-management/medical-device-companies-will-absorb-excise-tax-costs-instead-of-passing-to-hospitals.html
Indiana device companies are looking for ways to absorb revenue reductions resulting from the 2.3 percent medical device excise tax since they will not be able to pass the costs on to hospital customers, according to the Indianapolis Business Journal. Even larger companies will be hit hard by the tax, which was enacted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and went into effect Jan. 1. Zimmer Holdings, based in Warsaw, estimated the tax will take $50 million in the second half of 2013, about 43 percent of total cash flow from 2012, according to the report.
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GOP Probes Sebelius' Fundraising For Health Law Outreach
Kaiser Health News
May 14, 2013
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2013/May/14/sebelius-fundraising-GOP-backlash.aspx
Congressional Republicans want to know whom she contacted and which other HHS officials are involved, while Sen. Lamar Alexander said he would ask the Government Accountability Office to investigate. A Sebelius spokesman said her actions were legal and that she had not solicited pharmaceutical and insurance companies regulated by the agency.
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A health-care business that's reviving house calls
The Philadelphia Inquirer
May 14, 2013
http://articles.philly.com/2013-05-14/news/39231003_1_company-news-client-homebound
LEO SAFRO, 34, of Ivyland, Bucks County, is CEO and owner of MultiCare Health System, based in Willow Grove. Launched last year, the company provides primary-care services to about 100 homebound patients, most of whom are seniors. Q: How did you come up with the idea for MultiCare? A: I was a consultant and started in home health care. I saw that lots of patients didn't have a primary-care physician or weren't seeing one. That increases hospitalizations and doesn't give people comfort about their health. In 2008, I hired an attorney to research all the regulations and develop a business plan. We started accepting patients last year.
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