Former Va. official helps outline the path forward in health care
Times Dispatch
June 7, 2013
http://www.timesdispatch.com/news/local/city-of-richmond/article_c7fb25a8-4916-5527-b000-b80ef9d7f997.html
Virginians can expect to hear from health care officials in Washington often this summer and fall as the federal government begins preparing the public for opportunities to buy health insurance in a new kind of marketplace. Marilyn Tavenner, the newly confirmed administrator of the country’s Medicaid and Medicare programs, said Thursday in Richmond that the federal government will use new ways of reaching out to Virginians from now through September to begin enrolling them in a federal health benefits exchange Oct. 1.
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Poll: Americans still leery of Obama health care law
USA Today
June 6, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2013/06/06/obama-health-care-nbc-news-wall-street-journal-poll/2395541/
Another poll, more bad news for President Obama's health care plan. An NBC News/Wall Street Journal survey says 49% of Americans say the health care plan is a bad idea — the highest number on that question since the poll began asking it in 2009. Thirty-seven percent say Obama's Affordable Care Act is a good idea.
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HHS Looks To Close Healthcare Data Infrastructure Gaps
Information Week
June 6, 2013
http://www.informationweek.com/healthcare/policy/hhs-looks-to-close-healthcare-data-infra/240156126
Two units of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have embarked on an effort to identify how the government can help fill gaps in the data infrastructure required to do patient-centered outcomes research (PCOR). The Office of the National Coordinator of Health IT (ONC) and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) are collaborating in the initiative, which they expect will take 10 months. The ONC has awarded a contract to the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) at the University of Chicago to assist with the effort. NORC, which has had extensive experience in working with government agencies, will assemble "multiple advisory groups to explore different standards, policies and services required to establish this infrastructure," the listserv announcement said. "In addition, ONC will be posting documents from this effort for public input," it said.
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New healthcare model cut even more costs in year two: insurer
Reuters
June 6, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/06/us-usa-healthcare-savings-idUSBRE9550LV20130606
The nation's largest experiment in delivering medical care in an innovative way has reduced costs and improved the quality of care even more in its second year than in its first, according to the insurance company behind it. The nonprofit CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield launched its "Patient-Centered Medical Home" program in January 2011 among primary-care providers serving about one-third of its 3.4 million members in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and northern Virginia.
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PPACA's Medical Loss Ratio Saved Individuals $2.1B in 2012
Becker’s Hospital Review
June 6, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/racs-/-icd-9-/-icd-10/ppacas-medical-loss-ratio-saved-individuals-21b-in-2012.html
Health insurance customers on the individual market saved an estimated $2.1 billion last year thanks to the health law's medical loss ratio requirement that commercial insurers spend at least 80 percent of premium revenue from individual plans on medical care or rebate customers, according to a report by the Kaiser Family Foundation. The authors of the report estimate premium rates nationwide were $1.9 billion lower in 2012 than they would have been without the cap placed by the MLR provision, which took effect in 2011 as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The report also notes health insurers expect to pay out $241 million this year to customers based on spending and revenue projections for 2012.
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Authorities credit ObamaCare for healthcare fraud busts
The Hill
June 6, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/303855-authorities-credit-obamacare-for-healthcare-fraud-busts-
Federal health officials credited Obamacare on Thursday for enabling $14.9 billion in healthcare fraud recoveries in the last four years. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) reported that it has kicked 14,663 illicit providers and suppliers out of Medicare since March 2011, one year after the law was signed.
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Divvying up California healthcare funds
Los Angeles Times
June 6, 2013
http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-health-medi-cal-realignment-20130606,0,5956695.story
The 2010 federal healthcare law will make health coverage available to millions of the uninsured, but it won't reach all of them. In California, county health officials and the Brown administration are now tussling over how much to spend on the remaining uninsured, and on county health programs in general. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to reclaim some of the state tax dollars that counties have been spending because there will be fewer uninsured to care for, and that's not unreasonable. But the state should be careful not to undermine the counties' efforts to protect public health, nor should it deny them the ability to care for more people in a more cost-effective way, if they choose.
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CMS Updates Interpretive Guidelines on Advance Directives for Surgery Centers
Becker’s ASC Review
June 6, 2013
http://www.beckersasc.com/asc-coding-billing-and-collections/cms-updates-interpretive-guidelines-on-advance-directives-for-surgery-centers.html
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services updated interpretive guidelines to CMS State survey agencies and regional offices, including updates for ambulatory surgery centers in advance directives, according to a report from the California Ambulatory Surgery Association. The updated guideline interpretation states, "A blanket statement of refusal by the ASC to comply with any patient advance directive is not permissible. However, if and to the extent permitted under state law, the ASC may decline to implement elements of an advanced directive on the basis of conscience or any other reason permitted under state law if it includes the information concerning its advance directive policies a clear and precise statement of limitation."
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5 Firms Plan To Be in Arkansas Health Insurance Exchange
Arkansas Business
June 6, 2013
http://www.arkansasbusiness.com/article/92840/four-firms-announce-plans-to-be-in-health-insurance-exchange
Five health insurance companies this week said they plan to sell insurance in Arkansas' Health Insurance Marketplace, which is where consumers will be able to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act. The five firms are: Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield of Little Rock, National Blue Cross Blue Shield Multi-state Plan, QCA Health Plan of Little Rock, which does business as QualChoice of Arkansas Inc. , Celtic Insurance Co. of Chicago, through its subsidiary NovaSys Health
and United Security Life & Health Insurance of Bedford, Ill.
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PA Chamber works with agency for self-insurance program for businesses
Insurance & Financial Advisor
June 6, 2013
http://ifawebnews.com/2013/06/06/pa-chamber-works-with-agency-for-self-insurance-program-for-businesses/
A new self-insurance program for Pennsylvania businesses with more than 25 employees has been introduced by the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. The PA Chamber Insurance Benefits Consortium was created in conjunction with Lititz, Pa.-based The Benecon Group.
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Reform Update: Rate shock fears may have lost their spark
Modern Healthcare
June 6, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130606/NEWS/306069968/reform-update-rate-shock-fears-may-have-lost-their-spark
An analysis released today (PDF) from the consulting group Avalere Health downplays some of the concerns that the healthcare reform law will lead to insurance rate shock for younger people. Avalere argues that potentially higher premiums will be offset by new federal subsidies for people buying coverage on the state exchanges. “Many of these individuals and family will benefit from new subsidies designed to increase affordability for those earning between 133 and 400 percent of poverty,” the report states. However, Avalere researchers also say that for younger and healthier consumers who currently have coverage in the individual market, the minimum premium for an individual policy will increase in most if not all markets.”
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Senators To Reintroduce Bill To Boost Medicare Claims Transparency
ihealthbeat
June 5, 2013
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2013/6/5/senators-to-reintroduce-bill-to-boost-medicare-claims-transparency.aspx
On Tuesday, Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) said they plan to re-introduce legislation to boost Medicare claims data transparency, Healthcare IT News reports.
The lawmakers said that despite federal efforts to boost access to Medicare data and a recent ruling by a federal judge that such data should be publicly available, more still needs to be done (Manos, Healthcare IT News, 6/4).
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HHS to develop data-sharing plan for outcomes research
Modern Healthcare
June 5, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130605/NEWS/306059954/hhs-to-develop-data-sharing-plan-for-outcomes-research
Two HHS agencies announced they are partnering with one another to develop an interoperable data infrastructure to support patient-centered outcomes research. Such research compares the effectiveness of various treatments and procedures, within the framework of what works best for patients. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology and the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation will lead the initiative, aided by the National Opinion Research Center, a not-for-profit, academic research organization at the University of Chicago, HHS said Wednesday. HHS cited a total of nearly $200 million made available through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for building such an infrastructure.
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Sen. Mike Crapo speaks: On the IRS, gun control, Obamacare
Idaho Reporter
June 5, 2013
http://www.idahoreporter.com/2013/sen-mike-crapo-speaks-on-the-irs-gun-control-obamacare/
Note: In an exclusive interview, U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo spoke to IdahoReporter.com about a number of issues including the targeting of conservative and religious groups by the IRS; the quest for more gun control in Washington, D.C.; and the implementation of the federal Obamacare law.
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5 Points Hospitals Should Know About the 2013 Medicare Trustees Report
Becker’s Hospital Review
June 5, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/racs-/-icd-9-/-icd-10/5-points-hospitals-should-know-about-the-2013-medicare-trustees-report.html
Every year, the Medicare Trustees release a report that projects financial operations of the Hospital Insurance Trust Fund, or Medicare Part A, as well as the Supplementary Medical Insurance Fund, which consists of Medicare Part B and Part D. This year, the Medicare Trustees — which include HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Jack Lew, among others — unveiled more positive news compared with past years. Here are five points from the trustees' report that hospital executives and healthcare professionals should know.
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Senators Grassley, Wyden call for more billing transparency
Government Health IT
June 5, 2013
http://www.govhealthit.com/news/senators-grassley-wyden-call-more-billing-transparency
Senators Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), say that despite a recent federal ruling affirming that Medicare data should be available to the public and federal efforts to make some data publicly available, much more still needs to be done to make Medicare claims data fully transparent. “Medicare is a $500 billion program with billions of dollars going out in error each year,” Grassley said June 4 in a news release. “The bad actors get bigger and bolder all the time. They stay out of law enforcement’s reach all too often. It’s time to try new things.”
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Health Care Costs: Fewer Americans Have Trouble Paying Medical Bills
Huffington post
June 5, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tom-frieden-md-mph/healthcare-costs-fewer-am_b_3390874.html
CDC's report, Problems Paying Medical Bills: Early Release of Estimates From the National Health Interview Survey, January 2011-June 2012, provides some encouraging news. The data show fewer Americans have trouble paying their medical bills. Among adults between the ages of 18-64, the percentage of those in families that have problems paying medical bills decreased from 20.9 percent in the first half of 2011, to 19.7 percent in the first half of 2012. The news was also encouraging for teens and children 17 and younger living in families with problems paying medical bills. The percentage of these decreased from 23.7 percent to 21.8 percent for the same period.
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Workers not prepared for health care reform, survey shows
Phoenix Business Journal
June 5, 2013
http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/blog/health-care-daily/2013/05/workers-not-prepared-for-health-care.html
A new study by Aflac reveals that American workers aren’t ready for health reforms created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Consumers will have greater responsibility over their health care decisions, according to the Aflac Workforces Report. Businesses are choosing consumer-driven health plans, which require more patient accountability, to shift responsibility for health decisions onto their employees. But most patients don’t understand what that means, said Audrey Boone Tillman, executive vice president of corporate services at Aflac.
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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: ObamaCare officials placed on leave
The Hill
June 5, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/303721-overnight-health-
Two IRS officials working on the implementation of President Obama's healthcare law have been placed on administrative leave after accepting free food and gifts, sources said Wednesday. Republicans had already zeroed in on the Internal Revenue Service's role in the healthcare law during the uproar over the agency's scrutiny of conservative nonprofits, and Wednesday's news promised to heighten the calls for aggressive oversight of the tax agency's healthcare office.
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Rep. Labrador abandons House immigration bill over healthcare
The Hill
June 5, 2013
http://thehill.com/homenews/house/303761-rep-labrador-quits-house-immigration-group
A bipartisan House immigration group has lost one of its eight members, as conservative Rep. Raúl Labrador (R-Idaho) informed colleagues Wednesday that he could not sign on to legislation the group hopes to release in the coming weeks. Labrador told reporters after an hour-long meeting that he was leaving the group because of concerns that the bill would not sufficiently protect taxpayers from footing the healthcare bill of undocumented immigrants.
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Health-care providers protest Medi-Cal cuts
The Reporter
June 5, 2013
http://www.thereporter.com/news/ci_23391698/health-care-providers-protest-medi-cal-cuts
Health-care providers rallying at the Capitol on Tuesday warned that a Central Valley medical center could shut down and doctors throughout California could stop accepting Medicaid patients if a state funding cut is not reversed. Thousands of people representing doctors, hospitals and unionized health-care workers filled the Capitol grounds to rally against a 10 percent reduction in the amount the state pays for Medicaid reimbursements.
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What Healthcare Can Learn From Other Industries About Technology Transformation: Q&A With SourceMedical's Greg Comrie
Becker’s Hospital Review
June 5, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/what-healthcare-can-learn-from-other-industries-about-technology-transformation-qaa-with-sourcemedicals-greg-comrie.html?A_With_SourceMedical%5C%5C%5C%5C%5C%5C%5C's_Greg_Comrie=
Greg Comrie, new Executive Vice President of Product Development and Chief Information Officer of SourceMedical, has seen technology streamline services in several industries that overcame similar challenges facing healthcare today. Though he has worked for over 10 years in the healthcare industry holding positions with GE Healthcare and most recently serving as the CIO at Stratose before joining SourceMedical, his background isn't strictly healthcare. He views this as a benefit that he brings to SourceMedical clients.
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Abortion insurance ban passes PA senate
Philadelphia Weekly
June 5, 2013
http://blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/phillynow/2013/06/05/abortion-insurance-ban-passes-pa-senate/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=abortion-insurance-ban-passes-pa-senate
In another expected move at the end of the legislative session, the Pennsylvania Senate passed House Bill 818, which limits abortion coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in Pennsylvania. Like it did in the House, the bill passed the Senate easily, 31-19. It now goes to Gov. Corbett’s desk for his signature, which is expected.
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Texas Braces for Medicaid Status Quo
Health Leaders Media
June 5, 2013
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/COM-292951/Texas-Braces-for-Medicaid-Status-Quo
By opting not to expand Medicaid, Texas is passing up an estimated $90 billion in federal funds over the coming decade, leaving its healthcare providers, especially hospitals, in a tough financial spot. Rural care facilities are especially vulnerable.
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Consumers, employers leery of brokers
Life Health Pro
June 5, 2013
http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/06/05/consumers-employers-leery-of-brokers
A market research firm says some consumers in the District of Columbia are skeptical about the idea of insurance broker involvement in the new Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) exchange system. Analysts at the firm, Perry Undem, have presented that finding in a report on focus group research prepared for the District of Columbia Health Benefit Exchange Authority.
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Gov. Snyder Calls On Obamacare Advocate No. 1
Michigan Capitol Confidential
June 5, 2013
http://www.michigancapitolconfidential.com/18704
In an attempt to sway politicians to vote for the stalled expansion of Medicaid, Gov. Rick Snyder has asked for assistance from an unlikely person — U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius. Sec. Sebelius has been one of the most outspoken federal officials in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, otherwise known Obamacare. Gov. Snyder would like to see Medicaid expanded in Michigan, but the GOP-controlled Legislature has not gotten on board with the idea.
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Healthcare Payers Face Wellness Conundrum
Health Leaders Media
June 5, 2013
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HEP-292939/Healthcare-Payers-Face-Wellness-Conundrum
New federal rules on wellness programs are branded as "incentives," but will do little to rally employer support. The final rules released last week by the Department of Health and Human Services for employment-based wellness programs bring some welcome news for health plans hoping to reach new markets. But they shouldn't hold their collective breath.
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Health care leaders, businesses make plea for Medicaid
Seacoast Online
June 5, 2013
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20130605-NEWS-130609883
In a last-minute effort, a group of Seacoast health care providers and business leaders spoke at a news conference Wednesday, hosted by Seacoast Mental Health Center, urging the state’s lawmakers to accept federal funds to extend Medicaid. New Hampshire is slated to receive roughly $2.5 billion in federal funds over the next seven years to cover the cost of insuring an estimated 58,000 low-income adults.
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Health Care Issues Take Capitol Hill Stage
Kaiser Health News
June 5, 2013
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2013/June/05/cap-hill-watch-roundup.aspx
Representatives from both sides of the aisle focused on various issues including "dual eligibles," veterans' health care, drug-tracking laws and the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force.
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Senators call for greater Medicare claims data transparency
EHR Intelligence
June 4, 2013
http://ehrintelligence.com/2013/06/04/senators-call-for-greater-medicare-claims-data-transparency/
Apparently, recent attempts by agencies within the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to increase transparency haven’t done enough to satisfy two members of Congress. In a joint statement issued yesterday, Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) contend that “despite a recent federal ruling affirming that Medicare data should be available to the public and federal efforts to make some data publicly available, much more still needs to be done to make Medicare claims data fully transparent.”
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Critics of Health Care Law Outspending Its Supporters on Ads
The New York Times
June 4, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/us/politics/critics-of-health-care-law-outspending-its-supporters-on-ads.html
Seven months before the core provisions of President Obama’s health care law are to take effect, most television advertising that mentions the law continues to come from its opponents. Since the law’s passage in March 2010, critics have spent a total of about $400 million on television ads that refer to it, according to a new analysis by the Campaign Media Analysis Group at Kantar Media, which tracks such spending. Supporters have spent less than a quarter of that — about $75 million — on ads that cast the law in a positive light, according to the analysis.
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“Track and trace” prescription drug bill approved by U.S. House
MedCityNews
June 4, 2013
http://medcitynews.com/2013/06/track-and-trace-prescription-drug-bill-approved-by-u-s-house/
The U.S. House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday setting out how the federal government should track prescription drugs moving through the distribution chain. The Republican-controlled House passed the measure easily, by voice vote. Some Democrats have opposed the bill for not going far enough to ensure safety.
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Maine House passes PPACA Medicaid expansion bill
Life Health Pro
June 4, 2013
http://www.lifehealthpro.com/2013/06/04/maine-house-passes-ppaca-medicaid-expansion-bill
The Maine House on Monday approved a bill to expand the state's Medicaid program to include roughly 70,000 more people. The bill would tap federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) Medicaid expansion funding.
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House Republicans focused on SGR fix
Modern Healthcare
June 4, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130604/NEWS/306049947/house-republicans-focused-on-sgr-fix
With a House panel discussing physician payment reforms on Wednesday, healthcare providers and industry groups remain hopeful that 2013 will be the year lawmakers repeal the troublesome formula the CMS uses to reimburse Medicare-participating doctors. Momentum has been building in the lower chamber this year to overturn Medicare's sustainable growth-rate formula. The Republican majority staffs of the House Energy and Commerce and Ways and Committees jointly released a framework that would serve as the foundation to repeal the SGR.
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D.C. Council backs small-business health exchange mandate
Washington Post
June 4, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-council-backs-small-business-health-exchange-mandate/2013/06/04/ea09a494-cd4e-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html
The D.C. Council has voted to put the District on a path toward becoming one of the few places to require small-business owners to purchase employee health insurance through a government-run exchange. The mandate has been controversial, generating strong opinions pro and con among business and activist groups, but the council voted unanimously Tuesday on a package of temporary exchange legislation, with little debate over the wisdom of the mandate.
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Health exchange gains funding source
Colorado Springs Business Journal
June 4, 2013
http://csbj.com/2013/06/04/health-exchange-gains-funding-source/
Gov. John Hickenlooper gave the Colorado health benefits exchange – known as Connect for Health Colorado – its much-needed funding source when he signed House Bill 1245 earlier this month. The bill takes the current 1.8 percent assessment on health insurance policies sold in the state and moves it from Cover Colorado to the exchange. Cover Colorado is the state’s high-risk insurance plan.
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Marco Rubio Introduces Constitutional Amendment Aimed at Ending "Obamacare"
Miami New Times
June 4, 2013
http://blogs.miaminewtimes.com/riptide/2013/06/marco_rubio_introduces_constit.php
In a bid to stir up some PR and reaffirm his party's opposition to Obamacare, Florida Senator Marco Rubio proposed a constitutional amendment today that would effectively eliminate the personal mandate section of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The thing has about zero chance of actually going anywhere, though.
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Reagan for Health Care Reform
The New York Times
June 4, 2013
http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/04/reagan-for-health-care-reform/
With many right-wing politicians dead set against expanding Medicaid, the Republican governor of Ohio, John Kasich, needed cover for going along. Facts and figures and kindness surely weren’t enough, what with his colleagues comparing health care reform to a “hostage” situation. But in an op-ed for USA Today he settled on a great excuse: It’s what Ronald Reagan would have done.
Reagan, Mr. Kasich asserts, was “fiscally responsible, but he was also pragmatic and compassionate.”
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S.C. Senate to Decide Whether to "Nullify" Affordable Care Act
WLTX (Columbia SC)
June 4, 2013
http://www.wltx.com/news/article/239153/2/SC-Senate-to-Decide-Whether-to-Nullify-Affordable-Care-Act?odyssey=tab%7Ctopnews%7Cbc%7Clarge
As South Carolina lawmakers work through their calendar during the final week of the regular session, one of the bills the Senate could decide is whether to nullify the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Some Republicans in the state Senate don't want the federal law to be put in place in the state. Sen. Kevin Bryant, R-Anderson, says, "I'm sure this nullification would probably wind us up in the federal courts, but I believe it's well worth the fight, well worth doing this to see if we can escape from this encroachment of freedom that's been heaped on us by the federal government."
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CMS unveils charges for outpatient hospital procedures
Modern Healthcare
June 4, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130604/NEWS/306049968/cms-unveils-charges-for-outpatient-hospital-procedures
Less than a month after the CMS released data on what hospitals charge for inpatient procedures, the agency has released similar information about the prices hospitals submit and are paid on the outpatient side. The greater transparency comes as hospitals have pushed back against the initiative, arguing that the data isn't meaningful to consumers because of the gulf between what hospitals charge and the bottom line for patients.
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Study: Expanding Medicaid Reduces Long-Term Costs to States
Becker’s ASC Review
June 4, 2013
http://www.beckersasc.com/asc-coding-billing-and-collections/study-expanding-medicaid-reduces-long-term-costs-to-states.html
Expanding Medicaid is the financially preferable option for states in general, according to a study by the RAND Corporation published in the journal Health Affairs. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 was intended to require all states to expand Medicaid eligibility to all adults earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level. CMS will pay for 100 percent of the cost of the newly eligible for three years, tapering off to 90 percent by 2020 with states paying the difference.
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Why Hospitals Need to Look Beyond 30-Day Readmissions
Becker’s Clinical Quality & Infection Control
June 4, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/why-hospitals-need-to-look-beyond-30-day-readmissions.html
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has hospitals watching their 30-day readmission rates closely. In fiscal year 2014, U.S. hospitals face up to a 2 percent loss in Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements as a penalty for excessive readmissions. However, focusing solely on 30-day readmissions may overlook risks faced by patients both within the 30-day window and far beyond.
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Sebelius Asked Companies to Support Health Care Law
The New York Times
June 4, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/05/us/politics/sebelius-asked-companies-to-support-health-care-law.html?_r=0
Kathleen Sebelius, the secretary of health and human services, disclosed on Tuesday that she had made telephone calls to three companies regulated by her department and urged them to help a nonprofit group promote President Obama’s health care law. She identified the companies as Johnson & Johnson, the drug maker; Ascension Health, a large Roman Catholic health care system; and Kaiser Permanente, the health insurance plan.
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Tax committee report addresses health care reform
Wolters Kluwer
June 4, 2013
http://hr.cch.com/news/payroll/060413a.asp
The Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) has issued a report discussing the tax-related provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, (P.L. 111-148), and its companion law, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act, (P.L. 111-152) (collectively, the ”Patient Protection Act”). Comment: The JCT issued the report in connection with a recent hearing of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight. Practitioners provided CCH with feedback on the key tax provisions and testimony from the hearing. This story discusses certain provisions of the Patient Protection Act that will take effect in 2014.
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CMS Releases More Hospital Pricing Data
MedPage Today
June 3, 2013
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/InformationTechnology/39579
The Obama administration on Monday continued its wave of transparency of health information, releasing several data sets on Medicare pricing, spending, and utilization. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released the average estimated submitted charges for 30 types of hospital outpatient procedures such as clinic visits, echocardiograms, and endoscopies. The agency also released information on Medicare spending and utilization at the county, state, and hospital-referral region and the prevalence of certain chronic conditions among Medicare beneficiaries.
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HSAs: Rx for health care reform
Investment News
June 3, 2013
http://www.investmentnews.com/article/20130603/BLOG05/130609996
Workplace-based health insurance is following in the footsteps of retirement benefits. In response to rising premiums over the past few years and fear of the unknown when Affordable Care Act changes kick in next year, increasing numbers of employers are moving away from traditional group health insurance coverage and replacing it with high-deductible insurance plans paired with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs).
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Obamacare Medicaid feud to leave 3.6 million uninsured: study
Reuters
June 3, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/06/03/us-usa-healthcare-medicaid-idUSBRE95213A20130603
Fourteen Republican-led states that oppose expanding Medicaid under President Barack Obama's health reform will leave 3.6 million of their poorest adult residents uninsured, at a cost of $9.4 billion per year by 2017, researchers said on Monday. The findings, published in the journal Health Affairs, could point to a larger-than-expected impact from the bitter political feud engulfing a major provision of the healthcare reform law due to take full effect next year.
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Obama begins push to bring mental illness 'out of the shadows'
The Hill
June 3, 2013
http://thehill.com/video/administration/303033-obama-opens-national-conversation-on-mental-health
President Obama urged people with mental illness to seek help on Monday as his administration unveiled new initiatives to reduce the stigma of depression, bipolar disorder and other conditions. Obama spoke of bringing mental illness "out of the shadows" at a White House conference on psychological health that was held as part of the administration's wider campaign to reduce gun violence.
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D.C. officials, CareFirst at odds over health insurance exchange
Washington Post
June 3, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-officials-carefirst-at-odds-over-health-insurance-exchange/2013/06/03/95355ebe-cc80-11e2-8845-d970ccb04497_story.html
Top District officials, including its insurance commissioner, have sharply criticized the region’s largest health insurer in recent days, accusing it of “gaming the system” and undermining the city’s closely watched efforts to establish a health insurance exchange. But CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield said in a statement Monday that it remains committed to the exchange and said the officials’ accusation is “neither correct nor reflects CareFirst’s intent.”
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Some employers look for ways to avoid covering more workers under new Obamacare rules
Med City News
June 2, 2013
http://medcitynews.com/2013/06/some-employers-look-for-ways-to-avoid-covering-more-workers-under-new-obamacare-rules/
McCoy Faulkner collects $81 a day as a substitute teacher in the Wake County Public School System. A mere sub, he has no benefits. The 62-year-old former Raleigh police officer shells out $580 a month for an individual insurance policy, more than half his monthly pay. The full-time teachers for whom Faulkner fills in, however, are eligible for free health insurance, with no monthly premiums, through their employer.
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Hospitals brace for future with no Medicaid expansion
Knoxville News Sentinel
June 2, 2013
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2013/jun/02/hospitals-brace-for-future-with-no-medicaid/
It is the week before Memorial Day, and Claiborne County Hospital CEO Tim Brown has been busy giving tours to prospective hospital operators interested in leasing the facility. In the midst of a request for proposal process to find a partner, the county-owned hospital is trying to ensure its long-term future in this rural community, about 40 miles northeast of Knoxville, amid a challenging and changing health- care environment.
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Not the time to expand Medicaid
Sun Sentinel
June 2, 2013
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/letters/fl-online-letter1-20130602,0,5456845.story
The Legislature has been unfairly criticized for not expanding Medicaid. The blame for the growing mess in health care should be aimed squarely at the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). It's a law that's not good for business here in Florida, and its implementation was recently called "a train wreck" by one of its principal authors. The PPACA employer health insurance mandate has business owners in a predicament: Pay to provide health insurance for their employees or face federal government fines. Many Florida employers are faced with laying off workers, cutting back hours and paying more administrative costs just to figure out where their businesses must comply.
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Ohio governor: Reagan's compassionate Medicaid expansion
USA Today
June 2, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/06/02/ohio-governor-reagans-compassionate-medicaid-expansion/2382737/
It's a question we are asking today in Ohio in response to federal health care reform as we consider a plan to reform and expand Medicaid, the health insurance program for the poor. The issue is a complex one and generates strong opinions on both sides. So far, states have divided about evenly on whether or not to opt in to the expansion, with a handful, like Ohio, still debating which way to go.
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FL Legislators Engaged in 'Sabotage'
Health News Florida
June 2, 2013
http://health.wusf.usf.edu/post/fl-legislators-engaged-sabotage
In a column published in The Tampa Tribune, U.S. Senator Bill Nelson said "extremists" in the Florida Legislature have engaged in a deliberate attempt to undermine implementation of the new health law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Nelson, D-FL, listed several instances by the Legislature and the executive branch in Florida of failure to accept funds that would help to cover the uninsured and to regulate insurers.
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Will Consumers Sign On For Health Law’s Co-Ops?
Kaiser Health News
June 2, 2013
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/June/02/co-ops-health-care.aspx
People in the market for health insurance in Oregon want to know what their out-of-pocket expenses will be -- down to the dollar. They want doctors who reply to email. They want the option to see alternative practitioners. And of course, they want premiums that don’t burn holes through their pockets.
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Commentary: Health care’s ‘productivity paradox’ may be short lived
Washington Post
June 2, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/commentary-health-cares-productivity-paradox-may-be-short-lived/2013/05/31/5f5cf320-c7a2-11e2-8da7-d274bc611a47_story.html
Spending on health care information technology has risen rapidly over the past decade, but there been little corresponding gain in health care productivity. Instead, the industry’s labor force has been on a growth spurt — creating health care’s version of a productivity paradox.
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Pa. governor challenged over moving kids to Medicaid
Modern Healthcare
June 1, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130601/INFO/306019947/pa-governor-challenged-over-moving-kids-to-medicaid
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett is pressing the federal government for an exemption that he said will prevent about 70,000 Pennsylvania children in a state-subsidized health insurance program from having to switch to Medicaid, although a public interest law center challenging Corbett's claims said the children will be better off under Medicaid. Corbett wrote Thursday to HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius about his latest request, part of his effort to press her agency to make enough concessions to a federally funded expansion of Medicaid before he will change his mind and allow Pennsylvania to join it.
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Michael F. Cannon: Gov. Corbett should not change decision rejecting Medicaid expansion
The Morning Call
June 1, 2013
http://www.mcall.com/opinion/yourview/mc-medicare-pennsylvania-corbett-cannon-yv-0602-20130601,0,7779752.story
Hospitals across Pennsylvania and the nation are threatening that unless state lawmakers implement the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's Medicaid expansion, the law's new taxes and spending cuts will lead to layoffs and closures. Let's not forget that hospitals put themselves in this position when they lobbied for that law. Fortunately, Gov. Tom Corbett has thus far refused to punish Pennsylvania taxpayers for the hospital lobby's mistakes.
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GOP governor invites Sebelius to meet on Medicaid expansion
The Hill
June 1, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/302909-gop-gov-snyder-invites-sebelius-to-meet-on-medicaid
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder (R) said Friday that he asked Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to meet with state officials on a proposal to cap Medicaid benefits for able-bodied adults. Officials remain divided on whether to pursue the Medicaid expansion available under President Obama's healthcare law, a topic that would inevitably figure in the conversation with Sebelius.
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Michigan governor prods GOP lawmakers to expand Medicaid
The Detroit News
June 1, 2013
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130601/POLITICS02/306010324
Gov. Rick Snyder is redoubling his efforts to get lawmakers this month to approve expanding the Medicaid health insurance program for the poor before the Legislature recesses for the summer. Snyder said Friday he has invited U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to meet with Republican lawmakers to consider a House GOP proposal to put a four-year lifetime cap for able-bodied adults to be on Medicaid.
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Republicans are divided on implementation of new phase of healthcare law
Examiner
June 1, 2013
http://www.examiner.com/article/republicans-are-divided-on-implementation-of-new-phase-of-healthcare-law
According to a June 1 article in the Detroit Free Press, some Republican governors are divided on the implementation of the next phase of the Affordable Care Act. At issue is a provision in the ACA that would provide Medicaid coverage to almost 20 million families. The article goes on to say that 23 states (and the District of Columbia) plan to expand their Medicaid Programs; while another 12 are undecided.
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Partnership creates virtual health care learning center in Virginia
The Washington Post
May 31, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/partnership-creates-virtual-health-care-learning-center-in-virginia/2013/05/31/c6651644-c9e4-11e2-9cd9-3b9a22a4000a_story.html
Centra Health, Lynchburg College and Central Virginia Community College are celebrating the completing of what is being called the state’s most comprehensive virtual health care learning facility. Officials held a ceremony marking the completion of the $3 million Central Virginia Center for Simulation and Virtual Learning in Lynchburg on Thursday.
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Tackling the New Health-Care Rules
The Wall Street Journal
May 31, 2013
http://online.wsj.com/article/getting_going.html
The launch of new marketplaces for buying your own health insurance—a key piece of the "Obamacare" plan—is just four months away, and the so-called insurance exchanges are starting to take shape. In late May, the state of California said 13 health-care plans will participate in its exchange, offering insurance in the state's 19 regions, and insurers in several other states are proposing rates and plans. The federal government will run exchanges in states that don't provide their own.
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Miss. gives $1M in aid to health overhaul call center
Modern Healthcare
May 31, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130531/INFO/305319983/miss-gives-1m-in-aid-to-health-overhaul-call-center
Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant rarely misses a chance to bash the federal healthcare overhaul as an unaffordable intrusion. But Thursday, he announced the state is giving $1 million to a federal contractor that will hire 1,000 Mississippians to help implement it. The Mississippi Development Authority is giving that amount as economic development incentive to General Dynamics Corp. to help it build a call center in Hattiesburg to field questions, at least in part, about federal health insurance exchanges. HHS confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday that employees would answer questions about subsidized health insurance purchased through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
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Medicare outlook improves as healthcare costs grow more slowly
Los Angeles Times
May 31, 2013
http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-pn-medicare-outlook-improves-20130531,0,5045297.story
In another indication of the impact of slowing healthcare costs, the federal government Friday upgraded its assessment of the financial health of the Medicare insurance program for the elderly and disabled. Medicare’s main trust fund will not begin operating in the red until 2026, two years later than projected last year, according to an annual report from the board of trustees that oversees the nation’s major entitlement programs.
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OIG: Flaws in CMS databases threatens integrity of Medicare
EHR Intelligence
May 31, 2013
http://ehrintelligence.com/2013/05/31/oig-flaws-in-cms-databases-threatens-integrity-of-medicare/
The inaccuracy, incompleteness, and inconsistency of provider data maintained by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) could put the integrity of the Medicare program at risk, according to findings from the Office of Inspector General (OIG). The office with the Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) reviewed information of Medicare providers stored in the National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES) and Provider Enrollment, Chain and Ownership System (PECOS). As the OIG notes, providers are required to supply CMS with their National Provider Identifiers (NPIs), which are maintained in NPPES, in order to enroll in PECOS. Programs such as the EHR Incentive Programs require that eligible professionals and hospitals to have active NPIs to qualify and participate.
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More than 100 insurers sign up for Obama healthcare exchanges
Health Leaders Media
May 31, 2013
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HEP-292732/More-than-100-insurers-sign-up-for-Obama-healthcare-exchanges
The White House, seeking to show early success for President Barack Obama's health reforms, said more than 120 insurers have applied to sell plans on federally-run online marketplaces that begin offering subsidized coverage in just over four months. Based on a memo released by senior administration officials, about 5 million consumers could be able to choose from a variety of plans from at least five insurance companies with coverage that meets new quality standards set down by the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Each insurance company applicant would offer 15 separate plans on average.
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Government officials face increased pressure over troubled dual-eligible initiative
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living
May 31, 2013
http://www.mcknights.com/government-officials-face-increased-pressure-over-troubled-dual-eligible-initiative/article/295588/#
A long-criticized project to improve the healthcare delivery and payment system for people eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid has again been under fire in recent days, prompting government officials to defend the slow pace of implementation. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services launched the Financial Alignment Initiative in July 2011. The project's goal is resolving contradictions in the administration of Medicare and Medicaid, which are negatively affecting care for the dual-eligible population. Many dual-eligibles are elderly, chronically ill residents of nursing homes.
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House Republicans renew effort to gut Obama's healthcare 'slush fund'
The Hill
May 31, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/302841-gop-to-try-again-on-repealing-obamas-health-care-slush-fund
House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-Va.) told his GOP colleagues in a Friday memo that leaders will try again in June to pass a bill that would gut what they call a multi-billion dollar "slush fund" in ObamaCare. Republican leaders tried in April to kill the Prevention and Public Health fund, as part of a bill that also sought to boost funding for a Pre-existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP).
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We need to strengthen Medicare for everyone: Column
USA Today
May 31, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2013/05/31/medicare-health-care-column/2356197/
Older Americans know firsthand how important it is to keep Medicare strong and make sure its protections endure for our children and grandchildren. But we have a choice in how we handle the challenges to this critical program. Political leaders can seek responsible solutions that attack high costs, reduce waste and improve care. Or they can opt for harmful cuts just to meet budget targets -- an approach that would shift costs to seniors and their families, while doing nothing to correct underlying problems in the health care system.
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Scoring Health Care
Health Affairs
May 31, 2013
http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2013/05/31/scoring-health-care/
Families typically spend more on health care than on any other product. Yet today’s ratings culture with its stars, grades, and scores on everything from hiking boots to mountain villas has yet to establish credible, easy-to-use quality guides for doctors, hospitals or health insurers. Consumers have never had as much at stake in the health care system and can’t afford to make the wrong choices because they lack the right information. A growing number of people with insurance today are moving into high-deductible plans that put the purchasing pressure on the consumer. Now, with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) about to steer millions of newly-insured Americans into marketplaces known as exchanges, government and industry need to collect and distribute real-time patient feedback that offers viable quality and experience comparisons.
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Tackling the New Health-Care Rules
Wall Street Journal
May 31, 2013
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324125504578511163826107972.html
The launch of new marketplaces for buying your own health insurance—a key piece of the "Obamacare" plan—is just four months away, and the so-called insurance exchanges are starting to take shape. In late May, the state of California said 13 health-care plans will participate in its exchange, offering insurance in the state's 19 regions, and insurers in several other states are proposing rates and plans. The federal government will run exchanges in states that don't provide their own.
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White House says health law already boosting competition
The Hill
May 30, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/302599-white-house-says-health-law-already-boosting-competition
More than 100 insurance plans have asked to sell their products through ObamaCare's new insurance exchanges — a development the White House touted Thursday as evidence people will have a range of plans to choose from once the healthcare law is fully implemented. In states where the federal government will run the exchanges, about 90 percent of "target enrollees" will have at least five insurance companies to choose from, the White House said in a memo.
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CNN poll gives ammunition to both sides in health care battle
CNN
May 30, 2013
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/05/30/cnn-poll-gives-ammunition-to-both-sides-in-health-care-battle/
CNN's latest health care poll, released Monday, has been in the political crossfire all week. Conservatives are using it as proof the policy is unpopular while liberals say it is an example for more aggressive policy on national health care. As mentioned at the time, the national survey found that "a majority of Americans still oppose the nation's new health care measure, three years after it became law."
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States say ObamaCare exchanges will be ready on time
The Hill
May 30, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/302669-states-say-obamacare-exchanges-will-be-ready-on-time
State setting up their own insurance exchanges say they'll meet their Oct. 1 deadline, but are concerned they'll have to make big changes later, the Government Accountability Office said Thursday.
GAO surveyed officials in six states and Washington, D.C. about their progress setting up exchanges — the centerpiece of the Affordable Care Act.
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GOP chairmen want IG to look into Sebelius calls on ObamaCare
The Hill
May 30, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/302541-top-republicans-call-for-sebelius-investigation
Leading Senate Republicans are calling for an independent federal investigation of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius's fundraising efforts for a nonprofit that will promote ObamaCare. GOP leaders on the Senate Finance, Health and Homeland Security committees on Thursday asked the Health and Human Service Department's inspector general to probe Sebelius's phone calls to health industry players.
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Health-care mergers flourished after Massachusetts reform, report says
Wall Street Journal
May 30, 2013
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323728204578515773074467506.html?mod=wsj_streaming_stream
Many but not all uninsured Americans looking to buy health coverage will be able to choose between five or more carriers when new insurance exchanges open on Oct. 1, the Obama administration said Thursday. Administration officials said in a memorandum that they expected around 90% of the seven million people expected to sign up for their own coverage through the insurance marketplaces next year would be in states with products available from at least five different insurance companies.
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Evidence for Medical Homes Still Evolving
Medpagetoday
May 30, 2013
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Washington-Watch/Reform/39451
Joseph Ashwal, MD, knew a good deal when he saw one. The family physician wanted to take the lead on starting a patient-centered medical home (PCMH) model for his 25-physician practice in Frederick, Md., after reading a nearly 100-page treatise from the area's largest private payer.
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Reform Update: Could young adults on parents' policies impact exchanges?
Modern Healthcare
May 30, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130530/NEWS/305309965/reform-update-could-young-adults-on-parents-policies-impact
Obama administration officials have touted a provision of the healthcare reform law that allows young adults to remain on their parents' health insurance until age 26. But that benefit could end up driving up premiums in the state health insurance exchanges since many of these young and healthy individuals will not need to get coverage through those marketplaces.
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New Health-Exchange Choices to Vary by State
Wall Street Journal
May 30, 2013
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323728204578515773074467506.html?mod=wsj_streaming_stream
Many but not all uninsured Americans looking to buy health coverage will be able to choose between five or more carriers when new insurance exchanges open on Oct. 1, the Obama administration said Thursday. Administration officials said in a memorandum that they expected around 90% of the seven million people expected to sign up for their own coverage through the insurance marketplaces next year would be in states with products available from at least five different insurance companies.
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GOP lawmakers link Sebelius calls to IPAB concerns
The Hill
May 30, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/302661-gop-lawmakers-link-sebelius-calls-to-ipab-concerns
Republican lawmakers are calling on Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to keep away from a divisive Medicare cost board because of her controversial fundraising calls to the healthcare industry. Sen. John Cornyn (Texas) and Rep. Phil Roe (Tenn.) sent Sebelius a letter Thursday urging her not to take the place of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) if Republicans succeed in blocking it.
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Health care mandates, changes loom for Oklahoma employers
NewsOK
May 30, 2013
http://newsok.com/health-care-mandates-changes-loom-for-oklahoma-employers/article/3836640
When Tim Berney, president and co-owner of VI Marketing and Branding, set a goal two years ago to double his business, he was thinking about revenues, not staff. The good news is 24-year-old VI — formerly Visual Image — has hit its target, on track for nearly $50 million in annual revenues this year. The downside is Berney expects his firm — which ballooned from 25 employees to 48 over the past 20 months — to number 50 soon, a threshold that will make it subject to new health reform mandates that take effect Jan. 1.
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Analysts: Medicare costs may keep declining
USA Today
My 30, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/05/30/medicare-health-care-costs-decreasing/2366399/
Innovations adopted and accelerated by the 2010 health care law will continue to force down overall Medicare costs, according to industry analysts and studies, even as the economy continues to improve. Those changes include new payment plans, improved efficiency and a move toward consumer-driven insurance plans that started before the law's passage. They influenced the $618 billion drop in projected Medicare and Medicaid spending over the next decade that was reported May 15 by the Congressional Budget Office.
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Officials say state-aided call center will answer questions beyond federal health overhaul
The Washington Post
May 30, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/health-care-overhaul-opponent-bryant-gives-1m-state-aid-to-call-center-for-exchange-questions/2013/05/30/b8105416-c98d-11e2-9cd9-3b9a22a4000a_story.html
Mississippi officials emphasize that a 1,000-employee Hattiesburg call center will answer questions regarding not only subsidized insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, but Medicare and other subjects. Gov. Phil Bryant announced plans Thursday for the General Dynamics Corp. center. Mississippi is giving the Falls Church, Va., company a $1 million incentive to aid setup.
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Rubio to refocus on ObamaCare repeal in wake of IRS scandal
The Hill
May 29, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/302419-rubio-to-refocus-on-obamacare-repeal-in-wake-of-irs-scandal
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) says he will increase his focus this summer on the need to repeal ObamaCare, after the IRS targeting scandal has shown that U.S. tax collectors are not fit to implement the law. "[T]he only answer to this is to repeal ObamaCare," Rubio said of the IRS scandal in a Wednesday video on his website. "It's just one more reason why this law is going to be a disaster for our country.
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Health Care Reform: Us vs.Them
Huffington Post
May 29, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/morna-murray/health-care-reform-us-ver_b_3342583.html
It's no news flash to say health care reform is politicized. Our country is increasingly polarized, "us" versus "them" and "either/or" instead of "both/and." But it's one thing to say it, it's another to watch it play out in the implementation of health care reform across our United States. The latest CNN poll, released on Memorial Day, shows 54 percent opposing Obamacare. Putting aside arguments about the veracity of poll data depending on questions, etc., if you look a little deeper, you learn that 35 percent oppose it because it is "too liberal" and 16 percent because it isn't "liberal enough."
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The NRCC’s claim that the IRS will be ‘in charge of your health care’
The Washington Post
May 29, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/fact-checker/post/the-nrccs-claim-that-the-irs-will-be-in-charge-of-your-health-care/2013/05/28/d4b281c8-c7c8-11e2-9245-773c0123c027_blog.html
The NRCC this week sought to explicitly tie the Internal Revenue Service scandal to the president’s health-care law, targeting four possibly vulnerable Democratic lawmakers with mobile billboards in their congressional districts. The lawmakers are John Barrow of Georgia, Ann Kirkpatrick and Ron Barber of Arizona and Collin C. Peterson of Minnesota. Barrow and Peterson would seem to be odd targets because both voted against the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. “Obamacare.”
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Health Care for All Immigrants Now
Huffington Post
May 29, 2013
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ethan-rome/health-care-for-all-immig_b_3353385.html
If we want to take another giant step toward achieving America's promise of opportunity and justice for all, every immigrant in the United States should gain access to affordable health care through the historic, bipartisan immigration reform bill that the Senate Judiciary Committee has sent to the full Senate. When the committee approved the bill, people in the audience jumped to their feet, applauding, cheering and chanting, "Yes we can!" and "Sí, se puede!" and Committee Chairman Patrick J. Leahy (D-VT) called supporters up to the front of the room to celebrate, according to news reports.
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Medicaid managed care ready for new enrollees, states say
The Hill
May 29, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/302375-medicaid-managed-care-ready-for-new-enrollees-states-say
Medicaid managed care programs are ready to take on new enrollees as ObamaCare expands healthcare access for low-income people, according to a new state survey. Eight states reported to the Urban Institute that their Medicaid managed care programs — which tend to function like health maintenance organizations, or HMOs — will flexibly adapt to a greater beneficiary population thanks to past reforms.
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Health Care and Social Justice
The Atlantic
May 29, 2013
http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/05/health-care-and-social-justice/276281/
I want to preface what I am about to say by pointing out the obvious -- the ACA is a great thing. I suspect it will go down as the president's greatest achievement and probably the best thing he's done to fight income inequality. With that said, if you look at a map of which states are refusing the Medicaid expansion, and then look at this report from the Urban Institute, a troubling (if predictable) trend emerges. Approximately a fifth (about 18 percent) of all people who will remain untouched by the Medicaid expansion are black. When you start drilling down to the states where those black people tend to live, it gets worse. In Virginia and North Carolina, 30 percent of those who are going to miss out are black. In South Carolina and Georgia, the number is around 40 percent. In Louisiana and Mississippi, you are talking about 50 percent of those who would be eligible for the expansion but who will go uncovered.
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Pa. members ask Sebelius to help secure lung transplant for child
The Hill
May 29, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/senate/302405-sen-toomey-asks-sebelius-to-approve-lung-transparent-for-pa-child
Members of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation this week urged Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to help approve a lung transplant for a 10-year-old Pennsylvania child in critical condition. "I respectfully request that you do everything you can to assist Sarah Murnaghan," Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) wrote to Sebelius in a May 28 letter. "CHOP [the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia] is aggressively treating Sarah in order to maintain her life and viability on the transplant list, but her time is running out.
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