HHS sets new fees for insurers in federal exchange
The Hill
November 30, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/270331-hhs-sets-new-fees-for-insurers-in-federal-exchange
The Obama administration issued rules Friday that charge insurance companies new fees to pay for parts of President Obama's healthcare law. The Health and Human Services Department said insurance companies will pay a monthly fee to sell plans through a federally run insurance exchange.
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HHS inspector general: Medicare EHR program needs better oversight
Modern Healthcare
November 29, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121129/NEWS/311299956/hhs-inspector-general-ehr-programs-need-better-oversight
The CMS and the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology at HHS need to tighten up their oversight of the Medicare EHR incentive payment program, according to HHS' inspector general's office.
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Missouri governor backs Medicaid expansion under 'ObamaCare'
The Hill
November 29, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/270097-missouri-will-expand-medicaid-under-obamacare-
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) said Thursday that he plans to take part in the Medicaid expansion included in President Obama's healthcare law. Governors are split on the Medicaid expansion — even some Democrats worry about the cost of taking part, while Republicans are under pressure to reject the expansion along with state-based insurance exchanges.
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Unaffordable Cost Seen for Some Under Affordable Care Act
Business Week
November 29, 2012
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-11-28/unaffordable-cost-seen-for-some-under-affordable-care-act
The landmark health-care law, which survived the threats of repeal and a Supreme Court review, now confronts another hurdle: living up to expectations. As the administration spells out the details, many uninsured will be surprised at how much they will have to pay. It may involve “very substantial amounts,” and “there still will be a significant number of people who can’t afford health coverage,” said Ron Pollack, head of Families USA, a consumer group that backs the law.
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Health Care Entitlements
The New York Times
November 28, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/29/opinion/health-care-entitlements.html?_r=0
Congressional Republicans are insisting that big cuts to Medicare and Medicaid be on the table in the negotiations over the so-called fiscal cliff and deficit reduction. That stance is largely a political move against two programs, which have been critical to the public welfare for the past half-century.
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Advocates ask feds to kick state out of health care law decisions
The Palm Beach Post
November 28, 2012
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/business/advocates-ask-feds-to-kick-state-out-of-health-car/nTHwW/
Advocates who once begged Florida lawmakers to embrace President Barack Obama’s health care law are now lobbying federal officials to leave out Florida decision-makers. With little more than a year left to plan major provisions and Florida politicians on record against the law – chief among them Gov. Rick Scott – health care reform advocates argue that programs they fought for may fail in the hands of state leaders.
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Arizona’s governor chooses not to form state-run health care exchange under federal law
The Washington Post
November 28, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/ariz-gov-brewer-chooses-not-to-form-state-run-health-care-exchange-under-federal-law/2012/11/28/66b0db08-39ab-11e2-9258-ac7c78d5c680_story.html
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer has decided against creating a state-run health insurance exchange to implement a key part of President Barack Obama’s federal health care law. Brewer’s decision announced Wednesday means the federal government will set up an online marketplace for the state, offering subsidized private health coverage to the middle class. The governor reiterated her unwavering opposition to the health care overhaul, and said there were too many costs and questions associated with a state-run exchange.
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Health Care Reform: The Next Step for Wellness Programs
Business Finance
November 28, 2012
http://businessfinancemag.com/article/health-care-reform-next-step-wellness-programs-1128
With wellness programs becoming such an important tool in managing long-term health benefit costs, employers are investing more heavily in wellness-related incentives. The 2012 Mercer health benefits survey found a significant uptick for the third year in a row in the use of incentives or penalties to encourage higher participation in wellness programs and to reward results. Nearly half of large employers now use these incentives or penalties, up from one-third in 2011. The most common incentive is a reduction in health insurance premiums for participating in these programs. The median reduction is $260 per year for employee-only coverage.
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Medicaid expansion still uncertain for Colorado
San Francisco Chronicle
November 28, 2012
http://www.sfgate.com/business/article/Medicaid-expansion-still-uncertain-for-Colorado-4072161.php
Colorado health officials won't commit to increasing Medicaid coverage as called for by President Barack Obama's federal health care law, saying it's too soon to know whether the state can afford to expand health care for the needy. Speaking to a group of health care activists, Roxane White, chief of staff to Democratic Gov. John Hickenlooper, said Wednesday the administration is waiting until after a December tax estimate before deciding how to proceed.
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SCOTUS orders appeals court to hear Liberty University health care lawsuit
Politico
November 27, 2012
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84226.html?hp=l5
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals to examine the constitutionality of the health care reform law’s employer requirements and mandatory coverage of contraceptives without a co-pay. The move could open the door for President Barack Obama’s health law to be back in front of the Supreme Court late next year. But legal experts say there’s no guarantee that the justices would actually take the case — or that they’d strike down those pieces of the law if they did.
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Include Medicare, Medicaid cuts in deficit deal: Durbin
Modern Healthcare
November 27, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121127/NEWS/311279966/include-medicare-medicaid-cuts-in-deficit-deal-durbin
Medicare and Medicaid cuts should be included in a grand bargain that cuts future federal deficits by $4 trillion over the next 10 years, Assistant Majority Leader Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said in an address to a liberal advocacy group. The second highest ranking Democrat in the Senate and a leading congressional liberal, Durbin specifically supported several cost-saving measures, including cuts to allowable state provider taxes and cutting reimbursements for dual-eligible beneficiaries to Medicaid levels.
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Medicaid Expansion Report Calculates Modest State Costs
Health Leaders Media
November 27, 2012
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-286838/Medicaid-Expansion-Report-Calculates-Modest-State-Costs
States that expand their Medicaid rolls under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would see only modest increases in their share of the costs when compared with the windfall in federal funding that would come with it. That's according to a new report released Monday by the Kaiser Family Foundation that also suggests that some states could net budget savings under the expanded Medicaid rolls, as millions of poor and uninsured people gain coverage.
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CMS: Options exist for states pondering Medicaid coverage
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living
November 27, 2012
http://www.mcknights.com/cms-options-exist-for-states-pondering-medicaid-coverage/article/269868/
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services remains busy counseling states with guidance on the standards that Medicaid programs must adhere to in coverage options for low-income. A new letter gives guidance on the Medicaid expansion scheduled to begin in January 2014.
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Acadia Healthcare scoops up rivals for $258M
CBS
November 27, 2012
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505245_162-57554685/acadia-healthcare-scoops-up-rivals-for-$258m/
Acadia Healthcare Co. Inc. on Tuesday announced plans to buy two competitors for a combined $258 million. Acadia, based outside Nashville in Franklin, Tenn., said it had agreed to buy Behavioral Centers of America, based in Nashville, and AmiCare Behavioral Centers, based in Fayetteville, Ark. Behavioral Centers of America, or BCA, runs four psychiatric facilities, in Ohio, Michigan and Texas, with a total of 278 licensed inpatient beds. The purchase will mark Acadia's first move into Ohio. AmiCare runs four psychiatric facilities, all in Arkansas, with a total of 330 beds.
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Reform might help turn the U.S. healthcare system into, well, a healthcare system
Med City News
November 27, 2012
http://medcitynews.com/2012/11/reform-might-help-turn-the-u-s-healthcare-system-into-well-a-healthcare-system-video/
The notion that the U.S. has a “healthcare system” is actually a fallacy. What it is, rather, is a group of independent sick care providers. Cleveland Clinic CEO Dr. Toby Cosgrove made this apparent in his recent CEO sit-down with Pimm Fox of Bloomberg Television’s “Taking Stock.” And changes to this so-called healthcare system under the Affordable Care Act, he implied, are aimed at turning the system into what its name suggests.
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Health Exchanges are Coming: Here's How to Plan
Fox
November 27, 2012
http://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/2012/11/27/health-exchanges-are-coming-here-how-to-plan/
Health exchanges are scheduled to go live in 2014 as instituted by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which means health insurance companies will be competing for business. For the 30 million Americans currently uninsured and wanting health insurance, these exchanges will offer affordable health care as well as a variety of choices in terms of the providers and plans.
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CMS awards $15B data management contract
Health Leaders Media
November 26, 2012
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/LED-286764/CMS-awards-15-billion-data-management-contract
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services last week awarded a $15 billion contract to consolidate data centers and manage its immense stores of data. Eight vendors were awarded spots on the 10-year contract, called the Virtual Data Center contract. They will provide applications hosting, telecommunications and networking, disaster recovery, enterprise security, and other services.
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Supreme Court orders new look at Liberty University's health care challenge
Fox
November 26, 2012
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/11/26/supreme-court-orders-new-look-at-health-care-challenge/
The Supreme Court on Monday ordered a federal appeals court to reconsider Liberty University’s legal argument that President Obama's health care law violates the school’s religious freedom. The case will be returned to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.
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Liberty University allowed to argue claims against healthcare law
Los Angeles Times
November 26, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-supreme-court-health-care-20121126,0,4563289.story
The Supreme Court rectified an oversight Monday and gave a Baptist university in Virginia a chance to argue in a lower court two claims that were not considered in June when the justices upheld President Obama’s healthcare law. Lawyers for Liberty University say it is unconstitutional for the government to require large employers to provide health insurance to their full-time workers or pay a tax.
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Obama health law to face religion-based challenge
Reuters
November 26, 2012
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/26/us-usa-court-healthcare-idUSBRE8AP0NX20121126
The Supreme Court on Monday cleared the way for a Christian college to pursue a religion-based challenge against part of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform, which it claims forces taxpayers and employers to subsidize abortions and contraception. Liberty University, based in Lynchburg, Virginia, may now also argue that Congress exceeded its power by requiring big employers to provide healthcare coverage to workers, though legal experts said the argument faces an uphill battle in court.
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Court orders new look at health care challenge
AP
November 26, 2012
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jCoEK8cxRoyHjkgHMjtUPtBemETQ?docId=666e8be7ec3a458f82945262ab60b234
The Supreme Court has revived a Christian college's challenge to President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul, with the acquiescence of the Obama administration. The court on Monday ordered the federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., to consider the claim by Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., that Obama's health care law violates the school's religious freedoms. The court's action at this point means only that the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals must now pass judgment on issues it previously declined to rule on.
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Way cleared for health care challenge (UPDATED)
SCOTUSblog
November 26, 2012
http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/11/way-cleared-for-health-care-challenge/
The Supreme Court on Monday arranged for a Virginia university to go forward with new challenges to two key sections of the new federal health care law — the individual and employer mandates to have insurance coverage. The Court did so by returning the case of Liberty University v. Geithner (docket 11-438) to the Fourth Circuit Court to consider those challenges. The Court last Term had simply denied review of Liberty University’s appeal, but on Monday wiped out that order and agreed to send the case back to the appeals court in Richmond for further review.
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Medicaid Expansion Covers Millions At 'Modest' Cost To States: Report
The Huffington Post
November 26, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/26/medicaid-expansion_n_2191912.html?utm_hp_ref=business
Expanding Medicaid health benefits to everyone eligible under President Barack Obama's health care reform law would increase state spending on the program by just 3 percent while extending health coverage to more than 20 million people, according to a study released Monday by the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation and the Urban Institute. The health care law seeks to enroll into the Medicaid program anyone who earns up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level, which is $14,856 this year. But when the Supreme Court upheld the law in June, its decision allowed states to opt out of the Medicaid expansion. So far, Republican governors in eight states have declared they won't participate, denying health care coverage to millions of their poorest residents.
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Obamacare's Rationers Employ The "It's Good For You" Defense
Forbes
November 26, 2012
http://www.forbes.com/sites/sallypipes/2012/11/26/obamacares-rationers-employ-the-its-good-for-you-defense/
Obamacare’s backers have a plan to justify their attempts to ration medicine — by saying that it’s good for you. Through 2019, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act — otherwise known as Obamacare — will allocate some $3.5 billion toward “Comparative Effectiveness Research,” or CER, which pits drug versus drug in tests intended to determine which treatments work best.
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Health reform could bring a crowd, some leaders say
North County Times
November 25, 2012
http://www.nctimes.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health-reform-could-bring-a-crowd-some-leaders-say/article_edf83fdd-c1d5-5d03-9b4b-cdf416de8af8.html
With health reform now a certainty, some local health care leaders are bracing for a surge in waiting-room complaints as thousands of newly insured patients start showing up for medical care. The Affordable Care Act mandates increased health coverage for the uninsured. In California, that means expanding the state’s Medi-Cal program and offering subsidized insurance plans on a newly created state-run exchange.
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A post-Turkey Day digest of what you missed in healthcare happenings this week
MedCity News
November 24, 2012
http://medcitynews.com/2012/11/a-post-turkey-day-digest-of-what-you-missed-in-healthcare-happenings-this-week/
Still in a food or shopping coma from this week? Here’s some easy reading to catch you up on what you missed in healthcare innovation news. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which recommended against regular PSA testing and annual breast cancer screening before age 50 for U.S. men and women, respectively, this week recommended for regular HIV testing in nearly everyone over age 15.
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Care at the End of Life
The New York Times
November 24, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/25/opinion/sunday/end-of-life-health-care.html
Three years ago, at the height of the debate over health care reform, there was an uproar over a voluntary provision that encouraged doctors to discuss with Medicare patients the kinds of treatments they would want as they neared the end of life. That thoughtful provision was left out of the final bill after right-wing commentators and Republican politicians denounced it falsely as a step toward euthanasia and “death panels.”
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Changes coming to Texas healthcare
Modern Healthcare
November 24, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121124/INFO/311249941/changes-coming-to-texas-healthcare
Gov. Rick Perry has promised to fight tooth and nail against implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. But that doesn't mean big changes aren't coming to Texas healthcare, and it won't save lawmakers from facing tough spending decisions.
Perry has refused to expand Medicaid, the healthcare program for the poor. And last week he announced Texas will not set up a federally-mandated healthcare exchange, an online system that allows people to find affordable insurance and lets them know if they are eligible for discounts or subsidies.
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Mass. health panel OKs easing of gift ban
Modern Healthcare
November 24, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121124/NEWS/311249946/mass-health-panel-oks-easing-of-gift-ban
Massachusetts' Public Health Council approved a regulation that allows drug and device companies to pay for “modest meals and refreshments” for doctors and other providers outside of hospital or providers' offices, rolling back an earlier restriction on such purchases. The move aims to allow for education about drugs, medical devices and disease states, provided that it takes place in a venue and manner “conducive to informational communication,” according to the regulation.
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Health Insurance Exchanges May Be Too Small to Succeed
The New York Times
November 23, 2012
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/23/health-insurance-exchanges-may-be-too-small-to-succeed/
With the re-election of President Obama, the Affordable Care Act is back on track for being carried out in 2014. Central to its success will be the creation of health-insurance exchanges in each state. Beneficiaries will be able to go a Web site and shop for health insurance, with the government subsidizing the premiums of those whose qualify. By encouraging competition among insurers in an open marketplace, the health care law aims to wring some savings out of the insurance industry to keep premiums affordable.
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Blue Cross Blue Shield Stresses on Healthcare and Habits
Top News
November 23, 2012
http://topnews.us/content/251846-blue-cross-blue-shield-stresses-healthcare-and-habits
November sees the "Movember" festival across the globe in which men from across the world grow moustaches to raise funds and spread awareness about the men health and prostate cancer. Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) approached a football game in Detroit on Thursday at the Fords field which was being held on the occasion of Thanksgiving Day. Michigan based BCBS brought together importance of the day and the ongoing Movember; and supplied 50,000 towels with Movember theme.
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Giving thanks for our healthcare system — which needs reform
Los Angeles Times
November 23, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-lazarus-20121123,0,1425488.column
It's a day late, but I'll tell you what I'm thankful for. I'm thankful that I'm no longer in the hospital. Thankful that our healthcare system, which I've criticized pretty heavily, is a marvel of medical technology and expertise.
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Aide says Ariz. governor needs more answers on health law
Modern Healthcare
November 23, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121123/INFO/311239976/aide-says-ariz-governor-needs-more-answers-on-health-law
Just days after giving governors more time to declare whether states would commit to running online marketplaces for subsidized health coverage, the Obama administration released hundreds of pages of proposed rules on required benefits and other aspects of implementing the federal health law. But Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer still has important unanswered questions about the health exchange, particularly about how a federally created exchange would work if the state were to choose that option, Brewer health policy adviser Don Hughes told The Associated Press.
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Iowa’s health care exchange likely state/federal effort
Radio Iowa
November 22, 2012
http://www.radioiowa.com/2012/11/22/iowas-health-care-exchange-likely-statefederal-effort/
An advisor to Governor Branstad says the “practical reality” is that a new health insurance exchange in Iowa will be jointly run by the State of Iowa and the federal government. “Because of the nature of insurance markets, there’s a level of partnership that’s going to have to occur,” says Branstad advisor Michael Bousselot.
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5 Things You Need To Know About Obamacare
San Francisco Chroncile
November 22, 2012
http://www.sfgate.com/business/investopedia/article/5-Things-You-Need-To-Know-About-Obamacare-4059943.php
A hot topic in the U.S. and the world at large right now is fighting the high cost of healthcare. In the United States, a polarizing issue is the Affordable Care Act, better known as "Obamacare." There are many people up in arms about the future of healthcare in America. There are many components of the Affordable Care Act that are widely misunderstood by many citizens. Here's a look at five things you need to know about Obamacare, and why it's not as scary as you think.
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Could Health-Care Law Cure ‘Job Lock’?
The Wall Street Journal
November 21, 2012
http://blogs.wsj.com/atwork/2012/11/21/could-health-care-law-cure-job-lock/
Plenty of workers claim they’re only hanging on to their jobs for the health insurance—otherwise, they say, they’d strike out on their own or tell their boss goodbye forever. Some of those cubicle-bound soldiers might just be waiting until 2014, when the health insurance coverage mandated by the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) goes into effect. The ACA, which requires states to offer fairly-priced insurance on public exchanges, are expected to make coverage cheaper and easier for individuals and small businesses.
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CMS names first Medicare data-sharing participants
Modern Healthcare
November 21, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121121/NEWS/311219954/cms-names-first-medicare-data-sharing-participants&utm_source=home&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=most-popular-box
The CMS has chosen the first three participants in its Medicare data sharing for performance measurement program, which focuses on increasing consumer access to healthcare quality and cost information. The three groups are the Health Improvement Collaborative of Greater Cincinnati, the Kansas City Quality Improvement Consortium and the Oregon Health Care Quality Corporation, according to a CMS news release.
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Boehner: 'ObamaCare' must be on the table in 'fiscal cliff' negotiations
The Hill
November 21, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/269059-boehner-obamacare-must-be-on-table-in-debt-talks
President Obama's signature healthcare law has to be on the table for cuts as Congress tried to negotiate a deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff," House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) wrote in an op-ed. "We can’t afford it, and we can’t afford to leave it intact," Boehner wrote in the Cincinnati Enquirer. "That’s why I’ve been clear that the law has to stay on the table as both parties discuss ways to solve our nation’s massive debt challenge."
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CMS Clarifies Application of Essential Benefits to Medicaid
National Council For Community Behavioral Healthcare
November 21, 2012
http://mentalhealthcarereform.org/cms-clarifies-application-of-essential-benefits-to-medicaid/
Although HHS stated clearly that its proposed rule extends only to health plans sold in the individual, small group, and exchange markets, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) this week released a concurrent State Medicaid Directors Letter (SMDL) outlining how essential benefits will be applied to Medicaid. The letter states that the requirements outlined by HHS in its proposed rule will generally apply to Medicaid, with some modifications.
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Rick Scott caves to health exchange, but other GOP-led states hang tough
Human Events
November 21, 2012
http://www.humanevents.com/2012/11/21/mccabe-rick-scott-caves-to-health-exchange-but-other-gop-led-states-hang-tough/
The Republican governor of Florida Nov. 16 confirmed he is working with the President Barack Obama’s administration to implement its health care reforms. “The election is over,” Gov. Richard L. Scott, who was elected governor of the Sunshine State in 2010, said in last week’s speech to the 2012 National Lawyers Convention hosted by The Federalist Society. The society is a Washington-based organization whose members are drawn from the legal community and are committed to the “original intent” of the Constitution.
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Employer-Provided Health Insurance and the Market
The New York Times
November 21, 2012
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/21/the-future-of-employer-provided-health-insurance/
The future of employer-provided health insurance is better considered together with the future of total employee compensation, both cash and fringe benefits like health insurance. From that perspective, the likelihood that most employers will continue to offer health insurance is not necessarily good news for employees.
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Health Care Reform Rules Give Patients A New Bill Of Rights
The Huffington Post
November 21, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/20/health-care-reform-rules_n_2165152.html
Health insurance consumers won't be discriminated against because of pre-existing conditions, can't be charged more because of gender and will be guaranteed a basic set of benefits under historic new federal regulations published Tuesday. Think of them as the Patients' Bill of Rights that eluded former President Bill Clinton more than a decade ago. The regulations carry out the promises of President Barack Obama's health care reform law, which will extend health insurance coverage to 30 million people over a decade and outlaw some of the industry's most notorious practices.
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House GOP is angling to repeal health care
Cincinnati.com
November 21, 2012
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20121121/EDIT02/311210016/House-GOP-angling-repeal-health-care?odyssey=mod%7Cnewswell%7Ctext%7CFRONTPAGE%7Cp&nclick_check=1
President Obama has won re-election, but his health care law is still driving up costs and making it harder for small businesses to hire workers. As was the case before the election, Obamacare has to go.
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As ACA unfolds, local health care turf wars erupt
Health News Review
November 21, 2012
http://www.healthnewsreview.org/2012/11/as-aca-unfolds-local-health-care-turf-wars-erupt/
As the Affordable Care Act – the health reform bill – is shaped and defined, all sorts of “carve out your turf” battles are being waged on many levels not only in Washington, but in individual states.
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Millions will qualify for new options under the health care law. Most have no idea.
The Washington Post
November 21, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/21/millions-will-qualify-for-new-options-under-the-health-care-law-the-vast-majority-have-no-idea/
After surviving a Supreme Court decision and a presidential election, the Obama administration’s health-care law faces another challenge: a public largely unaware of major changes that will roll out in the coming months. States are rushing to decide whether to build their own health exchanges and the administration is readying final regulations, but a growing body of research suggests that most low-income Americans who will become eligible for subsidized insurance have no idea what’s coming.
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Bill Would Allow IRS to Issue Exemptions to PPACA's Insurance Mandate
Becker’s Hospital Review
November 20, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/legal-regulatory-issues/bill-would-allow-irs-to-issue-exemptions-to-ppacas-insurance-mandate.html
A new bipartisan bill would allow people to exempt themselves from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's health insurance mandate by filing an affidavit with the Internal Revenue Service, according to a report from The Hill. Individuals seeking an exemption would be required to tell the IRS they do not have health insurance because of their religious beliefs. If exempt individuals later used healthcare services under the PPACA, they would lose their eligibility for the exemption from buying insurance and would have to pay a penalty, according to the report.
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Obama moves ahead with health care law
USA Today
November 20, 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/story/theoval/2012/11/20/obama-health-care-law-sebelius/1717231/
With re-election safety behind them, President Obama and aides are moving forward with new rules governing their landmark 2010 health care law. The Department of Health and Human Services said Tuesday it is putting in place provisions that would make it illegal for insurance companies to discriminate against people with pre-existing conditions, enable consumers to compare health plans, and encourage employers to promote employee wellness.
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HHS details overhaul rules and required benefits
The Huffington Post
November 20, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121120/us-health-care-rules/?utm_hp_ref=travel&ir=travel
The Obama administration has strengthened the prescription drug coverage that will be available to the millions of people who will get insurance through the nation's new health care overhaul starting late next year. The increase in prescription benefits was part of a long-awaited package of rules to implement the law formally announced on Tuesday by the Health and Human Services Department. The government laid out minimum requirements for health insurance coverage and banned denying coverage to people with pre-existing health problems.
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AHA: IRS rules thwart health reform
Fierce Health Finance
November 20, 2012
http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/aha-irs-rules-barrier-health-reform/2012-11-20
Hospitals are lobbying the Internal Revenue Service to relax eligibility rules for hospitals to participate in for tax-exempt or local bond financing, reported AHA News Now. The American Hospital Association has asked the IRS to change procedure 97-13, which governs what constitutes public and private businesses at hospitals that enjoy tax-exempt financing. The use of facilities for private business could put hospitals out of compliance for bond eligibility.
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Va Senate Democrats again call for special session to address federal health care overhaul
The Washington Post
November 20, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/va-senate-democrats-again-call-for-special-session-to-address-federal-health-care-overhaul/2012/11/20/0250227a-333b-11e2-92f0-496af208bf23_story.html
Democratic leaders in the Virginia Senate on Tuesday once again urged Republican Gov. Bob McDonnell to call a special session to discuss how the state will address the federal health care overhaul. States face a Dec. 14 deadline to decide whether to set up their own exchange for people to shop for private health insurance policies or allow the federal government to run them.
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U.S. releases new health insurance reform rules
Reuters
November 20, 2012
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/20/us-usa-healthcare-rules-idUSBRE8AJ14O20121120
The U.S. administration on Tuesday proposed new health insurance rules aimed at ending discrimination against the sick and guaranteeing minimum benefits for millions of Americans who are expected to obtain coverage under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law.
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Administration unveils health care regulations
USA Today
November 20, 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/20/health-care-regulations/1702431/#
The Obama administration released new health care regulations Tuesday that preclude insurers from adjusting premiums based on pre-existing or chronic health conditions, tell states what benefits must be included in health exchange plans, and allow employers to reward employees who work to remain healthy.
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Medicare cuts give health providers jitters
Politico
November 20, 2012
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84052.html
The $716 billion in Medicare “cuts” that got so much attention in the presidential election have already begun sinking their teeth into health care providers. And there are widespread jitters that any further cuts as part of a year-end deal to stave off sequestration or strike a “grand bargain” for a long-term fiscal deal would deeply gouge some providers, if not put them out of business.
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Fallin says ‘no’ PPACA
The Pryor Times
November 20, 2012
http://pryordailytimes.com/statenews/x453725638/Fallin-says-no-PPACA
Gov. Mary Fallin released the following statement announcing that Oklahoma will not pursue the creation of a state-based exchange or participate in the Medicaid expansion in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Obama Admin Fills in Health Law Details
National Journal
November 20, 2012
http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/obama-admin-fills-in-health-law-details-20121120
The Obama administration filled in key details on how the health reform law will regulate insurance plans by issuing two long-awaited regulations on Tuesday. The new rules issued by the Health and Human Services Administration spell out how a centerpiece of the law—its requirement that insurers cover even sick or old applicants—will work. They also sketch out what minimum package of benefits must be included in health plans sold on state exchanges. Both rules will have a big impact on the insurance industry and will influence the cost of insurance. The rules are in draft form, which means there will be time for public comment and revisions before they are finalized.
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President Obama won, but Obamacare didn't
Politico
November 20, 2012
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/84054.html
During the campaign, President Barack Obama minimized discussion of his first term’s most consequential new law: the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or what’s commonly referred to as Obamacare. That was no accident. Undoubtedly, the campaign knew that Obamacare is, as it always has been, deeply unpopular with the American people. In fact, Obamacare epitomizes the public’s greatest concerns about this administration: the massive expansion of government and failure to deliver a new era of post-partisanship to Washington, since the law was jammed through using a party line vote and every available legislative trick. Bringing up health care risked stirring the passions that fueled the tea party’s rise and the Democrats’ defeat in 2010.
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Health care views cause clash between restaurant companies, franchisees
Nation’s Restaurant News
November 20, 2012
http://nrn.com/government/health-care-views-cause-clash-between-restaurant-companies-franchisees
Schisms are appearing between franchisors and franchisees as restaurant operators become more vocal with their views on the looming health care act after presidential election results took its possible repeal off the table. The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act impacts the restaurant industry more than most, said Chris O’Cull, senior restaurant analyst with KeyBanc Capital Markets, in a report last week. “Restaurants have a disadvantage to non-service businesses when it comes to penalties because of the high number of part-time and low-wage employees,” he said.
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Va. Senate Democrats want special session on state health exchange
Lynchburg News & Advance
November 20, 2012
http://www.newsadvance.com/news/state/general_assembly/article_201d6e1e-3347-11e2-8ee7-001a4bcf6878.html
Senate Democrats are calling on Gov. Bob McDonnell to convene a special session of the General Assembly to create a state-based health insurance exchange.
“Virginians deserve an exchange that suits their specific needs, not a one-size-fits-all solution from the federal government,” said Sen. Richard L. Saslaw, D-Fairfax. “I can't understand how the self-proclaimed party of limited government would allow the federal government to impose a generic exchange on Virginians."
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Hobby Lobby bid to block health-care law rejected
Tulsa World
November 20, 2012
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20121120_11_A7_ULNSba553660
A federal judge ruled against Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby and Mardel on Monday in the companies' bid to block enforcement of contraceptive health-insurance provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In his ruling on a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton said the retailers were "secular, for-profit corporations" and did not have free-exercise rights under the First Amendment.
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Perry to HHS: Texas won’t do insurance exchanges
The Southeast Texas Record
November 19, 2012
http://setexasrecord.com/news-3224/278862-perry-to-hhs-texas-wont-do-insurance-exchanges
Texas Gov. Rick Perry recently sent a letter to federal officials reconfirming that the state would not implement parts of Obamacare. He first notified U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in July that Texas would not take part in a state insurance exchange, part of President Barack Obama’s Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. On Nov. 15 he sent Sebelius another letter reiterating his position.
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Judge rules Hobby Lobby must cover employees' contraception
News Oklahoma
November 19, 2012
http://newsok.com/judge-rejects-hobby-lobby-bid-to-prevent-enforcement-of-government-contraception-rules/article/3730168
A federal judge ruled Monday against Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby and Mardel on a bid to block enforcement of contraceptive health-insurance provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In his ruling on a preliminary injunction, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton said the retailers were “secular, for-profit corporations” and did not have free-exercise rights under the First Amendment.
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Corbett: State can’t absorb Medicaid expansion costs
Pennsylvania Independent
November 19, 2012
http://paindependent.com/2012/11/corbett-state-cant-absorb-medicaid-expansion-costs/
Gov. Tom Corbett said that expanding Medicaid in accordance with the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act would cost the state millions of dollars that it doesn’t have. “I don’t think there’s any way we can absorb this,” Corbett said of the expansion costs, while speaking to the Pennsylvania Press Club Monday afternoon.
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Ohio, Wisconsin Governors Reject Health Insurance Exchanges
Becker’s Hospital Review
November 19, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/racs-/-icd-9-/-icd-10/ohio-wisconsin-governors-reject-health-insurance-exchanges.html
Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker have said they will not set up state-based insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, meaning the federal government will have to step in to run the exchanges in those states, according to The Hill's Healthwatch report. Gov. Kasich said he rejected the state-based exchange because PPACA does not provide enough flexibility to states. Due to his rejection, the federal government will now have total control over all the functions of Ohio's exchange, such as the number of plans that can participate and whether to impose requirements above and beyond those spelled out in PPACA, according to the report.
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Court rejects Hobby Lobby's challenge to U.S. contraceptive mandate
Reuters
November 19, 2012
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/20/usa-healthcare-oklahoma-court-idUSL1E8MK12E20121120
A U.S. federal judge on Monday denied a legal challenge to President Barack Obama's signature health reforms, ruling that the owners of a $3 billion arts and crafts chain must provide emergency contraceptives in their group health care plan.
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Scott Walker: No Health Exchange for Wisconsin
Tenth Amendment Center
November 19, 2012
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2012/11/scott-walker-no-health-exchange-for-wisconsin/
On Friday, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker sent a letter to HHS Secretary Sebelius indicating that the Badger State will not create a state insurance exchange or be involved in a state-federal partnership under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. In Wisconsin, we have been successful in providing health insurance coverage to over 90 percent of state residents without the creation of an exchange and absent federal regulation. We have a long history of being a leader on health reform issues, and with more guidance and greater state flexibility, our competitive market system would have ensured health insurance coverage to the most vulnerable Wisconsinites without federalization of our market. Unfortunately, operating a state exchange would not provide the flexibility to meet our state’s unique needs or to protect our state’s taxpayers.
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Remaking Health Care: Change the Way Providers Are Paid .
The Wall Street Journal
November 19, 2012
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324556304578120450099279338.html
In the debate over the nation's finances, health care is one of the biggest items on the agenda. How do we bring down soaring costs as more people get coverage and more baby boomers head into retirement? The Wall Street Journal's Laura Landro moderated the task-force discussion on remaking health care. Here are edited excerpts of their presentation of priorities to the CEO Council.
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Judge grants company injunction against health-care law contraception efforts
The Washington Post
November 19, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/judge-grants-company-injunction-against-health-care-law-contraception-efforts/2012/11/18/efdabcf8-31a1-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_story.html
A federal judge on Friday temporarily prevented the Obama administration from forcing a Christian publishing company to provide its employees with certain contraceptives under the new health-care law. U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton granted a preliminary injunction sought by Tyndale House Publishers, which does not want to provide employees with contraceptives that it equates with abortion.
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Out-of-Network Bills for In-Network Health Care
The New York Times
November 19, 2012
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/19/out-of-network-bills-for-in-network-health-care/
The robo-call from the physicians’ billing service had the intended effect: I panicked. It sounded like a collection agency. I almost paid what it asked. In fact, we didn’t owe a dime. By the time we got the call last week, followed by bills in the mail, our insurer, United Healthcare, had already paid most of the charges stemming from my daughter’s emergency room visit in late August, when she had a nasty fall shortly after returning to college. Cayuga Medical Center in Ithaca isn’t in our insurer’s network, but United handled the bills as though it was because it had been an emergency, paying the hospital nearly $900. We paid only the $100 emergency room co-pay.
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Your Say: What's next for health care?
USA Today
November 19, 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2012/11/19/affordable-care-act-obama-health-care/1715975/
Why don't we start by not giving away free health care to non-citizens and taking care of citizens first. We should also try to find out why emergency rooms can charge more for medications. But I guess it sounds more sensible to force people against their will to purchase an insurance policy.
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Mary Fallin, Oklahoma Governor, Rejects Medicaid Expansion, Health Insurance Exchanges
The Huffington Post
November 19, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/mary-fallin-oklahoma-health-care_n_2159737.html
Oklahoma is the latest state to reject two key elements of President Barack Obama's health care reform plan to extend health coverage to poor and middle-class Americans, Gov. Mary Fallin (R) announced Monday. Oklahoma won't participate in Obamacare's expansion of Medicaid to the state's poorest residents, or create a health insurance exchange, Fallin said in a press release and a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
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W.Va. near decision on Obama healthcare
Herald-Mail
November 18, 2012
http://www.herald-mail.com/news/tristate/hm-wva-near-decision-on-obama-healthcare-20121118,0,54990.story
West Virginia officials expect to partner with the federal government to operate a new insurance marketplace called for by the federal health care overhaul, but say their choice appears limited by projected costs, tight timing and questions left unanswered by the Obama administration. A state-federal partnership is one of three options for running this marketplace, known as an exchange. In each state, an exchange would aim to unite the buying power of individuals, families and small businesses as they select from coverage plans offered by private insurance companies. The federal law would also help many consumers pay premiums.
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WEEK ON THE WEB: Snyder to push for a state-federal exchange
Crain’s Detroit Business
November 18, 2012
http://www.crainsdetroit.com/article/20121118/SUB01/311189999/week-on-the-web-snyder-to-push-for-a-state-federal-exchange
After yearlong inaction by the state House regarding implementation of a key piece of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in Michigan, Gov. Rick Snyder announced Friday he is planning to move forward with a state-federal health insurance exchange. But he is leaving the door open to a state-based exchange, referred to as the MI Health Marketplace, if federal deadlines move again or if the state House OKs the bill.
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Gov: Ohio won't set up state health care exchange
Sandusky Register
November 18, 2012
http://www.sanduskyregister.com/article/2822806
Republican Gov. John Kasich wrote in a letter Friday to the Obama administration that setting up a state-based exchange is too costly and states have little control over how to operate exchanges. "Regardless of who runs an exchange, the end product is the same," he said.
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Gov. Walker Won't Create Health Care Exchange In Wisconsin
Chicagoist
November 18, 2012
http://chicagoist.com/2012/11/18/gov_walker_wont_create_health_care.php
Gov. Scott Walker and 14 other Republican governors around the country have decided not to create state healthcare exchanges, instead ceding the task to the federal government. The government will be setting up an online insurance marketplace as part of the Affordable Care Act.
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Blue Cross overhaul makes headway in Michigan, raises concerns
Modern Healthcare
November 18, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121118/INFO/311189975/blue-cross-overhaul-makes-headway-in-michigan-raises-concerns
A proposal that would end Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan's tax-exempt status and transform the organization from a charitable trust of the state to a customer-owned not-for-profit is making headway in Lansing, but not without critics trying to step in the path of the legislation to overhaul Michigan's largest health insurer. Competitors and advocates for consumers and the elderly—including the Republican state attorney general—have been attempting to change or stop the legislation, which was proposed by another Republican, Gov. Rick Snyder, and enjoyed widespread support in the Michigan Senate. The voices for and against it now are setting their sights on the House, which is holding committee-level hearings that continue Monday and plans to bring the measures to a full and final vote by year's end.
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Health care law’s new regulations set soon
The Washington Post
November 18, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/health-care-laws-new-regulations-set-soon/2012/11/18/5bc8d52e-3000-11e2-9f50-0308e1e75445_story.html
With the national health law’s political future now entrenched, a deluge of new rules is expected in the coming days and weeks as the Obama administration fleshes out the law’s complex components. Most of the anticipation has been focused on rules that determine how the new state-based insurance marketplaces called exchanges will operate. But also closely awaited are decisions about how the government will tax medical devices, allot the shrinking pool of money for hospitals that treat the uninsured, and determine how birth control insurance coverage can be guaranteed for employees of religious schools, universities and charities.
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Want To Fix Healthcare? Acknowledge That It's the Responsibility Of the Individual
Forbes
November 18, 2012
http://www.forbes.com/sites/realspin/2012/11/18/want-to-fix-healthcare-acknowledge-that-its-the-responsibility-of-the-individual/
The best of the defenders of the Affordable Care Act advance an argument that centers on the economic benefits from having more people with access to healthcare. The argument essentially boils down to “having an insured populace optimizes our economy because an insured workforce is more resilient.” They argue that an insured populace, with ready access to healthcare, is more likely to perform at their peak level when freed from concerns regarding health. The indirect costs of providing care for the uninsured, they argue, are too big a burden to be ignored.
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American doctors most dissatisfied, only 15% agree US healthcare system works
Examiner
November 17, 2012
http://www.examiner.com/article/american-doctors-most-dissatisfied-only-15-agree-us-health-care-system-works
According to Washington Post.com, new research from the nonprofit Commonwealth Fund says that American doctors tend to have much lower rates of job satisfaction their counterparts outside the United States. Primary care doctors were surveyed in 10 industrialized countries. American doctors had the lowest rates of job satisfaction and only 15 percent of the doctors agreed of that the U.S. health-care system worked well.
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Gingrey commends Governor Deal decision to block state health care exchange
Examiner
November 17, 2012
http://www.examiner.com/article/gingrey-commends-governor-deal-decision-to-block-state-health-care-exchange
U.S. Congressman Phil Gingrey, M.D. (R-11) yesterday in a media release stated that he applauds Georgia’s Governor Nathan Deal’s decision that Georgia will resist the federal government’s takeover of the U.S. health care system and block implementation of a state-run health care exchange.
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Maine’s Governor LePage Refuses To Implement Obamacare Exchanges
Tenth Amendment Center
November 17, 2012
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2012/11/maines-governor-lepage-refuses-to-implement-obamacare-exchanges/
Maine Governor Paul LePage issued a letter yesterday to Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, declaring that Maine will not implement the healthcare exchanges created by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
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Many decisions remain on Wisconsin's health care exchange
Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel
November 17, 2012
http://www.jsonline.com/business/many-decisions-remain-on-wisconsins-health-care-exchange-a07m0mo-179800841.html
The exchanges, a key component of the Affordable Care Act, have the broad goal of making it easier for people and small businesses to compare health plans, potentially increasing competition and helping to slow the rise in premiums and health care costs. The law requires either states or the federal government to set up exchanges. On Friday, Gov. Scott Walker, an opponent of the law commonly known as Obamacare, announced that Wisconsin would not set up its own exchange but will instead let the federal government do it.
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Oklahoma Gov. Fallin postpones decision on health insurance exchange
Tulsa World
November 17, 2012
http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=711&articleid=20121117_16_A15_GovMar696702
Gov. Mary Fallin has delayed a decision Friday on whether the state should take part in a health insurance exchange to accommodate the Affordable Care Act. "Governor Fallin has decided to postpone an announcement on the future of health insurance exchanges in Oklahoma," spokesman Alex Weintz said in an email. "She will take advantage of the extension by continuing to study the issue and evaluate the state's options."
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Kasich: Ohio won't set up state health care insurance exchange
Newark Advocate
November 17, 2012
http://www.newarkadvocate.com/viewart/20121117/NEWS01/311170009/Kasich-Ohio-won-t-set-up-state-health-care-insurance-exchange
Ohio won’t set up its own health insurance exchange, but instead is opting for a partnership with the federal government to run the new online market under President Barack Obama’s health care law. Republican Gov. John Kasich wrote in a Friday letter to the Obama administration that setting up a state-based exchange is too costly and gives states little control over how the exchange would operate.
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Otter Delays Health Exchange Decision
Twin Falls Times-News
November 17, 2012
http://magicvalley.com/news/local/otter-delays-health-exchange-decision/article_b3ef026c-3075-11e2-a0d5-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter has delayed making a final decision on whether Idaho will build its own exchange or rely on one that’s federally facilitated. Health insurance exchanges are one of the critical elements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Exchanges will serve as online marketplaces for consumers to shop and compare health insurance options.
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Nixon tells Sebelius Missouri can’t meet deadline to operate state-based health insurance exchange
Missouri Net
November 16, 2012
http://www.missourinet.com/2012/11/16/nixon-tells-sebelius-missouri-cant-meet-deadline-to-operate-state-based-health-insurance-exchange/
Gov. Jay Nixon has written a letter to Secretary of U-S Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius telling her that a state-based exchange is not an option for Missouri. Nixon writes that Missouri voters approved Proposition E, which prohibits the establishment fo a state-based health insurance exchange absent a legislative act, and initiative petition or a referendum.
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Ohio says no to health care exchanges
Tenth Amendment Center
November 16, 2012
http://blog.tenthamendmentcenter.com/2012/11/ohio-says-no-to-health-care-exchanges/
Ohio has joined the growing list of states refusing to implement insurance exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. On Friday, Ohio Governor John Kasich sent a letter to the director of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Center for Consumer Information and Insurance indicating the Buckeye State will not take steps to set up the exchange.
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More GOP governors decline to create health insurance exchanges
Los Angeles Times
November 16, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-health-care-20121117,0,3062726.story
More Republican governors announced Friday they would not implement a key part of the new healthcare law, despite a new attempt by the Obama administration to give states more time to develop plans to put the Affordable Care Act in place. Ohio Gov. John Kasich, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker and Maine Gov. Paul LePage joined more than a dozen GOP governors who have notified the administration they will not set up state insurance exchanges next year, instead leaving the job to the federal government.
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Obamacare: The Law of the Land – DC Leads States In Roll Out
Examiner
November 16, 2012
http://www.examiner.com/article/obamacare-the-law-of-the-land-dc-leads-states-roll-out
Following President Barack Obama’s re-election last week, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told ABC News that the president's signature Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare) is now the "law of the land." Boehner later walked back that resignation, tweeting: "Our goal remains #fullrepeal." GOP 2012 presidential contender Mitt Romney said if he were elected he would “repeal Obamacare on day one.” With that settled, the States and the District of Columbia are ramping up for full implementation of Obamacare.
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Texas won't participate in health insurance exchange, Perry says
Houston Business Journal
November 16, 2012
http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/news/2012/11/16/texas-wont-participate-in-health.html
Gov. Rick Perry notified the federal government that Texas won't create its own health insurance exchange. In a Nov. 15 letter to U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, Perry called the exchanges irresponsible and an overreach of the federal government.
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Wonkbook: Building a better health-care system
The Washington Post
November 16, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2012/11/16/wonkbook-building-a-better-health-care-system/
Six out of every seven doctors agree: Our health-care system doesn’t work. “American doctors tend to be the highest paid in the world, with salaries that can double that of their counterparts outside the United States. That makes it all the more surprising that doctors here tend to have way lower rates of job satisfaction, according to new research from the Commonwealth Fund. The nonprofit surveyed primary care doctors in 10 industrialized countries. American doctors turned out to have the lowest rates of job satisfaction. When asked whether our health-care system worked well, about 15 percent agreed.” Sarah Kliff in The Washington Post.
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Scott Walker, Wisconsin Governor, Rejects Key Health Care Reform
The Huffington post
November 16, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/16/scott-walker-health-care_n_2144605.html
Wisconsin won't create a health insurance exchange, Gov. Scott Walker (R) announced Friday, making it the latest state to reject a key component of President Barack Obama's health care reform law. Wisconsin was one of the few remaining holdouts until Friday, the original deadline for states to declare whether they would run a health insurance exchange, before an extension to Dec. 14. The exchanges are online marketplaces where uninsured people and small business will shop for coverage and find out if they qualify for financial assistance or Medicaid benefits beginning in 2014. More than half of states have declared they would leave the operation of the exchanges to the federal government, or partner with federal authorities rather than take charge themselves, as the law intended.
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Scott wants to meet with federal health officials
San Francisco Chronicle
November 16, 2012
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Scott-wants-to-meet-with-federal-health-officials-4044667.php
Gov. Rick Scott told federal health officials in a letter Friday that he isn't convinced a state health exchange will lower health care costs for Floridians, and that he's worried the actual costs could end up exceeding early estimates. The Republican governor, who has recently softened his staunch opposition to the federal health care law, requested a meeting with federal health officials in hopes of working together to set up a state health exchange to help the nearly 4 million uninsured in the state. But Scott said he needs more information before making a decision.
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2 Kansas health care centers join Colo. group
NECN
November 16, 2012
http://www.necn.com/11/16/12/2-Kansas-health-care-centers-join-Colo-g/landing_nation.html?&apID=e5a294fd91dd4f78afe0227733889624
St. Catherine Hospital in Garden City and St. Rose Ambulatory and Surgery Center in Great Bend are planning to become part of Centura Health Initiatives, Colorado's largest health care organization. Centura Health Initiatives is jointly operated by Catholic Health Initiatives and Adventist Health System, a mission of the Seventh Day Adventist Church. The organizational change will integrate all Catholic Health Initiatives' facilities in Colorado and Kansas into one regional structure, the company said Thursday.
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State HIX Early Deadlines Extended
Health Leaders Media
November 16, 2012
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/HEP-286595/State-HIX-Early-Deadlines-Extended
States that plan to operate their own "state-based exchanges" for health insurance under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act were supposed to tell that to the federal government Friday. The deadline, however, has been extended by a month.
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Georgia cedes control of health insurance exchange to feds
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
November 16, 2012
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/georgia-cedes-control-of-health-insurance-exchange/nS8TX/
Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal said Friday the state will not build its own online health insurance exchange where hundreds of thousands of consumers will shop for affordable coverage – ceding control to the federal government instead. The new health-care law requires states to have such insurance exchanges.
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N.C.'s health care exchange will be state-federal partnership
Charlotte Observer
November 16, 2012
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/11/16/3668399/ncs-health-care-exchange-will.html
The federal government and the state will share the responsibility for setting up a health care exchange in North Carolina, Gov. Bev Perdue announced Thursday.
Republican leaders had mixed responses to the decision, with the Senate leader saying the lame-duck governor should not have acted.
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Walker's health care decision ripped by Democrats
San Francisco Chronicle
November 16, 2012
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Walker-says-Wisconsin-won-t-set-up-health-exchange-4043657.php
Gov. Scott Walker's decision to hand off creation of an online marketplace to connect Wisconsin consumers with private health insurance providers riled Democrats and others who hoped he would support a state-run exchange despite his opposition to the federal law.
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Obama's Health Care Law Advances in the States
U.S. News & World Report
November 16, 2012
http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2012/11/16/states-reveal-their-choices-on-obamas-health-law
Threatened with repeal just weeks ago, President Barack Obama's health care law now appears on track in close to half the states, with others playing catch-up and the administration readying a fallback for states not wishing to participate.
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Health Care Reform: What's Next?
The Huffington Post
November 16, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/emily-spitzer/affordable-care-act-implementation_b_2138161.html
Watching the election results come in this week, I found myself thinking back to The West Wing and to a certain phrase that floated through the Bartlet White House. As presidential candidate Jed Bartlet explained to Josh Lyman at their first meeting, "When I ask 'What's next?' it means I'm ready to move on to other things. So, what's next?"
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Indiana's Pence to hold line against health care exchanges
Illinois Review
November 16, 2012
http://illinoisreview.typepad.com/illinoisreview/2012/11/indianas-pence-to-hold-line-against-health-care-exchanges.html
“I do not believe the State of Indiana should establish a state-based health insurance exchange because doing so will cost taxpayers millions of dollars and it is not clear that Hoosiers would benefit from incurring the cost of implementing this new federal healthcare bureaucracy,” Pence said in his letter. He added, “Without knowing more details on the cost and nature of state-based exchanges, it is possible that our state could be placed in the untenable position of serving as the administrator of a new federal healthcare bureaucracy over which we have little control.”
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Republican governors reject healthcare law's exchanges in Ohio, Wisconsin
The Hill
November 16, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/268465-2-more-gop-governors-say-no-to-exchanges
Two Republican governors said Friday they will not implement a key part of President Obama's healthcare law. Ohio Gov. John Kasich and Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker said they will not set up state-based insurance exchanges, meaning the federal government will have to step in to run the new marketplaces in those states.
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New Healthcare Flexible Spending Account Rules For 2013, Use-It-Or Lose-It Still Undecided
Forbes
November 16, 2012
http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2012/11/16/new-healthcare-flexible-spending-account-rules-for-2013-use-it-or-lose-it-still-undecided/
Millions of employees are making benefit choices for 2013 now, including how much of their salary to put into a healthcare flexible spending account, and they’re facing new rules thanks to ObamaCare. Here’s help.
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Is healthcare a right, a privilege or neither?
The Hill
November 16, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/pundits-blog/healthcare/268403-is-healthcare-a-right-a-privilege-or-neither
It seems that our politicians have not yet struck that balance between safety net and individual responsibility, given already disastrous budgets as we plow full speed ahead toward the fiscal cliff and a mandatory healthcare plan that will lessen the quality of our healthcare system as we know it and muddle our mission toward the poor. At the same time, we also have a moral duty to take care of our fellow man, regardless of the cost.
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Blog - After the election: How will new accountable care deals shape up?
Modern Healthcare
November 16, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121116/BLOGS01/311169999/blog-after-the-election-how-will-new-accountable-care-deals-shape
As my colleagues and I reported this week, the re-election of President Barack Obama eased some of the uncertainty over the future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Hospitals and doctors, state policy makers and federal regulators must now grapple with fast-approaching deadlines, the flood of new rules needed to put the law in action and the immediate threat of the fiscal cliff, as Jessica Zigmond and Rich Daly wrote in this week's magazine. But the election secured a champion of the law in the White House for four more years.
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UPDATE 1-Five US Republican govs reject state-run health markets
Reuters
November 16, 2012
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/11/17/usa-healthcare-exchanges-idUSL1E8MGCL220121117
Five Republican governors rejected on Friday a major provision of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law that calls on U.S. states to set up online health insurance markets where consumers can purchase private coverage at federally subsidized rates. That makes it likely that the federal government will establish its own markets, known as healthcare exchanges, in those states and potentially supplant state control of private individual insurance markets.
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Branstad: Iowa will work towards state health insurance exchange, but questions remain
Des Moines register
November 16, 2012
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20121116/NEWS09/121116005/1007/news05?nclick_check=1
Gov. Terry Branstad today informed federal officials that Iowa will continue working to create a state-based health insurance exchange, but he said many questions are unanswered for state officials to make an informed decision.
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CMS Releases Potential Stage 3 Measures for EHR Incentive Programs
Becker’s Hospital Review
November 16, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/healthcare-information-technology/cms-releases-potential-stage-3-measures-for-ehr-incentive-programs.html
CMS is asking for public comment on new measure specifications for potential use by eligible professionals in the Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs, which were developed under contract by Mathematica Policy Research and the National Committee for Quality Assurance. According to the report, the proposed measures assess key components of the annual wellness visit benefit created through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act for Medicare beneficiaries.
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CMS Facing Delays in Rollout of Anti-Fraud System, GAO Finds
iHealthBeat
November 16, 2012
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/11/16/cms-facing-delays-in-rollout-of-antifraud-system-gao-finds.aspx
CMS has fallen behind on its schedule for implementing a $90 million predictive-modeling system to fight Medicare and Medicaid fraud, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office, Modern Healthcare reports.
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Illinois selects eight firms for capitated dual eligible demo
Healthcare Payer News
November 15, 2012
http://www.healthcarepayernews.com/content/illinois-selects-eight-firms-capitated-dual-eligible-demo
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services has selected eight managed care companies to coordinate health care for about 136,000 Medicaid-Medicare eligible patients, as part of the federal government's dual eligible demonstration with the states. The dual-eligible project, called the Illinois Medicare-Medicaid Alignment Initiative, is part of a dual eligible demonstration project overseen by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, and it is also part of Illinois' plans to have at least half of the state's Medicaid recipients be moved into managed care by 2015.
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Examining the pros and cons of part-timers under the lens of health care reform
Employee Benefit Views
November 14, 2012
http://ebn.benefitnews.com/blog/ebviews/examining-pros-cons-part-timers-under-lens-health-care-reform-2729026-1.html
Will health care reform push more employers toward part-time workers? A recent Wall Street Journal story thinks so, citing several restaurants, hotels and retailers that have started to fill full-time positions with part-timers. Part-timers do have some alluring features — no expense for certain benefits like life or disability insurance, and flexibility on hours. And now, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act offers yet another reason to hire part-time staff — they don’t “count” for determining whether an employer has 50 full-time employees. At 50 employees, employers are required to offer a health plan. At 49, they don’t.
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Companies Slow Health Cost Growth on Obamacare Concerns
The Wall Street Journal
November 14, 2012
http://blogs.wsj.com/cfo/2012/11/14/companies-slow-health-cost-growth-on-obamacare-concerns/
Companies are starting to rein in spending on health benefits as they prepare for 2014, when the full effects of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act kick in and companies with 50 or more full-time employees have to either provide health insurance benefits or pay a penalty. This explains why the cost of providing health benefits grew in 2012 at the lowest rate in 15 years, to 4.1%, compared with 6.1% the year prior, according to a Mercer survey of 2,809 employers with 10 or more employees.
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Virginia plans to buck Medicaid expansion; Maryland embraces it
Washington Examiner
November 14, 2012
http://washingtonexaminer.com/virginia-plans-to-buck-medicaid-expansion-maryland-embraces-it/article/2513512
Virginia and Maryland are on opposite sides of a vast divide in implementing the mandates of Obamacare to provide benefits and health care. Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, following the lead of other Republican governors, is threatening to back out of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's widespread Medicaid expansion unless reforms are enacted to curb the program's escalating costs.
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Opinion: New Jersey needs a health-insurance exchange
North Jersey Record
November 13, 2012
http://www.northjersey.com/news/opinions/health_111412.html
With last Tuesday’s election results, it is now clear that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, is and will continue to be the law of the land. Regardless of one’s thoughts about the law as a whole, New Jersey has a clear and important choice to make by Nov. 16 in order to move forward. Do we control our own destiny, and create a state-based health insurance exchange, a competitive online marketplace where consumers can purchase affordable private health insurance? Or do we let the federal government run the exchange for us?
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Still no Sandoval decision on Medicaid expansion proposal
Las Vegas Review-Journal
November 13, 2012
http://www.lvrj.com/news/still-no-sandoval-decision-on-medicaid-expansion-proposal-179212771.html
Gov. Brian Sandoval said Tuesday he has not yet decided whether to expand the Medicaid program to cover residents earning slightly more than poverty-level wages and might not make that decision until Jan. 16, the date he delivers the State of the State address.
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Study: 52k More Primary Care Physicians Needed by 2025
Becker’s Hospital Review
November 13, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/study-52k-more-primary-care-physicians-needed-by-2025.html
With the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act in place, the country will need roughly 52,000 more primary care physicians by 2025 to cover the law's preventive care provisions and general population growth, according to a new study from the Annals of Family Medicine. The total number of office visits to primary care physicians is projected to grow from 462 million in 2008 to 565 million in 2025 — an increase driven by population growth and aging, according to the study.
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S.D. healthcare providers urge Medicaid expansion
Modern Healthcare
November 13, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121113/INFO/311139983/s-d-healthcare-providers-urge-medicaid-expansion
Now that President Barack Obama's re-election has cleared the way for the full implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, doctors and hospitals in South Dakota are urging the state to expand its Medicaid program so thousands of additional low-income residents can receive coverage. But Gov. Dennis Daugaard says any expansion of coverage is unlikely for at least several years while the potential costs are examined.
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Med School to implement new primary care program
The Brown Daily Herald
November 13, 2012
http://www.browndailyherald.com/med-school-to-implement-new-primary-care-program-1.2793108
Alpert Medical School faculty members are planning to pioneer a program in 2015 that will attempt to address a shortage of primary care physicians in the United States. The program will have a separate admission process from the rest of the Med School. Approximately 70 percent of doctors in the country are specialists — and with the continuation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature health care legislation, the number of health-insured citizens in need of primary care doctors will likely increase, said Paul George, assistant professor of family medicine.
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Community Health Needs Assessment: Beyond Compliance
Becker’s Hospital Review
November 13, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/community-health-needs-assessment-beyond-compliance.html
The U.S. Supreme Court's decision and announcement on June 29th validated the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. The high court's decision confirms the requirement that most non-profit hospitals must complete a comprehensive community health needs assessment every three years. Those hospitals that are required by law to complete a CHNA — but don't — will face a $50,000 fine every year they are not in compliance with the law. This legal requirement with its financial enforcement penalty is reason enough to get going; however, there are other valuable and compelling business reasons — beyond regulatory compliance — for any hospital to incorporate the CHNA process into its regular planning cycle.
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Virginia will not run health exchange, to default to federal program
Insurance & Financial Advisor
November 13, 2012
http://ifawebnews.com/2012/11/13/virginia-will-not-run-health-exchange-to-default-to-federal-program/
Virginia’s governor is the latest official to announce that his state will not establish a health insurance exchange and will default to the federal program. States have until Friday to tell the federal government whether they will open and operate their own online health insurance marketplaces, as required by the health care reform law, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. If states do not have an exchange, they are required to use an exchange established by the federal government.
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HHS names Innovation fellows
Modern Healthcare
November 13, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121113/NEWS/311139956/hhs-names-innovation-fellows
HHS announced the six private-sector participants who will spend the next several months working with department employees on four projects that address assorted healthcare problems and needs. This summer, HHS released information on four projects in the department's HHS Innovation Fellows Program, including three with heavy health information technology components. On Tuesday, HHS announced that Mindy Hangsleben, an innovator in the Lean Methodology in Portland Oregon, will work to develop new quality measures that use electronic health-record system data to evaluate the effects of the implementation of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Zachery Jiwa, a healthcare technology executive from Baton Rouge, La., and Chris Lunt, a San Francisco-based entrepreneur, will work to design an electronic infrastructure for Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program eligibility. Frank Sanborn, an e-commerce technologist from Seattle, will work to build health technology meant to withstand natural disasters. Finally, David Cartier of Roswell, Ga.—a specialist in the information technology supply chain—and Clive Hohberger, an applied physicist from Chicago, will devise electronic tracking and transport systems for the country's organ transplant system.
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How The Election Factors Into States' Plans For The Health Law's Medicaid Expansion And Other Changes
Kaiser Health News
November 13, 2012
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2012/November/13/medicaid-expansion.aspx
News outlets report that the outcome of some states' gubernatorial races will likely change the outlook for the health overhaul's sweeping Medicaid expansion. In general, however, the future remains unsettled.
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Click here to view a list of last week's news items.
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