HHS approves healthcare exchanges in 3 states
The Hill
December 20, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/273995-hhs-approves-healthcare-exchanges-in-3-states-
Three more states won conditional approval Thursday to run their own insurance exchanges under President Obama's signature healthcare law. The Health and Human Services Department gave conditional approval to state-run exchanges in Delaware, Minnesota and Rhode Island. HHS has previously given conditional approval to eight states and Washington, D.C.
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Facing the Fiscal Cliff: Saving Health Care Dollars the Right Way
The Huffington post
December 20, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dan-k-morhaim-md/facing-the-fiscal-cliff-s_b_2338632.html
As our country faces the "fiscal cliff", the debate centers on raising revenues versus reducing benefits, especially in Medicare and Medicaid. Everyone wants to control health care spending, yet one critical low-cost approach is being overlooked. Approximately thirty per cent of Medicare dollars are spent in the last six months of a patient's life, yet efforts to address this fact have proved politically problematic.
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Appeals court says it will hold Obama to his word on new birth-control mandate
The Hill
December 19, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/273697-appeals-court-holds-challenges-to-obama-birth-control-mandate
A federal appeals court has chosen to hold a challenge to the Obama administration's birth control coverage mandate pending a new rule that will affect how religious organizations comply. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled late Tuesday to place the suit from Wheaton College and Belmont Abbey College in abeyance.
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CMS notice spurs AMA to stress doc-pay fix
Modern Healthcare
December 19, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121219/NEWS/312199968/cms-notice-spurs-ama-to-stress-doc-pay-fix
The American Medical Association on Wednesday called on Congress to act immediately to avert a looming 27% Medicare payment cut to physicians after a notice from the CMS indicated there will be no delay in the processing of claims payments under the Medicare physician fee schedule. “The threat is real and a cut of 26.5 percent is simply unsustainable,” AMA President Dr. Jeremy Lazarus said in a statement. “The administration has announced it will not delay processing of Medicare claims, so physicians who care for Medicare patients will see an immediate, drastic cut of 26.5 percent on all Medicare payments for services starting January 1. With no sign of action from Congress, physicians must prepare themselves and their patients for an impending Medicare crisis.”
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A Tale of Two Welfare States
The New York Times
December 19, 2012
http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/12/19/a-tale-of-two-welfare-states/
In “A Tale of Two Cities,” Dickens wrote, “It was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness.” The governments of the United States and Britain are embarking on different approaches to helping their poor and unemployed, and one of them may regret its policy decisions. As recently as 2010, Britain had a complex system of antipoverty programs ranging, including housing benefits, job seekers’ allowances and mortgage-interest assistance. With so many benefits available, many people found they could make almost as much from the combined programs as they could from working, even while any one of the benefits might not have been all that significant by itself. As Britain’s Department for Work and Pensions described, beneficiaries remained “trapped on benefits for many years as a result.”
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Affordable Care Act fills need in mental health care
Politico
December 19, 2012
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/affordable-care-act-fills-need-in-mental-health-care-85316.html?hp=r5
Like millions of Americans, we have struggled with addiction. Fortunately, we were able to access the treatment and recovery services necessary to get well. But for many people facing addiction or mental health issues without the necessary insurance coverage, such lifesaving services have been out of reach. The Affordable Care Act changes that. A provision that passed with unanimous support requires that starting in 2014, health insurance plans cover mental health and addiction services as part of the essential benefits.
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PCORI awards over $40 million for comparative-effectiveness research
Modern Healthcare
December 18, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121218/NEWS/312189958/pcori-awards-over-40-million-for-comparative-effectiveness-research
The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute announced it is awarding more than $40 million over three years to its first round of comparative-effectiveness research projects. The 25 winning projects (PDF), chosen from among a field of more than 500 applicants, cover a broad range of topics, such as rehabilitation care for stroke patients, palliative care in nursing homes, dementia care and healthcare disparities among patients with depression. Winning institutions include the Portland-based Oregon Community Health Information Network, the University of Rochester (N.Y.), the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, and Seattle-based Group Health Cooperative.
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GOP Rep. says HHS may be trying to evade record-keeping laws
The Hill
December 18, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/273535-gop-rep-says-hhs-may-be-trying-to-evade-record-keeping-laws
Whistleblowers have accused the Obama administration of using instant-messaging software to evade federal record-keeping rules, Rep. Charles Boustany (R-La.) said Tuesday. Boustany, who chairs the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Oversight, said the accusations pertain to officials in the Health and Human Services Department who are tasked with implementing parts of President Obama's signature healthcare law.
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White House calls for healthcare cuts, permanent SGR fix
Modern Healthcare
December 18, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121218/NEWS/312189968/white-house-calls-for-healthcare-cuts-permanent-sgr-fix
The White House has called for a permanent—not temporary—fix to Medicare's sustainable growth-rate formula and about $400 billion in healthcare cuts, according to a source familiar with the fiscal-cliff negotiations. House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), however, was generally dismissive of the president's new proposal, signaling that a permanent fix to the physician payment system is still not within reach.
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Cleveland Clinic Diagnoses Health-Care Act
The Wall Street Journal
December 18, 2012
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324677204578187613286882532.html
Just over a year from now, the Affordable Care Act is set to unleash enormous change in the health-care sector, and Cleveland Clinic Chief Executive Delos "Toby" Cosgrove is preparing his institution by expanding its reach and striving to make caregivers more cost-conscious. The nonprofit has grown steadily since Dr. Cosgrove, a heart surgeon, took over in 2004 and now includes eight hospitals in Ohio along with its flagship campus and facilities in Florida, Las Vegas and Toronto. It's also helping to build a new hospital in Abu Dhabi.
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FCC sharpens focus on health tech, searches for healthcare director
Modern Healthcare
December 18, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121218/NEWS/312189955/fcc-sharpens-focus-on-health-tech-searches-for-healthcare-director
The Federal Communications Commission, as part of a focus on increasing healthcare technology access nationwide, has launched a search for a director of healthcare initiatives. In September, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski announced that the FTC was creating a position to lead the agency's growing number of healthcare-related initiatives. "The Director of Health Care initiatives will lead the agency's efforts in facilitating and promoting communications technologies and services that improve the quality of healthcare for all citizens and help reduce healthcare costs; facilitating the availability of medical devices that use spectrum; and ensuring hospitals and other healthcare facilities have required connectivity," FCC staffers Jordan Usdan, acting director of the agency's public-private initiatives, and Maya Uppaluru, an attorney in the same office, wrote in a blog post.
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CMS Calls for Increased Scrutiny of Claims That Use EHR Templates
ihealthbeat
December 18, 2012
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2012/12/18/cms-calls-for-increased-scrutiny-of-claims-that-use-ehr-templates.aspx
In an effort to curb Medicare fraud, CMS has instructed its auditors to increase their scrutiny of Medicare claims that use certain electronic health record-based documentation, the Center for Public Integrity reports (Shulte, Center for Public Integrity, 12/14).
In the past, CMS allowed auditors to consider any documentation to support payment determinations. CMS' revised policy took effect Dec. 10.
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GAO Finds Overlap Between CMS' Innovation Center, Other CMS Efforts
Becker’s Hospital Review
December 18, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/legal-regulatory-issues/gao-finds-overlap-between-cms-innovation-center-other-cms-efforts.html
In a new report, the Government Accountability Office identified three key examples of overlap between CMS' Innovation Center and efforts from other CMS offices — posing a risk that CMS may duplicate payments for services. Established under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, CMS' Innovation Center tests new models for healthcare delivery and payment under the Medicare and Medicaid programs. GAO was asked to review the Innovation Center and examine whether its efforts overlap with those of other CMS offices.
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Health insurance exchanges planned by 18 U.S. states: Sebelius
Reuters
December 17, 2012
http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/12/17/us-usa-healthcare-exchanges-idUSBRE8BG0WQ20121217
A total of 18 U.S. states are planning to start their own health insurance marketplaces, which will be available to consumers and businesses in 2014, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a blog posting on Monday.
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Senate Finance Chairman accuses long-term care providers of 'gaming' dual-eligible reimbursements
McKnight’s Long-Term Care News & Assisted Living
December 17, 2012
http://www.mcknights.com/senate-finance-chairman-accuses-long-term-care-providers-of-gaming-dual-eligible-reimbursements/article/272760/#
Long-term care providers struck back quickly late last week after the chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee accused them of “gaming” the reimbursement system during a hearing on caring for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. “There's a lot of gaming going on, I suspect,” said Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) while questioning Melanie Bella, director of the federal Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office. “What are you doing to help minimize providers gaming the system?” he also asked.
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A Third of All States Plan Health-Care Exchanges: Sebelius
CNBC
December 17, 2012
http://www.cnbc.com/id/100322123
A total of 18 U.S. states are planning to start their own health insurance marketplaces, which will be available to consumers and businesses in 2014, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said in a blog posting on Monday.
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10 more state exchange plans submitted
Modern Healthcare
December 17, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121217/NEWS/312179968/10-more-state-exchange-plans-submitted
Ten more states have submitted their plans to operate a state-based insurance exchange in 2014, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Monday, days after an extended deadline for states to apply for that calendar year. That brings the tally to 18 states and Washington, D.C., of states that intend to operate their own exchanges in 2014, the inaugural year for these health insurance marketplaces. States have until mid-February to indicate if they want to operate an exchange in partnership with the federal government.
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Op Ed: Gov. Christie ignores New Jersey health care needs
Messenger Gazette
December 16, 2012
http://www.nj.com/messenger-gazette/index.ssf/2012/12/op_ed_gov_christie_ignores_new_jersey_health_care_needs.html
When faced with a Dec. 14 deadline to decide whether to put New Jersey in control of implementing aspects of federal health care reform, Gov. Chris Christie instead chose to relinquish control to the federal government. As Robert Laszewski, a prominent insurance industry consultant pointed out in a Dec. 13 article in The Washington Post, “If you believe in states’ rights and you believe in state control, why would you cede that control?”
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Cuts to Calif. Medicaid could hurt reform, providers say
Modern Healthcare
December 15, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121215/INFO/312159939/cuts-to-calif-medicaid-could-hurt-reform-providers-say
Health providers and advocates for the poor say they are worried that California's cuts to its Medicaid program Medi-Cal will hamper the state's ability to expand and improve healthcare under President Barack Obama's overhaul. A federal appeals court backed California's right to cut payments by 10%, saving the state more than $330 million a year. An attorney representing a group of pharmacies said they would appeal next week.
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Healthcare crisis: not enough specialists for the poor
Los Angeles Times
December 15, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-me-clinic-specialists-20121216,0,5635001.story
The blurry vision began early last year. Roy Lawrence ignored it as long as he could. But after falling off a ladder at his construction job, he knew he had to see a doctor. He went to a community health clinic in South Los Angeles, where doctors determined he had diabetes and cataracts. The clinic could manage his illness but referred him early this year to the county health system for eye surgery.
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Tiberi rips new $63 fee buried in health-care law
The Columbus Dispatch
December 15, 2012
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/12/15/tiberi-rips-new-63-fee-buried-in-health-care-law.html
The chairman of a key House subcommittee on taxes says he’s outraged that a proposed federal rule related to the 2010 health-care law will impose a fee of $63 per health-insurance recipient beginning in 2014. Rep. Pat Tiberi, R-Genoa Township, said the Obama administration announced specifics of the new fee via its rule-making process. He said it would be imposed on employers who pay for insurance and worries it might spur employers to stop providing health insurance for employees, pushing them into insurance exchanges instead.
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Branstad picks health care partnership
WCF Courier
December 15, 2012
http://wcfcourier.com/news/local/govt-and-politics/branstad-picks-health-care-partnership/article_00f51b0e-1a03-5b98-a066-5899afb1af1c.html?comment_form=true
Gov. Terry Branstad chose to partner with the federal government as the state moves to enact provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Many need to be in place by 2014. The governor announced his decision in a letter to Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of U.S. Health and Human Services.
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Domino’s founder sues feds over health care law
The Salt Lake Tribune
December 15, 2012
http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/world/55475353-68/contraception-health-law-monaghan.html.csp
The founder of Domino’s Pizza is suing the federal government over mandatory contraception coverage in the health care law. Tom Monaghan, a devout Roman Catholic, says contraception isn’t health care but a "gravely immoral" practice.
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Domino's Pizza Founder Sues Over Obamacare Contraception Coverage Mandate
The Huffington Post
December 15, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/15/dominos-contraception_n_2307794.html
The founder of Domino's Pizza is suing the federal government over mandatory contraception coverage in the health care law. Tom Monaghan, a devout Roman Catholic, says contraception isn't health care but a "gravely immoral" practice. He filed a lawsuit Friday in federal court. It also lists as a plaintiff Domino's Farms, a Michigan office park complex that Monaghan owns.
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2012 policy report card: Health care forecast
Politico
December 15, 2012
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/2012-policy-report-card-health-care-forecast-84762.html
Getting ready for launch — By 2014, health insurance exchanges need to be ready to go in all 50 states, and HHS will have to run many of them on its own — and set up “partnerships” to help other states get theirs off the ground. The department will also have to persuade as many states as possible to expand Medicaid now that doing so is optional.
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Louisiana cuts health care, Medicaid and hospice programs to rebalance budget
The Times-Picayune
December 15, 2012
http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/12/louisiana_cuts_health_care_med.html
A $165.5 million hole in Louisiana's budget will be patched with a mix of cuts, savings from hiring freezes and taking funds from state coffers, Gov. Bobby Jindal's commissioner of administration announced Friday. The package enacted by the governor will strip funding from health programs, including hospice care and psychiatric services for Medicaid patients. It also will cut domestic violence programs and move prisoners from more expensive parish jails to state prisons.
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New state cuts hit health care, higher ed, halfway through fiscal year
WWLTV
December 14, 2012
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/New-state-cuts-hit-health-care-higher-ed-halfway-through-fiscal-year-183564611.html
More than $165 million will be slashed from the state budget effective immediately, according to Governor Bobby Jindal's Commissioner of Administration. The cuts were announced during a joint legislative committee meeting on the budget, which took place at the state capitol on Friday. "The governor has taken swift action to make responsible cuts, but also to make sure that we mitigate reductions to vital services through health care and higher education," said Commissioner of Administration Kristy Nichols.
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U.S. health care could shrink for illegal immigrants
USA Today
December 14, 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/news/
President Obama's landmark health care overhaul threatens to roll back some services for the country's estimated 11 million illegal immigrants if clinics and hospitals are overwhelmed with newly insured patients and can't afford to care for as many poor families. The law envisions that 32 million uninsured Americans will get access to health coverage by 2019. Because that should mean fewer uninsured patients showing up at hospitals, the program slashed the federal reimbursement for uncompensated care.
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Many states leaving insurance exchanges to federal government
Los Angeles Times
December 14, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-healthcare-states-20121215,0,5285434.story
Despite years of prodding and pleading by the Obama administration, close to half of the nation's governors will not take a critical step to implement the president's healthcare law next year, leaving the job of running new insurance markets for their residents to the federal government. But what was once viewed as a setback for the Affordable Care Act is increasingly seen as a blessing by consumer advocates, many of whom doubt that officials in some Republican-controlled states are committed to implementing a law they fervently oppose.
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Colorado Meets Health Care Deadline Early
CBS
December 14, 2012
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/12/14/colorado-meets-health-care-deadline-early/
A major deadline looms Friday for states to comply with the new health care law. Colorado’s an early achiever and doesn’t have to worry about the deadline. The federal government set a Friday deadline for states to notify Washington if they will set up their own insurance exchanges under the federal health care law.
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Obama's health care law still facing court challenges
USA Today
December 14, 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2012/12/13/supreme-court-health-care-obama-contraception/1761339/
President Obama's health care law isn't out of the legal woods yet. Six months after surviving the Supreme Court by the slimmest of margins, the law still faces lower court challenges to its insurance purchasing mandates, tax penalties, Medicare cost controls, minimum coverage provisions and more.
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Branstad enters state-federal partnership for healthcare
KWWL
December 14, 2012
http://www.kwwl.com/story/20350348/2012/12/14/branstad-enters-state-federal-partnership-for-healthcare
Governor Branstad announced a decision Friday morning to enter into a partnership with the federal government in regards to healthcare. The exchange, part of a requirement through the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), will help Iowans buy health insurance. Friday was the deadline for states to inform the federal government of their approach to complying with this part of the PPACA.
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Health Policy Brief: Reducing Waste In Health Care
Health Affairs Blog
December 14, 2012
http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2012/12/14/health-policy-brief-reducing-waste-in-health-care/
A new Health Policy Brief from Health Affairs and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation examines waste in US health care. Estimates are that more than a third of annual US health spending may be wasteful. A September 2012 Institute of Medicine report estimated that $765 billion a year was wasted through provision of unnecessary services, inefficiently delivered services, excessive prices and administrative costs, and missed prevention opportunities and fraud and abuse. This policy brief discusses these and other types of waste in health care, ideas for eliminating waste, and the considerable hurdles that must be overcome to do so. It is the companion to a July 2012 Health Policy Brief, “Eliminating Fraud and Abuse.”
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Obamacare: Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott Won't Implement Health Care Reform
The Huffington Post
December 14, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/13/obamacare-florida_n_2295076.html
Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), one of the most vocal critics of President Barack Obama's health care reform law, won't carry out a central component of its aim to extend health insurance coverage to poor and middle-class residents of his state. Scott's administration will not create a so-called health insurance exchange under the law, the Miami Herald reported Friday, the deadline for states to notify the Obama administration whether they would manage state-run health insurance exchanges, work in partnership with the Department of Health and Human Services or turn over responsibility totally to the federal government. These health insurance exchanges will be the online gateways where as many as 30 million people will be able to obtain health coverage and access financial assistance starting in 2014 under Obamacare.
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Hospitals could face higher borrowing costs under 'fiscal cliff' proposal
Modern Healthcare
December 13, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121213/NEWS/312139958/hospitals-could-face-higher-borrowing-costs-under-fiscal-cliff
Borrowing costs could climb for hospitals in tax-exempt bond markets under one White House-backed proposal to help avoid the so-called fiscal cliff. The proposal, one the president most recently included in his 2013 budget, would limit the tax exemption on municipal bonds for wealthy households.
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Pa. Becomes 28th State to Reject Healthcare Exchange
NewsMax
December 13, 2012
http://www.newsmax.com/US/healthcare-exchanges-insurance/2012/12/13/id/467652
Pennsylvania has added its name to the growing list of states that will not establish their own health insurance exchanges under Obamacare. Republican Gov. Tom Corbett’s announcement Wednesday means the federal government will set up and run the state’s benefit marketplace, a key component of President Barack Obama's hearthcare reform efforts, reports the Pittsburgh Post Gazette.
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CMS won't delay on insurance exchange rules
Modern Healthcare
December 13, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121213/NEWS/312139959/cms-wont-delay-on-insurance-exchange-rules
A senior CMS official rejected a call by Republican senators to extend the comment period for rules governing coming health insurance exchanges. Gary Cohen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight at the CMS, told reporters Thursday that he would not consider extending the comments period for various exchange rules and delaying their finalization.
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Florida and ‘Obamacare’
The Miami Herald
December 13, 2012
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/13/3141104/florida-and-obamacare.html
For more than two years, the country has debated the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The law has been discussed, scrutinized, politicized, litigated, and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. Americans remain sharply divided on the matter, specifically on the role of the Federal government over our personal choices. Much remains unclear about the new law. States have collectively posed hundreds of questions, and the answers trickling out of Washington, D.C. have led to more uncertainty and confusion.
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Health Care Deadline Looms: How States Are Setting Up the Exchanges
ABC
December 13, 2012
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/health-care-deadline-looms-states-setting-exchanges/story?id=17965423#.UNNaI29lUrk
All of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, doesn't go into effect until 2014, but states are required to set up their own health care exchanges or leave it to the federal government to step in by next year. The deadline for the governors' decisions is today, and both Virginia and Florida are still undecided. Both are run by Republican governors, and they are the only states that have not made an official declaration one way or the other.
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A spokesperson for VirgHealthcare Industry Prepares for ObamaCare Medical Device Tax
New American
December 13, 2012
http://www.thenewamerican.com/usnews/health-care/item/13923-healthcare-industry-prepares-for-obamacare-medical-device-tax
Responding to the “devastating” medical device tax provisioned under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act, Republicans, industry lobbyists, and even some Democrats are scrambling to delay or eliminate altogether the job-killing provision in the law. The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is targeting a number of top House Democrats on the burdensome tax. The NRCC released statements calling for Democratic leaders, including Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), to sign a petition to halt the “job-killing medical device tax.”
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FCC posts job for healthcare director
Mobihealthnews
December 13, 2012
http://mobihealthnews.com/19540/fcc-posts-job-for-healthcare-director/
Back in September, MobiHealthNews reported that the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) mHealth taskforce recommended, among other things, that the FCC hire a healthcare director. A job posting for that position has now been posted by the FCC. “The incumbent will lead the agency’s efforts in facilitating and promoting communications technologies and services that improve the quality of health care for all citizens and help reduce health care costs; facilitating the availability of medical devices that use spectrum; and ensuring hospitals and other health care facilities have required connectivity,” the posting reads.
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OVERNIGHT HEALTH: Dems dig in on Medicare age
The Hill
December 13, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/272871-overnight-health
In case it wasn't clear by now: Democrats do not want to raise the Medicare eligibility age. Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) told reporters Thursday that the White House will not back a proposal to raise the Medicare enrollment age in a deal on the "fiscal cliff," which President Obama had endorsed during earlier deficit-cutting talks. “I was told that it is not on the table from the White House,” Durbin said, “raising the Medicare eligibility age.”
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Blue Shield of California seeks rate hikes up to 20%
Los Angles Times
December 13, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-blue-shield-rates-20121213,0,6546740.story
Health insurer Blue Shield of California wants to raise rates as much as 20% for some individual policyholders, prompting calls for the nonprofit to use some of its record-high reserve of $3.9 billion to hold down premiums. In filings with state regulators, Blue Shield is seeking an average rate increase of 12% for more than 300,000 customers, effective in March, with a maximum increase of 20%.
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Time for states to decide on health care exchanges
The Huffington Post
December 13, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121213/us-health-overhaul-states/?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=politics
Nineteen states have turned down the Obama administration's invitation to run the new health insurance markets that will begin serving millions of uninsured Americans less than a year from now. That puts a huge task on the feds, a defining challenge for President Barack Obama's second term. Friday is decision day for states to notify Washington if they will set up their own insurance exchanges under the federal health care law. Monitoring by The Associated Press finds a divided nation moving ahead, despite the misgivings of some state officials. Half the states now say they will participate in some way.
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Will Obamacare Make Health Care Cheaper?
Forbes
December 13, 2012
http://www.forbes.com/sites/michaelbell/2012/12/13/will-obamacare-make-health-care-cheaper/
The 23000-page “Obamacare” law is the national healthcare law that is supposed to solve many of our problems of availability and cost of proper medical care. 30 million uninsured will have access they did not have before (CBO, 2011), uninsured people with pre-existing conditions will be able to get insurance, and the system will become fairer and more efficient (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, 2010).
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Massachusetts and Washington: Financial Alignment Demonstrations for Dual Eligible Beneficiaries Compared
Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured
December 13, 2012
http://www.kff.org/medicaid/8395.cfm
This fact sheet examines the similarities and differences between the five-year demonstrations in Massachusetts and Washington state to integrate care and align financing for people dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. The states finalized memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in fall 2012, and the demonstrations in each state are set to begin in April 2013.
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Will Health Coverage For Older, Sicker Patients Become A Target for Cuts?
National Journal
December 13, 2012
http://www.nationaljournal.com/healthcare/will-health-coverage-for-older-sicker-patients-become-a-target-for-cuts-20121213
As lawmakers search for ways to rein in chronic budget deficits, health coverage for people who are both old enough to qualify for Medicare and poor enough to receive Medicaid might end up as a target for cuts. These patients, who are known as dual eligibles, are costly to cover and their care is often poorly coordinated. Because of that, many budget cutters are convinced there are ways to make their coverage more efficient, which would save the government money. A panel of voices sympathetic to the idea of squeezing money out of care for dual-eligibles visited the Senate Finance Committee this week to talk about their ideas. But many Democrats on the panel were wary. The 2010 health reform law set up an office to oversee duals, and that office has launched a large pilot program, to transition duals in several states to Medicaid managed care plans. Officials from three testified that they have seen some progress and some savings. But several members of the committee expressed concern that it’s too soon to know whether the approach will work nationwide.
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Study: Healthcare costs rising faster than wages
The Hill
December 12, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-insurance/272465-study-health-premiums-skyrocketed-compared-to-wages
The cost of family health coverage rose substantially faster than incomes between 2003 and 2011, straining household budgets even as benefits offered families less financial protection. The findings came as part of a new study by The Commonwealth Fund that highlighted healthcare's increasing share of the U.S. economy and family spending.
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Workers' spending on health premiums surges 74% in 8 years
Modern Healthcare
December 12, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121212/NEWS/312129959/workers-spending-on-health-premiums-surges-74-in-8-years
The cost of employee health insurance grew faster than income in every state, an analysis of data from 2003 to 2011 shows, and health benefits increasingly failed to protect workers from the cost of getting injured or ill. The analysis of health insurance in the workplace by the health policy foundation the Commonwealth Fund underscored the financial strain on household and business budgets from the country's rising healthcare costs. Fast-growing premiums outpaced wages, the report said, and have "been consuming resources that employers might otherwise have earmarked for salary or wage increases, for other benefits or for hiring additional workers."
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A shift in how healthcare is paid for
Los Angeles Times
December 12, 2012
http://www.latimes.com/health/la-na-healthcare-cost-control-20121213,0,178263.story
It's hard work being one of Dr. Damian Folch's diabetic patients. If a lab test shows high cholesterol, Folch is quick to call or email. No patient can leave the office without scheduling an annual eye exam, a key preventive test. A missed exam or an appointment leads to another call.
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Fewer than expected use Minn. health care vouchers
AP
December 12, 2012
http://www.nujournal.com/page/content.detail/id/272559/Fewer-than-expected-use-Minn--health-care-vouchers--.html?isap=1&nav=5031
A plan to shift thousands of Minnesota residents from a state-subsidized health care coverage program to vouchers for private insurance isn't getting the traction that officials planned on. About 1,200 of the 4,200 people who lost their MinnesotaCare coverage are getting the vouchers, which is well below what the state's projections. Minnesota Human Services Assistant Commissioner Scott Leitz told Minnesota Public Radio News (http://bit.ly/UwPidL ) that it may have to do with out-of-pocket costs associated with the new program.
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Medicaid Expansion and State Health Exchanges: A Risky Proposition for the States
Heritage
December 12, 2012
http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2012/12/obamacares-medicaid-expansion-and-state-exchanges-risky-for-states
Recent decisions by the Obama Administration concerning the health care exchanges and Medicaid expansion underscore what a risky proposition the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) is for the states. Congress presumed in PPACA (Obamacare) that the states would agree to build and run exchanges and could be forced to expand Medicaid. The Supreme Court, however, ruled the Medicaid expansion voluntary, which has made states increasingly concerned over new burdens related to costs, control, and coverage—in both the exchanges and Medicaid.
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Surprise: New insurance fee in PPACA
USA Today
December 12, 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/12/11/new-health-insurance-fee/1760479/
Your medical plan is facing an unexpected expense, so you probably are, too. It's a new, $63-per-head fee to cushion the cost of covering people with pre-existing conditions under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). The charge, buried in a recent regulation, works out to tens of millions of dollars for the largest companies, employers say. Most of that is likely to be passed on to workers.
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Idaho Gov. to Support State-Run Insurance Exchange
Becker’s Hospital Review
December 12, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/racs-/-icd-9-/-icd-10/idaho-gov-to-support-state-run-insurance-exchange.html
Idaho Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter (R) announced yesterday his recommendation that the state run its own health insurance exchange under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, rather than leaving the exchange's operation to the federal government. Gov. Otter said in a statement that although the final decision rests upon the Idaho legislature, maintaining a state-run exchange is the best option to preserve state autonomy in complying with federal legislation he publicly does not support.
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Ohio Gets Federal Approval for Dual-Eligible Coverage Project
NASDAQ
December 12, 2012
http://www.nasdaq.com/article/ohio-gets-federal-approval-for-dual-eligible-coverage-project-20121212-00871#.UND4nm9lUrk
The state of Ohio said Wednesday it has secured federal approval for a new program that will start covering about 114,000 high-cost patients who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid in a more coordinated fashion next year. The state said voluntary enrollment in the demonstration program for so-called dual-eligible patients will begin Sept. 1, which is pushed back several months from an earlier target. Still, Ohio remains among the early movers as states around the country work with the federal government to streamline care for these patients.
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Health care law surprise: $63 per-person fee for three years
CBS
December 11, 2012
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57558392/health-care-law-surprise-$63-per-person-fee-for-three-years/
Medical plans are facing an unexpected new fee. It's to help cover people with pre-existing conditions under President Obama's health care overhaul. The $63-per-head fee -- buried in a recent regulation -- will hit health plans serving an estimated 190 million Americans, mostly workers and their families. It's payable starting in 2014.
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Utah Governor asks Obama to approve state’s own health care exchange
The Washington Post
December 11, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/utah-governor-asks-obama-to-approve-states-own-health-care-exchange/2012/12/11/a9b036ae-43d0-11e2-8c8f-fbebf7ccab4e_story.html
Utah’s Gov. Gary Herbert is asking President Barack Obama to approve a health insurance exchange the state already has in place and declare that it meets the requirements of the federal health overhaul. It’s not clear he will get his wish.
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Healthcare sector likely to hit $155bn revenue by 2017
SME Mentor
December 11, 2012
http://www.moneycontrol.com/smementor/news/indian-markets/healthcare-sector-likely-to-hit-155bn-revenue-by-2017-792867.html
Attracting strong interest from private equity funds, the healthcare industry in India is expected to reach USD 155 billion in terms of revenues by 2017, according to a study by LSI Financial Services. At present the industry is pegged at USD 65 billion, of which 30 deals valued at USD 754.33 million were signed last year, the report by the Kolkata-based financial services company said.
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A Prescription for Controlling Health Care Costs: Federal Research Grant Reform
The Huffington Post
December 11, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-hilsenrath-phd/health-care-research-grants_b_2247743.html
In his farewell address to the American people, President Eisenhower showed remarkable prescience with his warning of a growing military-industrial complex, consuming massive public resources along the way. Since his address, an even larger medical-industrial complex has evolved. Between 1960 and 2012 health spending increased from 5 to 18 percent of GDP with 46 percent funded by the public sector.
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“Out Of The Blocks”: Meeting The Challenge Of Transforming Health Care
Health Affairs Blog
December 11, 2012
http://healthaffairs.org/blog/2012/12/11/out-of-the-blocks-meeting-the-challenge-of-transforming-health-care/
No other presidential election in American history has been freighted with such significance for health care as was last month’s vote. Uncertainty over the future of health policy dominated the discourse, and we all waited with bated breath for clarity from the voters. Thirty-six days ago, we got just that. In one night, much of the uncertainty that had marked the past few years faded into history.
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Utah governor asks Obama to accept state's health insurance exchange
Modern Healthcare
December 11, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121211/INFO/312119985/utah-governor-asks-obama-to-accept-states-health-insurance-exchange
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert is asking President Barack Obama to approve a health insurance exchange the state already has in place and declare that it meets the requirements of the federal healthcare overhaul. Herbert sent the letter Tuesday ahead of Friday's deadline for states to decide if they'll do their own exchange. Utah's exchange was launched on a limited basis in 2009 and fully implemented two years later.
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Raising the Medicare Eligibility Age Would Harm Seniors and Increase Health Care Spending
Center for American Progress
December 11, 2012
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/healthcare/report/2012/12/11/47645/raising-the-medicare-eligibility-age-would-harm-seniors-and-increase-health-care-spending/
In every deficit-reduction debate, policymakers look at the Medicare program to see where savings can be found, and the latest fiscal showdown negotiations are no different. There are opportunities to strengthen Medicare while achieving program savings—indeed, the Center for American Progress has put forward $385 billion in savings that would bolster the program without harming seniors. Nevertheless, too many proposals to lower Medicare costs simply shift those costs to seniors, businesses, and states. One such proposal is raising the eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67 years old.
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HHS Commissioner Toumpas calls for $10 million investment in mental health care
Concord Monitor
December 11, 2012
http://www.concordmonitor.com/home/3319737-95/state-health-mental-toumpas
The commissioner of Health and Human Services announced yesterday that he will ask lawmakers for about $10 million to improve mental health care, mostly at the community level so patients can remain close to home and in settings less expensive than the state hospital. Commissioner Nick Toumpas said he’s also temporarily adding 12 beds to the hospital’s existing 130 beds to shorten the increasingly long wait to get into the hospital until he has the money to expand community services.
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CMS to states: Partial Medicaid expansion won't qualify for full funding
Healthcare Finance News
December 11, 2012
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/cms-states-partial-medicaid-expansion-wont-qualify-full-funding
Acting CMS Administrator Marilyn Tavenner and other CMS officials announced on Monday that states which embark on a partial expansion of their Medicaid systems would not qualify for the full 100 percent funding under the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion provision. The announcement by CMS puts to rest a lingering question from some states who sought to qualify for the full funding of a partial expansion.
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Forum Explores Dealing with Chronic Care Under ACA
California Healthline
December 10, 2012
http://www.californiahealthline.org/capitol-desk/2012/12/common-sense-for-chronic-care.aspx
Chronic health conditions remain one of the contributing factors to financial and utilization strain on the health care system, and there are a number of steps that can be taken to address them, according to a panel of experts that met recently in San Jose.
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For the Trapped-In-Their-Jobs, a Possible Escape Plan
The Wall Street Journal
December 10, 2012
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443696604577647743968936200.html?KEYWORDS=health+overhaul
The health-care overhaul, whatever its larger merits, might offer some relief for individuals in their 50s and early 60s in the grips of "job lock." That's a term used to describe workers who are unable or reluctant to leave their current jobs for fear they won't be able to find health insurance. Older employees in particular—who are likelier than younger workers to have health problems and who don't qualify for Medicare until age 65—see that uncertainty as a "major barrier" to changing jobs or retiring, says Michael Thompson, New York-based principal of human-resource services at consulting firm PwC.
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CMS Bundled Payment Changes Untenable?
Health Leaders Media
December 10, 2012
http://www.healthleadersmedia.com/content/FIN-287297/CMS-Bundled-Payment-Changes-Untenable
Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) announced changes to its Bundled Payment Care Improvement Initiative that could make pursuing its model untenable and even cause some applicants to drop out of the program, according to a CMS reviewer of bundled payment applications. But is dropping out really an option? Bundled payments are multifaceted, and regardless of the payer—commercial or governmental—it is the payment model of the future. So what did CMS change that's cause for consternation?
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Great Health Care Requires Great Medical Educators
the Atlantic
December 10, 2012
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2012/12/great-health-care-requires-great-medical-educators/265906/
The quality of United States medical education is a matter of concern to every person in the country. In our nation of 315 million people, we log 1.3 billion doctor visits annually -- or an average of about 4 visits per person per year. If doctors are poorly educated, we stand to lose money, time, health, peace of mind, and in some cases, even our lives. If we do a good job of educating physicians, we reap substantial benefits, avoiding unnecessary care and harmful mistakes and enjoying longer, healthier lives.
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Feds rule on health care law's Medicaid expansion
The Huffington Post
December 10, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20121210/us-health-overhaul-medicaid/?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=politics
States must commit to fully expanding their Medicaid programs to take advantage of generous funding in the federal health care law, the Obama administration said Monday. The ruling affects a federal-state program that covers nearly 60 million low-income and severely disabled people, caught in a tug-of-war between Republican governors and the Democratic administration.
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New Taxes, Medicaid Expansion Requests and Health Insurance Portability Make Health Law News
Kaiser Health News
December 10, 2012
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Daily-Reports/2012/December/10/reform-health-law-implementation.aspx
News outlets examine a host of health law issues including new taxes on the rich -- set to soon take effect -- meant to pay for parts of the health law, governors' latest requests on expanding Medicaid, health insurance portability for older workers and dealing with chronic care.
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A Resistance Movement Rises Against ObamaCare
Forbes
December 10, 2012
http://www.forbes.com/sites/gracemarieturner/2012/12/10/a-resistance-movement-rises-against-obamacare/
ObamaCare may be the law, but a major resistance movement has already sprouted across the U.S. Though approval of the unpopular law stood at only 38% on Nov. 6, the elections were not a referendum on ObamaCare mainly because Governor Romney was unable to prosecute the case against its most despised provisions – the individual mandate, employer mandate and state-run health exchanges – since all were in the law he signed in Massachusetts.
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Report: Sebelius Awarding Healthcare Exchanges to Friends
Newsmax
December 10, 2012
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/sebelius-healthcare-exchanges-friends/2012/12/10/id/467149
Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius appears to have awarded a cushy healthcare contract to a pal, The Weekly Standard reports. A source tells the Standard’s Jeffrey Anderson that last January, HHS awarded Quality Software Services what The Hill describes as “a large contract to build a federal data services hub to help run the complex federal health insurance exchange.”
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HEALTHCARE: Maryland gets approval to operate health exchange
Delmarva Now
December 10, 2012
http://www.delmarvanow.com/viewart/20121210/NEWS01/312100037/?odyssey=tab%7Cmostpopular%7Ctext%7CWIC01
Maryland has received conditional approval by the federal government to operate a state-based health insurance exchange in 2014, Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown announced Monday. Maryland is among the first six states to get the approval. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has certified the Maryland Health Connection to operate for the first plan year in 2014. The agency in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is responsible for overseeing the Medicare and Medicaid programs, the nation’s largest health insurance programs.
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Florida Blue, NCH Healthcare Sign ACO Agreement
Becker’s Hospital Review
December 10, 2012
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-physician-relationships/florida-blue-nch-healthcare-sign-aco-agreement.html
Naples, Fla.-based NCH Healthcare System and Jacksonville-based Florida Blue have signed an accountable care organization agreement that shifts from fee-for-service reimbursement to value-based reimbursement. The collaboration aims to improve patient outcomes while avoiding the overutilization of resources. About 4,200 patients will be included in the program, which will begin in 2013, according to a report by the Naples Daily News.
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New insurance fee tucked into healthcare law
Miami Herald
December 10, 2012
http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/12/10/3136482/new-insurance-fee-tucked-into.html
Your medical plan is facing an unexpected expense, so you probably are, too. It’s a new, $63-per-head fee to cushion the cost of covering people with preexisting conditions under President Barack Obama’s healthcare overhaul. The charge, buried in a recent regulation, works out to tens of millions of dollars for the largest companies, employers say. Most of that is likely to be passed on to workers.
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HHS approves 6 state-run healthcare exchanges
The Hill
December 10, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/272037-hhs-approves-6-state-run-healthcare-exchanges
The Obama administration on Monday approved six states' plans to run their own insurance exchanges. Officials from the Health and Human Services Department said 14 states and Washington, D.C., have submitted plans to run their own exchanges. HHS approved exchange plans Monday in six states — Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Oregon and Washington.
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Haslam: Tennessee will not run health exchange
BizJournals
December 10, 2012
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2012/12/10/haslam-tennessee-health-exchange.html
Tennessee will let the federal government set up a health insurance exchange in the state as part of Obamacare, Gov. Bill Haslam announced today. Haslam, who opposed President Obama's Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, had previously said that the state running its exchange would be the "lesser of two evils." Today, however, he said he has become "more and more" convinced that federal officials are making things up as they go along.
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Hospitals push back on financial assistance rules
Fierce Health Finance
December 10, 2012
http://www.fiercehealthfinance.com/story/hospitals-push-back-financial-assistance-rules/2012-12-10
Hospitals are pushing back against the Internal Revenue Service regarding how financial assistance policies are enforced--and how they maintain their tax-exempt status--as part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, reported AHA News Now. Hospitals would like what the American Hospital Association terms "flexibility" in how they screen patients for financial assistance eligibility.
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Hospitals face reimbursement penalties over readmission rates
Modern Healthcare
December 10, 2012
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20121210/INFO/312109979/hospitals-face-reimbursement-penalties-over-readmission-rates
Dr. Bill Conway, chief quality officer with Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, said the seven-hospital system has been reducing inappropriate readmissions the past five years—but not enough to avoid Medicare reimbursement cuts that began Oct. 1. Most "every hospital in Detroit will take a hit" on readmissions, Conway said. "We have been improving in our suburban hospitals, but readmissions have been flat" at 802-bed Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit.
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Solving problems requires focus on fixes: Opposition to health care law in Georgia and elsewhere won’t help the 1 in 5 Georgians who lack insurance
Atlanta Journal Constitution
December 9, 2012
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-forward/2012/12/09/solving-problems-requires-focus-on-fixes-opposition-to-health-care-law-in-georgia-and-elsewhere-won%E2%80%99t-help-the-1-in-5-georgians-who-lack-insurance/?cxntfid=blogs_atlanta_forward
In the early days of our nation’s history, the Founding Fathers wrote a constitution and created a system of government with limited powers. The poor would be cared for by charities or religious organizations — groups established as safety nets for those in need. It is only with the vast expansion of federal and state governments during the last 50 years that we have seen a crowding out of the role of charities — from good works that nonprofits do from housing and feeding the poor to volunteer physicians and nurses who give medical care to the sick.
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Pitfalls of Medicaid, long-term care planning
USA Today
December 9, 2012
http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2012/12/09/health-care-medicaid-planning-long-term-care/1751251/
Health care costs continue to be a top retirement concern, yet few Americans know about their options and the potential pitfalls. Instead, there are many misconceptions about long-term care. A case in point: Currently about 42% of financial advisers say their clients are considering giving away their assets to their children so they can qualify for Medicaid and avoid paying for a nursing home, according to a survey of financial advisers by Nationwide Financial released Friday.
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Will national health reform close ethnic and racial disparities?
The Boston Globe
December 9, 2012
http://www.bostonglobe.com/business/2012/12/09/will-national-health-reform-close-ethnic-and-racial-disparities-way-did-massachusetts/EzzGdoGkZoZme6mEgAwzEI/story.html
National health reform is designed to help everyone who lacks medical coverage, but minority groups stand to benefit most — simply because they have the farthest to go. One-third of Hispanics and more than 20 percent of African-Americans nationwide lack health insurance. But the law’s provisions — most of which take effect in January 2014 — will effectively cut by half the number of African-Americans who are uninsured, and significantly improve coverage rates for Hispanics.
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Lawmakers pore over flood of proposed federal health care regulations
KSL.com
December 9, 2012
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=960&sid=23246803
Utah lawmakers and health officials say the hundreds of pages released so far by the federal government explaining health care legislation regulations are confusing. "The flood of documents … is not encouraging, but confusing," said Utah Department of Health Executive Director Dr. David Patton. He said the department is doing its best to parse the proposed rules, looking specifically at the pros and cons of Medicaid expansion in Utah.
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Health care reform exposing shortages in primary care
Lincoln Journal Star
December 9, 2012
http://journalstar.com/lifestyles/health-med-fit/health/health-care-reform-exposing-shortages-in-primary-care/article_39e78199-7af4-57c0-807d-a0ad2134e86f.html
Drs. Bob and Lisa Rauner spent five years practicing medicine in rural Nebraska -- Sidney, to be specific -- before packing up and moving east to Lincoln. They came back to teach in the Lincoln Family Medicine Program. Lisa Rauner is now with a women's primary care office. And Bob Rauner splits his time between two medical administration jobs.
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New Taxes to Take Effect to Fund Health Care Law
The New York Times
December 8, 2012
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/09/us/politics/new-taxes-to-take-effect-to-fund-health-care-law.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1355872746-P13TPMVkONCYqk7qfc9qvw
For more than a year, politicians have been fighting over whether to raise taxes on high-income people. They rarely mention that affluent Americans will soon be hit with new taxes adopted as part of the 2010 health care law.
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GOP governors seek leeway on Medicaid expansion
The Washington Post
December 8, 2012
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/gop-governors-seek-leeway-on-medicaid-expansion/2012/12/08/80ab2e72-3e52-11e2-ae43-cf491b837f7b_story.html?hpid=z1
Republican governors are ratcheting up pressure on President Obama to scale back a key provision of his health-care law. In a letter to Obama last week, 11 governors asked for a meeting “as soon as possible” to negotiate for greater control over their Medicaid programs.
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Rick Perry: 'Obamacare May Fail' Because Of State-Run Health Care Exchanges
The Huffington Post
December 8, 2012
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/08/rick-perry-obamacare_n_2263675.html
Texas Governor Rick Perry (R) expressed doubts about President Barack Obama's health care reform, saying he thinks it "may fail" in an interview with Forbes. "Well, I’m not sure Obamacare is going to be successful," Perry said, noting he thinks "the exchanges are not going to work" because states "don't know what the rules are."
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Holtz-Eakin: GOP governors enabling single-payer healthcare
The Hill
December 7, 2012
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/271651-holtz-eakin-gop-governors-enabling-single-payer-healthcare
Republican governors are going down a slippery slope toward single-payer healthcare by resisting the key feature of President Obama's healthcare law, according to conservative economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin. Republican governors have taken a hard line against setting up their own exchanges, which conservatives see as the best chance to undermine President Obama's signature healthcare law. But as Holtz-Eakin noted in the National Review, that choice gives more power to the federal government.
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CMS Releases Interim Final Rule for Changes to EHR Incentive Program, Certification Rule
Becker’s Spine Review
December 7, 2012
http://beckersspine.com/hitmeaningful-useemr/item/14251-cms-releases-interim-final-rule-for-changes-to-ehr-incentive-program-certification-rule
CMS has released an interim final rule with comment that makes several changes to the Medicare and Medicaid Electronic Health Record Incentive Programs and 2014 Edition EHR Certification Criteria.
The major changes in the interim final rule include: • The denominator for the objective of making patient information available online will be based on unique patients instead of all patients. • The denominator options for the objective of sending electronic laboratory results to ambulatory providers will expand and allow hospitals to choose between a denominator of all lab orders received from ambulatory providers. • The clinical quality measure minimum denominator threshold effective date will move from 2014 to 2013, so hospitals can take advantage of the flexibility right away.
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Medical device tax set but industry still fighting
Politico
December 6, 2012
http://www.politico.com/story/2012/12/medical-device-tax-set-but-industry-still-fighting-84655.html
The IRS has finalized details on the new medical device tax — as the medical device industry has redoubled its efforts to get it repealed.
The 2.3 percent excise tax on many medical devices, which is part of the 2010 health care law, takes effect Jan. 1. On Wednesday, an Internal Revenue Service final rule detailed plans to levy the tax. It was originally projected to raise up to $20 billion in revenues over 10 years, but the Joint Committee on Taxation later estimated it would be around $29 billion.
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