Whole Foods CEO Regrets Calling Obama Health Law 'Fascism'
The Hill
January 18, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/277953-whole-foods-ceo-regrets-calling-obama-health-law-fascism
Whole Foods Market CEO John Mackey said he regrets describing President Obama's health care law as "more like fascism" in a recent interview. Mackey is a libertarian and a longtime critic of the Affordable Care Act. He penned his mea culpa in a blog post Thursday.
----------
Economist: Individual mandate's penalty is high enough
The Hill
January 18, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/277985-economist-individual-mandates-penalty-is-high-enough
The penalty for going uninsured under President Obama's signature healthcare law is probably high enough be effective, healthcare economist Austin Frakt says in a new analysis. Frakt, a health economist at Boston University, compared the penalties in the Affordable Care Act to those in Massachusetts' healthcare law, which formed the basis for the federal overhaul.
----------
Florida: Cost of providing health coverage far less than ‘ObamaCare’ mandate
The Hill
January 18, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/278031-cost-of-providing-health-coverage-far-less-than-obamacare-mandate-for-florida
State officials in Florida say providing health insurance to state employees would be much cheaper than paying new penalties for failing to offer coverage. It makes Florida an unusual exception in the debate over the employer mandate in President Obama’s healthcare law.
----------
HHS announces $1.5B for state exchanges
The Hill
January 17, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/277757-hhs-announces-15b-for-state-exchanges
The federal health department announced $1.5 billion in new grants Thursday for states to continue building their insurance exchanges under the Affordable Care Act. California, Delaware, Iowa, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Oregon and Vermont received funding — either one-or multi-year awards based on their progress in creating the marketplaces.
----------
Alameda County launches nearly nude campaign for healthcare
Los Angeles Times
January 17, 2013
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/2013/01/alameda-county-launches-nearly-nude-campaign-for-healthcare.html
To help implement President Obama’s health care overhaul in California, officials around the state are rushing to raise awareness and enroll hundreds of thousands of Californians in Medi-Cal, the state’s public insurance program. For its part, Alameda County has settled on a decidedly stripped-down message, launching an ad campaign this week that features scantily clad families holding strategically placed signs that read: "Cover Your Family."
----------
Hospitals push White House to back change in healthcare law
The Hill
January 17, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/277801-hospitals-push-white-house-to-back-change-in-healthcare-law
A coalition of 21 hospital associations is asking the White House to help fight a provision of President Obama's health care law that they say will cost them billions of dollars.
Hospital associations from 20 states sent a letter to Obama this week arguing that a change to his healthcare law ought to be included in the next White House budget proposal.
----------
CMS: Don’t wait to until Feb. 28 to attest for Meaningful Use
HER Intelligence
January 17, 2013
http://ehrintelligence.com/2013/01/17/cms-don%E2%80%99t-wait-to-until-feb-28-to-attest-for-meaningful-use/
Valentine’s Day usually dominates the month of February, but this year, eligible providers need to mark another date in their calendar. February 28, 2013 is the last day to attest to meaningful use for the 2012 reporting period, and it’s coming up quickly. EHRIntelligence spoke to Elizabeth Holland, Director of the HIT Initiative Group in the Office of E- Health Standards and Services at CMS, about the attestation process and her suggestions for success.
----------
CMS rule provides guidance to states on HIXs, Medicaid, CHIP
Healthcare Finance News
January 16, 2013
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/cms-rule-provides-guidance-states-hixs-medicaid-chip
A proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services released January 14, outlines further details about the standards and systems for states’ health insurance exchanges, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). The proposed rule also provides options for coordinating Medicaid, CHIP, and exchange communications to consumers about eligibility notices and appeals, and additional benefits and cost-sharing flexibility for state Medicaid programs under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
----------
A Health Scare for Small Businesses
The Wall Street Journal
January 16, 2013
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324595704578241510527580352.html
During her two-plus years in business, Elizabeth Turley has steadily recruited new employees for her apparel company, Meesh & Mia Corp., to keep pace with its rapid growth. But this year could be different. Instead of increasing her staff, she plans to hire independent contractors for tasks that can be outsourced, such as marketing and product development. Her reason? Meesh & Mia is on the cusp of having 50 full-time employees. If the company hits that threshold, it will have to provide health coverage that meets government standards or potentially pay a penalty.
----------
Will Wal-Mart Sell Your Small Business Health Insurance?
Bloomberg Businessweek
January 16, 2013
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2013-01-16/will-wal-mart-sell-your-small-business-health-insurance
Will Wal-Mart Stores (WMT) soon be selling health insurance to small businesses? A report published Friday in the Orlando Business Journal quoted a Wal-Mart vice president saying the world’s largest retailer was exploring plans to work with insurers to sell low-cost coverage to small businesses: “It would allow small employers to piggyback [on] Wal-Mart,” [Marcus Osborne, vice president for health and wellness payer relations at Wal-Mart Stores] said. “We haven’t got it all figured out, but it’s one of the things we’re looking at.”
----------
Governors in 22 states back expanded Medicaid plan
Reuters
January 16, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/16/us-usa-healthcare-medicaid-idUSBRE90F1NM20130116
At least 22 governors, including four Republicans, support an expansion of Medicaid under President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, while others are expected to decide in the coming weeks, experts said on Wednesday.
----------
Inside Three ACOs: Why California Providers are Opting for the Model
California Healthline
January 16, 2013
http://www.californiahealthline.org/road-to-reform/2013/inside-three-acos-why-california-providers-are-opting-for-the-model.aspx
Visit SDIndyACO.com, and you're greeted by a Hawaiian shirt hanging in an otherwise empty closet. "Future home of something quite cool," the page's headline reads. Forget unicorns, camels and all the other metaphors used to describe accountable care organizations these past few years. The website -- the homepage of the newly formed San Diego Independent ACO, which was one of 106 organizations named last week to Medicare's Shared Savings Program -- could sum up where we stand now on ACOs.
----------
Education, health care among Haley's topics
Go Upstate
January 16, 2013
http://www.goupstate.com/article/20130116/APN/1301160604
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley asked legislators in her third State of the State address Wednesday to overhaul how public schools are funded, improve crumbling roads, and make prisons a safer place for those who guard the most violent offenders. The Republican governor also revived past calls to restructure government and further cut taxes.
----------
CMS Opens Meaningful Use Eligibility to Certain Excluded Professionals
iHealthBeat
January 16, 2013
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2013/1/16/cms-opens-meaningful-use-eligibility-to-certain-excluded-professionals.aspx
CMS has announced that physicians who were excluded from the meaningful use program because of a Medicare claims processing limitation now are eligible for the program, Health Data Management reports (Goedert, Health Data Management, 1/15).
Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
----------
Lawmaker: Doctors shouldn't be asking patients about guns
The Hill
January 16, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/277585-gop-lawmaker-doctors-have-no-business-asking-patients-about-guns
Rep. John Fleming (R-La.), who was a family physician before coming to Congress in 2009, argued on Wednesday that doctors have no right to ask patients about their status as gun owners, as an executive order from President Obama would encourage them to do. "I came to Congress as a family physician with great concerns about the federal government intruding on the doctor-patient relationship," Fleming said. "By his executive actions today, President Obama is pushing the government further into the exam room.
----------
Obama calls for changes to mental health care
USA Today
January 16, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2013/01/16/obama-calls-for-changes-to-mental-health-care/1839733/
Mental health advocates hailed the president's sweeping agenda to improve mental health care, part of his larger response to the shooting last month in Newtown, Conn. After decades of disappointment, advocates for the mentally ill said they are cautiously optimistic that the nation may finally take meaningful action to repair a broken system.
----------
CMS denies N.Y. request for Sandy relief
Modern Healthcare
January 16, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130116/NEWS/301169958/cms-denies-n-y-request-for-sandy-relief
The CMS denied New York State's request for emergency cash relief for healthcare providers that lost revenue or saw expenses soar as superstorm Sandy forced the evacuation of hospitals and nursing homes. The state made a request for $427 million under a Medicaid waiver in early November, which would have awarded the greatest relief to hospitals closed by the storm. Hospitals that saw services disrupted by lost power or temporary damage, those that took in evacuated patients, and transportation providers were also included in the relief request.
----------
State employee health insurance costs, enrollment expected to surge under Affordable Care Act
Miami Herald
January 16, 2013
http://miamiherald.typepad.com/nakedpolitics/2013/01/state-employee-health-insurance-costs-enrollment-expected-to-surge-under-affordable-care-act.html
In addition to wrangling with questions on whether to expanding Medicaid and create an exchange under the Affordable Care Act, Florida also is grappling with how the law will impact its own employee health plan. There are between 160,000 and 170,000 employees in the state government, and Florida must abide by the components of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act that relate to large employers. The price tag could be as much as $410 million in 2014-2015, the first full year that many of the more costly provisions of the law are in effect.
----------
CMS issues guidance on health home core quality measures
EHR Intelligence
January 16, 2013
http://ehrintelligence.com/2013/01/16/cms-issues-guidance-on-health-home-core-quality-measures/
In advance of rulemaking for the health home provision of the Affordable Care Act, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has issued notices to the head of each state’s Medicaid program concerning the core set of healthcare quality measures. Health homes are designed to improve the outcome and disease management of Medicaid beneficiaries with chronic conditions as well as manage Medicaid costs more effectively through the use of a “person-centered care delivery model.” Quality measures play a significant role in CMS’s other healthcare reforms, such as the EHR Incentive Programs that require providers to submit clinical quality measures as part of their demonstration of meaningful sue.
----------
Mental health care part of Obama plan to fight gun violence
Modern Healthcare
January 16, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130116/NEWS/301169968/mental-health-care-part-of-obama-plan-to-fight-gun-violence
Surrounded by schoolchildren, President Barack Obama on Wednesday introduced his plan to reduce gun violence (PDF) that includes increasing access to mental health services and conducting federal scientific research on gun-violence causes and prevention.
----------
New website part of push for uninsured to get coverage
USA Today
January 16, 2013
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/01/15/health-care-site-helps-uninsured-get-coverage/1835589/
The federal government Wednesday kicks off an effort to raise awareness about the most controversial part of the health care law — the requirement that the uninsured buy health care insurance. Wednesday morning, the Department of Health and Human Services plans to relaunch its website to try to draw in the millions of uninsured people needed to make the health care law work when open enrollment in state and federal health care exchanges begins in October.
----------
Sebelius Waives Health-Care Exchange Deadline in Attempt to Woo States
National Review
January 15
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/337735/sebelius-waives-health-care-exchange-deadline-attempt-woo-states-katherine-connell
The New York Times reports today that the Obama administration has decided to waive the deadline for states to opt into administering exchanges under Obamacare in the hopes that reluctant states will get on board: Under the law, the secretary of health and human services was supposed to determine “on or before Jan. 1, 2013,” whether states were prepared to operate the online markets, known as insurance exchanges. But the secretary, Kathleen Sebelius, working with the White House, said she would waive or extend the deadline for any states that expressed interest in creating their own exchanges or regulating insurance sold through a federal exchange.
----------
States struggling over Obama’s health care law
The Washington Times
January 15, 2013
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/15/states-struggling-over-presidents-health-care-law/?utm_source=RSS_Feed&utm_medium=RSS
Like many Republican elected leaders, Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant is not exactly thrilled about Obamacare’s march toward full implementation in 2014.
But while top Republicans continue to slam President Obama and the Supreme Court in Washington for the controversial health care overhaul, Mr. Bryant’s primary opposition is sitting nearby, in Jackson.
----------
US appeals judge’s ruling allowing religious publisher to reject contraceptive coverage
The Washington Post
January 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-appeals-judges-ruling-allowing-religious-publisher-to-reject-contraceptive-coverage/2013/01/15/32295ece-5f61-11e2-9dc9-bca76dd777b8_story.html
The Obama administration is appealing a judge’s order that is temporarily preventing the government from forcing a Christian publishing company to provide its employees with certain contraceptives under the new health care law. In November, U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton granted a preliminary injunction sought by Tyndale House Publishers. The company doesn’t want to provide contraceptives such as Plan B and IUDs, which Tyndale equates with abortion. Nothing in Walton’s order applied to anyone other than Tyndale.
----------
Major enrollment push planned for Obama healthcare law
The Hill
January 15, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/health-reform-implementation/277173-major-enrollment-push-planned-for-obama-health-law-
Supporters of President Obama's healthcare law are gearing up for a major push to make sure people take advantage of its provisions. Enroll America, a newly-formed advocacy group, announced a campaign Tuesday to ensure that eligible people sign up for the new insurance options the healthcare law will provide once it's fully in place next year.
----------
Controversial bonus program seen boosting Advantage plans
Modern Healthcare
January 15, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130115/NEWS/301159967/bonus-program-seen-boosting-advantage-plans
A much-maligned CMS bonus program for Medicare Advantage plans may have helped improve the quality of such plans and averted deep drops in their enrollments, according to preliminary government data. The share of Medicare Advantage plans with higher quality ratings, based on Medicare's star-rating system, has increased, according to an analysis of 2012 Medicare Advantage plan data by Medicare Payment Advisory Commission staff. That improvement was at least partially attributed to a massive CMS demonstration program.
----------
McDermott lands top Dem spot on healthcare panel
The Hill
January 15, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/277323-mcdermott-lands-top-dem-spot-on-healthcare-panel
Rep. Jim McDermott (D-Wash.) snagged the top spot on a key healthcare subcommittee, House Democrats announced Tuesday. McDermott is now the top Democrat on the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health. The top spot opened up after former Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) lost his reelection bid in November, and McDermott's selection was widely expected.
----------
Does CMS' Proposed Quality Measure on Patient Monitoring Adequately Address Patient Safety?
Becker’s Hospital Review
January 15, 2013
http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/quality/does-cms-proposed-quality-measure-on-patient-monitoring-adequately-address-patient-safety.html
CMS is considering a proposed quality measure that would require "appropriate monitoring of patients receiving [patient-controlled analgesia]." This measure seeks to address the high number of errors that occur with PCA, which unfortunately research shows happens all too frequently. The Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority recently released its analysis of medication errors and adverse drug reactions involving intravenous fentaNYL that were reported to them.
----------
Groups Want Delay in Meaningful Use Rules
Medpage Today
January 15, 2013
http://www.medpagetoday.com/PracticeManagement/InformationTechnology/36862
Some leading medical groups have called on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to delay implementation of Stage 3 of meaningful use of electronic health records (EHRs), saying providers are still trying to implement Stages 1 and 2. In its comments on proposed Stage 3 requirements issued by HHS, the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) called for a delay in implementation until at least 2017, adding it also wants to delay or eliminate penalties for the third and final stage of the EHR incentive program.
----------
The United States needs to see the doctor
The Washington Post
January 15, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/harold-meyerson-us-health-care-leaves-much-to-be-desired/2013/01/15/6b154846-5f5d-11e2-b05a-605528f6b712_story.html
January has turned out to be a banner month for fans of American exceptionalism. As documented in voluminous detail in a 404-page report released last week by the National Research Council and the Institute of Medicine, Americans lead shorter lives than Western Europeans, Australians, Japanese and Canadians. Of the 17 countries measured, the United States placed dead last in life expectancy, even though we lead the planet in the amount we spend on health care (17.6 percent of gross domestic product in 2010 vs. 11.6 percent each for France and Germany). We get radically less bang for the buck than comparable nations. If that’s not exceptionalism, I don’t know what is.
----------
Ethics, health care on Senate Democrats’ agenda
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
January 15, 2013
http://www.ajc.com/news/news/state-regional-govt-politics/ethics-health-care-on-senate-democrats-agenda/nTxh3/
Permanent ethics oversight for lobbyists and lawmakers, expanded statewide early voting and voter registration, and health care for more Georgians top the legislative agenda unveiled Tuesday by Senate Democrats. The Senate’s minority party is an underdog facing a Republican supermajority in their chamber. But Senate Minority Leader Steve Henson, D-Tucker, said his caucus hopes to force debate with majority leaders on issues they believe important to the public.
----------
States Will Be Given Extra Time to Set Up Health Insurance Exchanges
The New York Times
January 14, 2013
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/15/us/states-will-be-given-extra-time-to-set-up-health-insurance-exchanges.html
The White House says it will give states more time to comply with the new health care law after finding that many states lag in setting up markets where millions of Americans are expected to buy subsidized private health insurance.
----------
In surprise move, Arizona’s GOP governor pushes for Medicaid expansion under health care law
The Washington Post
January 14, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/in-surprise-move-arizonas-gop-governor-pushes-for-medicaid-expansion-under-health-care-law/2013/01/14/6cf97658-5eab-11e2-8acb-ab5cb77e95c8_story.html
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer said Monday she plans to push for an expansion of the state’s Medicaid program under the federal health care law, a surprising decision that could have an impact on other Republican governors weighing a similar decision. Brewer has opposed the federal health care law known as the Affordable Care Act, citing worries over a potential overreliance on federal funding.
----------
Not Too Early To Plan For Health Taxes, H&R Block Says
Kaiser Health News
January 14, 2013
http://capsules.kaiserhealthnews.org/index.php/2013/01/not-too-early-to-plan-for-health-taxes-hr-block-says/
Even if you owe Affordable Care Act taxes, you probably won’t have to start paying them until next year. But H&R Block wants you to come in and talk about them now. “The Affordable Care Act means big changes this year when you file your taxes,” a chipper Block employee says in a new television ad. She says the company offers a free “tax and health care review.”
----------
House Republicans Try to Stop IPAB From Rationing Health Care
Life News
January 14, 2013
http://www.lifenews.com/2013/01/14/house-republicans-try-to-stop-ipab-from-rationing-health-care/
Recently House Republicans passed a package of rules that will guide the next (113th) Congress. Contained within these rules was a simple provision stating that “[The] Independent Payment Advisory Board … shall not apply in the One Hundred Thirteenth Congress.” The Independent Payment Advisory Board, or IPAB, has remained one of the most controversial provisions of the Obama health care law since its passage.
----------
Patients' Share of Health Care Costs Is Actually Shrinking
The Atlantic
January 14, 2013
http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/01/patients-share-of-health-care-costs-is-actually-shrinking/267158/
Consumer-driven medical spending may be the second-biggest story in health care, after the Affordable Care Act. As employers give workers more skin in the game through higher costs from purse and paycheck, the thinking goes, they'll seek more efficient treatment and hold down overall spending. But consumers may not be as invested as experts thought, new government figures show. Despite rapid growth in high-deductible health plans and rising employee contributions for insurance premiums, consumers' share of national health spending continued to fall in 2011, slipping to its lowest level in decades.
----------
Senators Urge CMS To Reform Medicare Fraud Prevention Program
iHealthBeat
January 14, 2013
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2013/1/14/senators-urge-cms-to-reform-medicare-fraud-prevention-program.aspx
Last week, a bipartisan group of senators urged the Obama administration to reform a program designed to identify and deter Medicare fraud following an HHS Office of Inspector General report that found the program to be ineffective, The Hill's "Floor Action Blog" reports. The OIG report looked into activities of the Medicare Drug Integrity Contractor, or MEDIC, program from April 2010 to March 2011. It found that CMS has not established a database to help the MEDIC program identify potential fraud.
----------
Health Care Affordability Summit: All the news that’s fit to link
Orlando Business Journal
January 14, 2013
http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/blog/2013/01/health-care-affordability-summit-all.html
Today is my first workday since the Foundation of Associated Industries of Florida’s 2013 Health Care Affordability Summit, and man, it feels like the day after Thanksgiving. I’m in recovery mode.
----------
Ponnuru: How Republicans misunderstand health-care costs
Newsday
January 14, 2013
http://www.newsday.com/opinion/oped/ponnuru-how-republicans-misunderstand-health-care-costs-1.4447270
Congratulations! The cost of your health insurance is increasing. What? You don't think that's a reason for celebration? Good, you're avoiding a mistake that's far too common among economic analysts, especially Republicans. Academic studies and news media regularly report that in recent decades the middle class has been stagnating economically. Conservative and libertarian analysts often downplay these stories by saying that while wages for people in the middle of the economic spectrum may look flat, their total compensation has been rising steadily.
----------
CMS Proposes Rule For Medicaid, Exchange Eligibility
Law 360
January 14, 2013
http://www.law360.com/employment/articles/407035/cms-proposes-rule-for-medicaid-exchange-eligibility
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a proposed rule Monday laying out how eligibility will be determined for Medicaid and exchange plan subsidies, as well as verification of employer-sponsored coverage and higher Medicaid cost-sharing. Under the Affordable Care Act, individuals and families are supposed to be able to fill out a single application to determine whether they are eligible for Medicaid or federal subsidies to purchase health insurance on the ACA's exchanges. The nearly 500-page proposed rule lays out some options states have for making that a reality.
----------
Who Knew? Patients’ Share Of Health Spending Is Shrinking
Kaiser Health News
January 13, 2013
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/January/14/Patient-Share-Of-Health-Spending-Shrinking.aspx
Consumer-driven medical spending may be the second-biggest story in health care, after the Affordable Care Act. As employers give workers more "skin in the game" through higher costs from purse and paycheck, the thinking goes, they'll seek more efficient treatment and hold down overall spending. But consumers may not have as much skin in the game as experts thought, new government figures show. Despite rapid growth in high-deductible health plans and rising employee contributions for insurance premiums, consumers' share of national health spending continued to fall in 2011, slipping to its lowest level in decades.
----------
Health care firms attract interest from financial backers
The Washington Post
January 13, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/capitalbusiness/health-care-firms-attract-interest-from-financial-backers/2013/01/13/7b557566-5bfa-11e2-beee-6e38f5215402_story.html
Two Washington area firms working to engage patients in their health care decisions and treatment have secured financial backing from investors looking to find companies that will play a leading role in the future of medicine. The national push to reshape the delivery and cost of health care, spearheaded by the passage of the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, gained new steam after the Supreme Court declared the law constitutional and President Obama won a second term.
----------
Colleagues say Sen. Rockefeller will be missed on healthcare issues
The Hill
January 13, 2013
http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicaid/276783-colleagues-say-rockefeller-will-be-missed-on-healthcare
With the retirement of Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.), the left — not to mention the Senate — is losing one of its biggest voices on healthcare. Rockefeller announced Friday that he won’t run for reelection in 2014, when his current term ends. Colleagues and allies praised his long record of pushing for universal healthcare coverage, as well as his aggressive defense of Medicaid.
----------
Georgia facing healthcare fiscal cliff if it refuses federal Medicaid expansion
Saportareport
January 13, 2013
http://saportareport.com/blog/2013/01/georgia-facing-healthcare-fiscal-cliff-if-it-refuses-medicaid-expansion/
Two important healthcare issues loom large for the General Assembly beginning January 14th. Legislators will engage in a hot debate and intense negotiations over the renewal of a hospital assessment fee. They will also consider a related issue — whether Georgia takes advantage of federal funds available to families newly eligible for Medicaid. And that one seems a nonstarter at this point. Why? Short term vision. On one fact there is no debate: far too many Georgians are uninsured.
----------
As ‘Bodega Clinicas’ Fill Void, Officials Are Torn on Embracing Them
Kaiser Health News
January 12, 2013
http://www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2013/January/13/Varney-Clinicas.aspx
The so-called bodega clinicas that line the streets of Los Angeles’ immigrant neighborhoods blend into a dense forest of commerce. Wedged between money order kiosks and pawn shops, these storefront doctors’ offices treat ailments for cash: a doctor’s visit is $20 to $40, a podiatry exam is $120 and at one bustling clinica, a colonoscopy is advertised on an erasable white board for $700. County health officials describe the clinicas as a parallel health care system, servicing a vast number of uninsured Latino residents, yet the officials say they have little understanding of who owns and operates them, how they are regulated and the quality of the medical care they provide. Staffed with Spanish speaking medical providers, few of these low-rent clinics accept private insurance or participate in Medicaid managed care plans.
----------
Department of Behavioral Health will combine mental health, substance abuse functions
The Washington Post
January 11, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/mike-debonis/wp/2013/01/11/department-of-behavioral-health-will-combine-mental-health-substance-abuse-functions/?hpid=z13
A new Department of Behavioral Health will become one of the District government’s largest agencies after Mayor Vincent C. Gray (D) announced Friday that he was combining the city’s mental health and substance abuse functions for the first time.
----------
Hobby Lobby finds way around $1.3-million-a-day Obamacare hit - for now
CNN
January 11, 2013
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/01/11/hobby-lobbys-1-3-million-obamacare-loophole/
By Friday, Hobby Lobby would have racked up $14.3 million in fines from the Internal Revenue Service for bucking Obamacare. But in keeping with the great American tax tradition, they may have found a loophole. The company is facing $1.3 million a day in fines for each day it chooses not to comply with a piece of the Affordable Care Act that was set to trigger for them on January 1. The craft store chain announced in December that, because of religious objections, they would face the fines for not providing certain types of birth control through their company health insurance.
----------
Oregon, California tell insurance companies to stop denying transgender health care
The Washington Post
January 11, 2013
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/oregon-california-tell-insurance-companies-to-stop-denying-transgender-health-care/2013/01/11/2c46354e-5c4c-11e2-b8b2-0d18a64c8dfa_story.html
Regulators in Oregon and California have quietly directed some health insurance companies to stop denying coverage for transgender patients because of their gender identity. The states aren’t requiring coverage of specific medical treatments. But they told some private insurance companies they must pay for a transgender person’s hormone therapy, breast reduction, cancer screening or any other procedure deemed medically necessary if they cover it for patients who aren’t transgender.
----------
Wal-Mart boosts Ark. medical home effort
Modern Healthcare
January 11, 2013
http://www.modernhealthcare.com/article/20130111/NEWS/301119959/wal-mart-boosts-ark-medical-home-effort
The state of Arkansas's health system transformation was given a significant financial boost from the state's largest company, Wal-Mart Stores, which committed to providing $670,000 to help underwrite the work of the Arkansas Health Care Payment Improvement Initiative. But Arkansas Surgeon General Dr. Joe Thompson said the significance of the contribution stems from Wal-Mart's standing as the state's largest self-insured employer.
----------
State supreme court decides three health-related cases
Kansas Health Institute
January 11, 2013
http://www.khi.org/news/2013/jan/11/state-supreme-court-decides-three-health-related-c/
The Kansas Supreme Court today released decisions in three health-related cases. One involved a dispute over the state's calculation of Medicaid reimbursements for a small group of northeast Kansas nursing facilities specializing in care for the mentally ill. The other two decisions upheld lower court findings in medical malpractice cases and hinged on the correctness of the instructions given to the district court juries, each of which rejected the malpractice claims.
----------
Is ObamaCare Causing Health Insurance Premiums to Rise?
Hawaii Reporter
January 11, 2013
http://www.hawaiireporter.com/is-obamacare-causing-health-insurance-premiums-to-rise/123
The full title of the legislation commonly known as ObamaCare is the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It's often described using just the last three words — the Affordable Care Act — and “affordability” was at the heart of the White House’s argument for the law. But so far, there are few signs that health care will become more affordable as a result of the law. Indeed, it increasingly looks as if the opposite could be true — that ObamaCare may be causing higher premiums rather than preventing them.
----------
One fiscal cliff down and three to go
Healthcare Finance News
January 11, 2013
http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/blog/one-fiscal-cliff-down-and-three-go
Last week's deal to avert the "fiscal cliff" settled very little. For those in the health care market, I will suggest the big takeaway is that we should expect very little will be settled in the coming months and we will continue to face a great deal of uncertainty for years to come. Without an agreement to alter the course we are on, it is estimated that we will add more than $10 trillion to the national debt over the next ten years. Most experts agree that we need to reduce that amount by about half in order to put our nation's fiscal course on a sustainable track. The Simpson-Bowles Debt Commission, for example, called for $4 trillion in deficit reduction––a fourth in new revenue and three-fourths in spending cuts.
----------
Huge opportunity for dual eligible cost savings, report says
McKnight’s Long-Term care News & Assisted Living
January 11, 2013
http://www.mcknights.com/huge-opportunity-for-dual-eligible-cost-savings-report-says/article/275675/#
Better coordination of care for individuals eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid could result in savings of nearly $190 billion by 2022, according to a recent UnitedHealth Center report. Medicare and Medicaid spending on dual eligibles is estimated to reach $330 billion in 2013, according to the report. The long-term care sector will be significantly impacted by efforts to bring this number down in the future, as a majority of the $150 billion in Medicaid spent on dual eligibles is for long-term care services.
----------
Massachusetts governor seeks to revamp retiree health care
Reuters
January 11, 2013
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/11/us-usa-massachusetts-retirees-idUSBRE90A14O20130111
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick said on Friday that he will file legislation to overhaul benefits for public retirees, including a proposal to double the number of years an employee would have to serve to be eligible. The bill would require most current employees of the state and its cities, towns and school districts to work for 20 years instead of 10 years to become eligible for health benefits when they retire.
----------
Employers starting to prepare for Affordable Healthcare Act changes
Fox
January 11, 2013
http://fox59.com/2013/01/11/employers-starting-to-prepare-for-affordable-healthcare-act-changes/
The Affordable Care Act, also known as Oamacare passed in 2010, but few specific details about it have been released – until now. It is legislation that affects all of us, and are trying to wrap their minds around what exactly that means for their employees. You do not have to tell Meredith Sowers how important having healthcare is. “It is always nice to know that you have that help if you do need it, and now, having to worry about someone else is very overwhelming,” said Sowers.
----------
Ahead of federal healthcare overhaul, local hospitals look to primary care
Glendale News-Press
January 11, 2013
http://www.glendalenewspress.com/news/tn-818-0111-ahead-of-federal-healthcare-overhaul-local-hospitals-look-to-primary-care,0,2057229.story
As the new year begins, local healthcare providers are preparing for a potential flood of patients who previously didn’t have access to insurance, but who will now be covered as the federal Affordable Care Act takes effect. More primary care physicians and their assistants will be needed, according to healthcare officials. And everyone from primary care doctors to hospitals are beginning to look at increased preventive care, more outpatient procedures and home healthcare services to reduce costs.
----------
Health Care Spending Remains Stable, but Not for Long
The Foundry
January 11, 2013
http://blog.heritage.org/2013/01/11/health-care-spending-remains-stable-but-not-for-long/
Health care spending actually didn’t skyrocket in 2011–but just wait.
This week, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Office of the Actuary released the National Health Expenditures report for 2011. The report shows that growth in national health spending remained relatively low in 2011, growing at 3.9 percent.
Overall, the U.S. spent $2.7 trillion on health care in 2011, which accounts for 17.9 percent of total gross domestic product (GDP).
----------
Hospitals Urge CMS To Address Limitation in EHR Incentive Program
iHealthbeat
January 11, 2013
http://www.ihealthbeat.org/articles/2013/1/11/hospitals-urge-cms-to-address-limitation-in-ehr-incentive-program.aspx
The American Hospital Association has sent a letter urging CMS to quickly address a Medicare claims processing limitation that AHA said inappropriately excludes certain physicians from the meaningful use program, Becker's Hospital Review reports (Roney, Becker's Hospital Review, 1/10). Under the 2009 federal economic stimulus package, health care providers who demonstrate meaningful use of certified electronic health record systems can qualify for Medicaid and Medicare incentive payments.
----------
Click here to view a list of last week's news items.
|
