Sunday, July 20, 2014

MEDPAC Data Book: Medicare Health Care Spending; Immigrants and ACA; +

Data Book: Health Care Spending and the Medicare Program

From MEDPAC, lots of useful data.  

Resolving Citizens Issues when using ACA Marketplaces  see this FAQ sheet. 

Eligible immigrant and mixed-status families still face barriers to applying for affordable coverage through the Marketplace. Please join NILC, to bring these barriers to the attention Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary. 

Health Affairs Blog ‘Implementing Health Reform: Hobby Lobby Response, The ACA In The Territories, And More’ by Timothy Jost 


Does the key to bending the spending curve lie in the patient-centered medical home?



 

Obamacare Fails to Fail; Wider Networks; Assisters; Big data

Obamacare Fails to Fail

Excellent editorial by Krugman.

To Prevent Surprise Bills, New Health Law Rules Could Widen Insurer Networks

Survey of Health Insurance Marketplace Assister Programs

Monitoring Performance: A Dashboard of Medi-Cal Managed Care   Data from California's Medicaid program.

Big Data in Health Care: Using Analytics to Identify and Manage High-Risk and High-Cost Patients

Here's Looking at You: How Personal Health Information Is Being Tracked and Used

Following picture is from this article.


Infographic for Your Data: It's Out There




Wednesday, July 16, 2014

What Worked and What's Next? Strategies in 4 States Leading ACA Enrollment Efforts +

Kaiser Family Foundation: What Worked and What's Next? Strategies in Four States Leading ACA Enrollment Efforts



Briefing: Health Insurance Marketplaces in 2014: Behind the Numbers



See weblink for slides, etc.

KEY BRIEFING POINTS
  • 85 percent of those that chose a plan on the marketplace got enrollment assistance, Arnold Epstein stated. Within metal type (bronze, silver, gold), 42 percent selected the lowest premium plan, which indicated that monthly premium cost was a large driver in plan selection. 92 percent of individuals who chose silver plans were eligible for tax credits and paid, on average, premiums of $69 per month.
  • The rate of uninsurance among young adults declined by 60 percent after the marketplace opened for enrollment, and 59 percent of adults enrolling were previously uninsured, Sara Collins said. Young adults, Latinos and those with low to moderate incomes are making the greatest gains in coverage. Most importantly, she added, 62 percent of individuals who enrolled on the marketplace said they would not have access to care without it.
  • In Kansas, 57,000 individuals enrolled on the marketplace and 28,000 were added to Medicaid or CHIP, Linda Sheppard stated. However, if Kansas expanded Medicaid another 315,000 people would be eligible for coverage.
  • Washington State's new Medicaid enrollment exceeded state target for 2018 by 29 percent, Richard Onizuka said. The number of uninsured patients at Harborview Medical Center, the safety net hospital in Seattle, dropped from 12 percent to 2 percent, he continued. There is expected to be an 8 percent premium hike for 2015, but one plan will see lower rates.
  • Both Washington and Kansas are adding new plans to their marketplace in 2015. Kansas will go from offering 72 plans in 2014 to offering over 250 for 2015. Washington added four new carriers for 2015 and will offer 100 plans, compared to 38 in 2014.