Impact on the Uninsured

Visualizing Health Policy: Understanding the Effect of Medicaid Expansion in the South
 

Infographic: How Will State Decisions to Expand Medicaid Affect U.S. Cities?

The ACA and America's Cities: Fewer Uninsured and More Federal Dollars

HOSPITALS USING CONSUMER DATA TO IDENTIFY PATIENTS WHO ARE MOST LIKELY TO GET SICK –
Your Doctor Knows You’re Killing Yourself. The Data Brokers Told her

LOW-INCOME ADULTS EXPERIENCED HIGHER UNINSURED PERCENTAGE DROP –
Medicaid Expansion Drove States’ Drop In Uninsured, Early Study Shows

USA Today: Cost Of Not Caring: Stigma Set In Stone

Patients Kept In The Dark On Costs Of Tests, Treatments  

MD Health Connection 6/27 Update 

 

 

 

  

 

Employer Health Costs To Accelerate; MHBE Board Meeting

Employer Health Costs Forecast To Accelerate In 2015

Hospice for profits lack oversight 

Drug Discount Program Has Drugmakers Crying Foul

Information About January 2015 Proposed Rates For Health Plans on DC Health Link

The state of enrollment: Lessons learned in connecting Americans to coverage 

Here are my notes from today's MHBE board meeting. 
 

Maryland Health Benefit Exchange (MHBE) 

Board meeting

6/24/14

Chair: Dr. Josh Sharfstein 

1.       The board approved Carolyn Quattrocki, as permanent Executive Director.  She has been Interim Director for the past 8 months . Well deserved

2.       MHBE is hiring, positions are posted, many close this week.

3.       Secretary Fitzgerald reported on the status of the new computer based exchange system which adapts Connecticut’s system.  They are currently on schedule.  Informally, I was told the system would be ready by mid October.  The board approved contracts to continue this work

4.       The SHOP should be ready by the end of 2014. An RFP and RFA will be issued soon.

5.       The board approved an extension of the call center contract to 8/31.

6.       Staff reviewed enrollment progress, and new directions for this fall enrollment.

·         Greater use of libraries, storefronts, brokers, tax prep services, gyms

·         Community forums in Spanish

 

 

Briefing: Using Big Data To Transform Care +

Health Affairs Briefing: Using Big Data To Transform Care

Wednesday, July 9, 2014, 9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

Report Projects Medicaid Enrollment Surge Under Health Law

Simpler Enrollment Application Planned for Fall Health Law Sign-Up

Weighing Maryland's switch to Connecticut vs. federal health exchange

More Than 750 Hospitals Face Medicare Crackdown On Patient Injuries

Drug Discount Policy For Hospitals, Clinics Under Scrutiny

HHS Sec. Burwell Makes Management Changes To Healthcare.gov

States, Tech Companies Wrestle Over Efforts To Fix Troubled State Marketplace Sites

Bigger Health Companies: Good for Medicare, Maybe Not for Others 

Good Progress on Affordable Health Care

Good Progress on Affordable Health Care

A good summary of some key points.  

The ACA and America's Cities: Fewer Uninsured and More Federal Dollars

Young adults healthier after passage of Obamacare, study finds

Online ACA Marketplaces: the Value of Consumer Experience Assessments

Most, if Not All, States Will Be on the Federal Exchange by 2020

Thousands to Be Questioned on Eligibility for Health Insurance Subsidies 

Fast-Track Medicaid Enrollment Saves States Money 

Selling Obamacare 

These 7 Major cities are losing out on a big part of Obamacare 

Report details immigrant health sign-up hurdles

RATES WILL INCREASE BUT COSTS WILL STILL BE LOWER THAN PRE-OBAMACARE ERA –Most Obamacare plans will be more expensive next year. Here’s why. 

 NUMBER OF UNINSURED IN HOUSTON WOULD DROP BY 45% IF TEXAS EXPANDED MEDICAID –
Medicaid Expansion Would Cover More Uninsured Houstonians, report says

 

 

 

 

Millions Get Obamacare Plans For $100 Or Less

New report shows premium affordability, competition and choice in the Marketplace in 2013-2014

America's 50 Healthiest Counties for Kids

FAQ: Hospital Observation Care Can Be Costly For Medicare Patients

Enroll America Pushes Ahead To Second Enrollment Period 

  

Federal Officials, Software Specialists Working To Simplify Healthcare.gov Enrollment Application

Report: Subsidies Motivate People To Sign Up For Coverage 

OPTION TO STAY ON A PARENT'S PLAN IMPROVES HEALTH OF YOUNG ADULTS --
Affordable Care Act leads to improvements in young adult health

 SMALL BUSINESSES SAVING MONEY BECAUSE OF THE ACA --
How the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) helps small business

 

421,000 KENTUCKIANS ENROLLED THROUGH KYNECT--
Beshear sings praises of Affordable Care Act 

 

U.S. Health System Ranks Last Among 11 Countries +

U.S. Health System Ranks Last Among 11 Countries on Measures of Access, Equity, Quality, Efficiency, and Healthy Lives

Selling Obamacare

Obamacare struggles, even where it’s succeeding

Say What? Many Patients Struggling To Learn The Foreign Language Of Health Insurance

Health Data Geeks Get Their Day

Poll finds enduring support for Mass. health law

Insurers View Health Exchanges As Money-Making Opportunities

Health Professionals Push Officials To Slow Digital Health Records

Exchange Customers Have Access to Broad Network Plans, Survey Shows

ACA Improves Hospital Care +

Study: Health Law Boosts Hospital Psych Care For Young Adults

Thanks to data use in hospitals, many homeless patients have become visible

In addition, the ACA readmissions policy has improved hospital care. 

HELPING NEWLY INSURED STAY COVERED –After Obamacare enrollment comes insurance lessons  POLITICO Pro ($)





Super interesting interview with Peter Orszag, on what to make of the health spending slowdown
 
States Choose to Defer Employee Choice for Health Plans 

It’s time to face the long term care dilemma

Even in a state that's among the best on Obamacare, making the law work is *really* hard. My story from Seattle
 
Minnesota’s uninsurance rate is down 40%

Taking A Closer Look At Medicare Advantage Money, Lobbying

Michigan To Reward Medicaid Enrollees Who Take ‘Personal Responsibility’

Survey: Health Exchange Shoppers Have Choices Between Large And Small Provider Networks

HEALTH SYSTEM SAYS FAILURE TO EXPAND FORCING LAYOFFS –Mercy Health Blames Lack of Medicaid Expansion in Plan to Lay Off Hundreds

What’s At Stake For Birth Control In Upcoming SCOTUS Decision 

COST OF SPECIALTY DRUGS TOO MUCH FOR CONSUMERS –
PhRMA, Advocates: Specialty Drug Costs For Patients Too High

Kentucky: Obamacare cut uninsured rate in half!

Everything’s coming up aces for the ACA

A health care debate transformed

Lots of interesting articles on a diversity of topics.  

A health care debate transformed
When GOP candidates sound like Democrats, is it proof that President Obama has changed the direction of the political debate?

Obamacare Health Spending Surge? Not So Fast

Selling Obamacare: How the White House convinced 8 million Americans they could afford health insurance
In January 2014, polling from PerryUndem revealed that consumers were unaware about financial assistance. 

The Extended "Fix" for Canceled Health Insurance Policies: Latest State Action

INSURERS PUSH CATASTROPHIC COVERAGE –
Health care reform: Insurers propose changes to Affordable Care Act

CO-OPS NOT ENROLLING AS MANY AS EXPECTED –
Mixed Bag for Health Co-Ops 

A Health Insurer Calls, With Questions  

Private Health Care Exchanges Enroll More Than Predicted  

Medicare Could Save Billions By Scrapping Random Drug Plan Assignment 

Medicare May Be Overpaying Hospitals For Short-Stay Patients

Baltimore Sun:  Maryland County Establishes Task Force To Address Mental Health Gaps

Do Seniors Have Too Many Medicare Plans To Choose From? 

Hospitals Boost Patient Safety, But More Work Is Needed

  Some Medicare Practices On Quality, Patient Stays Questioned

New Interactive Takes a Look at Income and Assets Among Medicare Beneficiaries, Now and in the Future 

Wrestling with Medicaid; Healthcare.gov and the Cloud; +

In this blog post, I include several articles on Medicaid expansion or lack thereof, an article about Healthcare.gov and more.

In Texarkana, Uninsured and on the Wrong Side of a State Line

Excellent Video Healthcare for All Virginians, urging the state to expand Medicaid.
 Unfortunately,the effort was unsuccessful.

MEDICAID MATTERS FOR VETERANS –
Tom Bell and Herb Kuhn: Veterans deserve better access to health care  Kansas City Star

UTAH DOCUMENTARY TELLS STORIES OF THOSE IN THE COVERAGE GAP –
Film: Tragic stories of Utahns in the Medicaid coverage gap  The Salt Lake Tribune

Is Healthcare.gov Floating Toward The Cloud?

Insurers Revisit Plans To Narrow Provider Networks  

 

Obamacare Has Drastically Cut The Uninsured Rate For Blacks, Hispanics

Obamacare Has Drastically Cut The Uninsured Rate For Blacks, Hispanics

HEALTH CARE ACCESS CAN HELP CLOSE ACHIEVEMENT GAP –
How Medicaid lowers high school dropout rates and leads to more college grads

CBO: Only 4 Million To Face Fines For Lacking Health Coverage

Healthcare.gov To Get Makeover 
Also Some state sites.

GOP’s quiet Obamacare disaster: How this week’s biggest story got overlooked
Burwell approved without much of a fight. 

Obamacare is adding insurers where they’re most needed

Uninsured rate at lowest ever +

UNINSURED RATE REMAINS AT LOWEST EVER RECORDED –
U.S. Uninsured Rate Holds Steady at 13.4%

Premiums grew average of 10% before Affordable Care Act

IS RHETORIC CATCHING UP TO REALITY?
The GOP’s incredible Obamacare disappearing act,

Quality of Care Higher in Medical Homes Compared with Other Practices

Patient-Centered Medical Homes: The Promise and The Reality

 

This was a program I attended

 

Key takeaways:

• 61 percent of studies that reported costs saw cost reductions after PCMH implementation, Amy Gibson stated. However, medical homes vary because they serve different populations and have access to different resources and skill sets within their communities. She went on to say that PCMHs are incompatible with fee-for-service because incentives are currently aligned with volume of care instead of value.
• The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMMI) seeks to engage multiple payers in its Comprehensive Primary Care Initiative (CPC), Pauline Lapin said. There are already 2.6 million active patients, and 2.3 million are impaneled to CPC providers.
• The PCMH model focuses on payment innovation, provider empowerment, population health and personalized care, Amy Cheslock emphasized. In Colorado, WellPoint found that through a medical home pilot it could achieve 18 percent fewer hospital admissions, and 15 percent fewer ER visits.
• Cheslock went on to describe a new contract for primary care physicians where the insurer pays a PMPM, or per-member per-month fee, to cover costs that are not traditionally paid for in the fee-for-service model. PMPM payments are also larger for higher-risk patients.
• At Summit Family Physicians, becoming a PCMH reduced hospital visits by 160 patients in one year, but office expenses increased by 19 percent, Mark Frazer said. There is currently a shortage of primary care physicians, which can be addressed by improving reimbursement for care management.

Graduating from college? Here are 4 ways to get health coverage 

From Healthcare.gov 

 

UnitedHealth Group Raises Dividend By 34 Percent 

 

 

States Scramble To Pay Hefty Tab For Health Exchange Fixes

I hear Maryland will do well with the Connecticut system. I sure hope so.

Videos aim to inform patients about their medical options at the end of life

This is an excellent idea.  I also feel that decisions re this should be in Electronic Medical Records

HHS announces the availability of $300 Million in Affordable Care Act funds to expand services at the Nation’s community health centers

Very good news

Some Insurers Plan Double-Digit Health Exchange Premium Increases
Not good news

UNPROCESSED MEDICAID APPLICATIONS – How Website Woes Foiled Obamacare a Second Time

Insured young cancer patients fare better, live longer: study, Reuters

Hospital Prices Vary Wildly For Common Treatments  
  
Medicare Overpays Advantage Plans Billions Because Of Billing Errors

Transforming Health Care With Data Proves Daunting  

Reform Update: More than 100,000 early retirees now qualify for Medicaid under ACA expansion, GAO says

Will Obamacare cut the $84.9 billion we spend on the uninsured?,