This message contains images. If you don't see images, click here to view. Click here to advertise in this news brief.   Mobile version    RSS    Subscribe    Unsubscribe    Archive    Media Kit Jul. 3, 2012 Home   About   Policy & Advocacy   Education & Resources   Events           States ponder Medicaid partial expansion, worry about match-rate cuts for newly eligible InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    The Supreme Court's decision to let some states opt out of the health law's Medicaid expansion has left some states pondering whether they could partially expand the program, as they worry that any expansion would lead to higher indirect costs and that Congress might cut the match rate for newly eligible beneficiaries during next year's deficit debate. The president's deficit reduction proposal last year called for as much, according to those assisting states with Medicaid. Some states also are grappling with timing, sources say, because there is no deadline for deciding on Medicaid expansion. More Providers weigh benefits of ACA Medicaid expansion versus boosted exchanges InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    As White House officials express hope that healthcare providers will press states to move forward with the reform law's Medicaid expansion, providers are mixed on whether they would be better off if Medicaid rolls grow or alternatively, if more beneficiaries enroll in the law's new insurance exchanges. In the hours after the Supreme Court threw a wrench into the Medicaid expansion by effectively giving states an option to opt-out, key hospital officials suggested providers might fare better under the expanded exchange scenario, but several experts say the prognosis is not so clear as it is far from certain that those no longer eligible for Medicaid would end up in exchanges. More Hospitals urge Medicaid expansion The Wall Street Journal    Share    Hospitals are urging states to expand Medicaid under the new healthcare law, bringing a potent political force to bear on governors who face pressure from Republican leaders to opt out of the beefed-up program. States won a reprieve from the requirement when the Supreme Court ruled they could decline to expand Medicaid to a broader swath of the poor in 2014 without losing their existing federal funding for the program. More 15 governors reject or are leaning against expanded Medicaid program The Hill    Share    At least 15 governors have indicated they will not participate in the expansion of Medicaid under the healthcare law, striking a blow to President Barack Obama's promise of broader insurance coverage. Before last Thursday's Supreme Court ruling, states had the option of either increasing their Medicaid rolls or being penalized by the federal government. The high court struck down that offer as unconstitutional. More Improving Lives. Reducing Costs. Health Integrated, the leading innovation partner for health plans, provides evidence- based solutions to achieve health management goals for clinical outcomes, quality measures and cost containment. Our expertise with vulnerable populations and 360-degree view of the impact of bio-psycho-social risk factors on health makes us the perfect partner for Medicaid and Medicare plans. www.healthintegrated.com States balk at expanding Medicaid coverage Kaiser Health News    Share    Hours after the Supreme Court upheld President Barack Obama's health law on Thursday, but made its Medicaid expansion optional, senior White House officials were asked by a reporter how they would entice states to participate. They laughed. It seemed almost inconceivable to them that states would opt out. But a growing number of Republican lawmakers and state Medicaid officials, including those in Florida, Texas and at least seven other Republican-leaning states, have said they may indeed walk away from the nearly $1 trillion federal pot — putting at risk the administration's plans to cover up to 17 million people, or more than half the total expected to gain coverage under the law. More White House confident states will expand Medicaid, implement exchanges InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    Senior White House officials said the Supreme Court ruling on the health law would not slow implementation of the state-based insurance exchanges, and they expressed confidence that states would expand their Medicaid programs because the expansion is all-but free for states, even though rejecting the expansion no longer threatens states' access to existing federal funding. However, others have warned that politics could trump economics. More Poorest would not get help buying private insurance in states that do not expand Medicaid InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    If states were to forgo expanding Medicaid because of the Supreme Court ruling, beneficiaries with income below 100 percent of poverty would not be eligible for tax credits that help the poor afford private health insurance, but they almost surely would not be required to buy insurance or to pay the penalty for not buying insurance, several advocates for the poor say. However, the advocates say they don't believe states will take that option, and they argue that deciding against the Medicaid expansion would merely score political points at the expense of the poor and with little-to-no savings to states. More States already taking radically different approach to court ruling Kaiser Health News    Share    In the wake of the Supreme Court decision, states are facing two big tasks: 1). Deciding whether to take federal money to expand Medicaid, the joint federal-state health insurance program for the poor and disabled. States are supposed to provide Medicaid to a far larger base — everyone with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level, or just under $15,000 a year for an individual. 2). Deciding whether to implement their own health insurance exchange, a website to help eligible consumers shop for and purchase health plans, rely on the federal government to do it for them. The federal government will help pay for people to buy insurance on the exchange if their incomes are up to 400 percent of the poverty level. More Arkansas governor inclined to expand Medicaid The Times Record    Share    Gov. Mike Beebe said that he is inclined to go ahead with the expansion of Medicaid proposed under the federal healthcare law. Beebe, who recently returned from a trade mission to France, told reporters he would decide before the 2013 legislative session begins in January whether he favors the expansion, but at this point he leans toward pursuing it. More Texas, Florida weigh Medicaid options following SCOTUS ruling InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    Texas Gov. Rick Perry and Florida Gov. Rick Scott, both Republicans, are studying the Supreme Court's ruling that gave the governors the option to opt out of the health reform law's Medicaid expansion, but neither have reached decisions on next steps, officials from both governors' offices said. More Peter Orszag: Health law's Medicaid extras will, in time, win state support MarketWatch    Share    Several governors of states, notably in Florida, have already come out and said they will take advantage of the Supreme Court's healthcare decision not to offer additional Medicaid coverage. That's important because the changes to Medicaid are supposed to account for roughly half of the 30 million people who are supposed to get healthcare coverage. But Peter Orszag, vice chairman of global banking at Citigroup and President Barack Obama's former director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that he expects states will eventually change their position. More LIBERTY Dental Plan A national leader in providing dental benefits for Medicaid, CHIP and Medicare programs; • Nationwide Network • Comprehensive Dental Disease Management • Predictable Costs with Quality Programs Want to Mitigate Provider Fraud? Our solutions leverage public records data, linking technology and analytics to detect and prevent fraud and improve the quality of your provider networks. MORE GOP might find killing healthcare law is not as easy as it sounds The Hill    Share    Republicans say they could repeal President Barack Obama's healthcare law if the GOP wins the White House and majorities in the House and Senate next year. But that is hardly a slam-dunk proposition. In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling upholding the law, Republicans have renewed their focus on repealing it. The high court's stunning decision was a loss for conservatives, but GOP leaders contend it will help energize Republican voters in November. Some Republicans say the November elections could be their last chance to block the law. Even if Republicans win big on Election Day, though, repealing the Affordable Care Act will be a tall order. More California patients struggle to transition to managed-care system Los Angeles Times    Share    One year ago, California began moving certain Medi-Cal patients into a managed healthcare system with the goal of saving money while better coordinating treatment. But for some of these low-income seniors and disabled patients, the transition has been anything but smooth, forcing severely ill patients to give up their doctors, delay treatment and travel long distances for specialty care. More Health Partners honored as Gold Stevie award-winner in 2012 American Business Awards Health Partners Inc.    Share    Health Partners was presented with a Gold Stevie Award in the Marketing Campaign of the Year for Health Products & Services category at the 10th Annual American Business Awards gala, held June 18 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York, New York. Health Partners' whimsical ad campaign for its KidzPartners Children's Health Insurance Program was conceived to draw attention to the serious problem of childhood obesity. More Altegra Health, First 'Third-Party Submitter' Altegra Health is the first ‘Third-Party Submitter’ to receive certification in Encounter Data Front End Testing from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). This certification reflects our expertise in encounter reporting, risk adjustment analytics, and data management. Altegra Health continues to be a health care services leader. New Insights Webinar on July 16: Improving Member Retention/Reducing Churn MHPA    Share    Paul Frenkel and Lance Scott of Altegra Health present on most effective methods of outreaching to/communicating with Managed Medicaid members to ensure they remain enrolled in Medicaid and therefore stay enrolled in their plan. For more information and to register, click here. Register for MHPA's 2012 Annual Meeting | Oct. 24-26 MHPA    Share    The MHPA 2012 Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., again will be the country's largest gathering of top-level executives in the Medicaid health plan industry. This year's meeting, A Pivotal Time for Medicaid Health Plans, kicks off just one week before Americans cast their ballots in a presidential election in which health care is one of the foremost issues. As you've come to expect, the MHPA Annual Meeting will provide the perfect opportunity to participate in thought-provoking sessions and hear from compelling speakers, including Charlie Cook, political analyst and publisher of The Cook Report; Donna Brazile, political strategist and commentator; and Robert Brownstein, political director for Atlantic Media Corp. 2nd Annual Leadership Summit on Medicaid | July 24-25, Arlington, Va. The World Congress    Share    With the Supreme Court Ruling to determine the future of Medicaid Expansion in June, the 2nd Annual Leadership Summit on Medicaid will be the first national platform for all stakeholders to come together to discuss the implications and next steps. Hear Thomas Johnson, president and CEO of MHPA, participate on a keynote panel with other industry leaders to address the Supreme Court Ruling on Medicaid expansion and health reform. MHPA members, receive a $200 discount when you register online or at 800-767-9499 with promo code MHPA200. More Dual Eligibles Best Practices Summit | July 30-31 | Orlando, Fla. Healthcare Education Associates    Share    Thomas Johnson, president and CEO of MHPA, participates as a faculty member of the 2012 Dual Eligibles Best Practices Summit. Learn how to execute a well-run dual eligibles plan, from outreach campaigns to managed long-term care and everything in between. Members of MHPA are entitled to a 15 percent discount. Mention HMP122 during registration to enjoy this offer. For more information, click here or contact Theresa Powers at 704-341-2437 or tpowers@healthcare-conferences.com. More MHPA on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook MHPA    Share    Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to get industry-related news and the latest MHPA announcements.   MHPA's Industry NewsBrief Colby Horton, Vice President of Publishing, 469.420.2601 Download media kit Elizabeth Zavala, Content Editor, 469.420.2676    Contribute news This edition of MHPA's Industry NewsBrief was sent to ##Email##. To unsubscribe, click here. Did someone forward this edition to you? Subscribe here -- it's free! Recent issues July 3, 2012 June 28, 2012 June 26, 2012 June 21, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063