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 Feb. 6, 2013 Home   About   Policy & Advocacy   Education & Resources   Events           Interim MHPA head seeks way to pay for axing fee for Medicaid plans InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    As Joe Moser takes the helm at the Medicaid Health Plans of America, the interim president and CEO said he must figure out how to convince Congress to repeal the ACA insurance fee on Medicaid managed care plans without shifting the cost to other insurance companies. Repealing the fee is MHPA's top priority this year, because it takes effect Jan. 1, 2014, and once such fees are in place, they become next to impossible to repeal, but Medicaid managed care plans have not determined how they would pay for a fee repeal. More Ohio governor backs Medicaid expansion under federal law to cover more poor The Washington Post    Share    Ohio Gov. John Kasich, a Republican, announced he will push for expanding Medicaid under the federal healthcare law, a move that would give many more poor people access to government care. It also sets up a potential fight among the governor and Republicans who control the state Legislature and are strongly against President Barack Obama's healthcare law. More Feds approve first step of Florida's Medicaid managed care push The Palm Beach Post    Share    The Obama administration has approved Florida's first step toward moving Medicaid patients into managed care programs — endorsing an approach advanced two years ago by the legislature that stalled awaiting federal action, Gov. Rick Scott said. The waiver approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services under the Department of Health and Human Services allows state officials to begin moving long-term care patients into managed care programs. More Medicaid appears off-limits to talk of budget cuts Los Angeles Times    Share    Healthcare for the nation's poor, once viewed as especially vulnerable in this era of budget cutting, has emerged as a surprisingly secure government entitlement with as much political clout as the Medicare and Social Security retirement programs. As President Barack Obama and congressional Republicans prepare for a new battle over spending, the White House puts up a wall around healthcare for the nation's poor. More Manage Growth. Increase Efficiency. Control Costs. TMG Health has the experience and proven solutions you need for SUCCESS in the Managed Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D markets. Our purpose-built applications ensure the highest level of ACCURACY and COMPLIANCE for Enrollment, Eligibility, Reconciliation, Premium Billing, Print Fulfillment, Call Center, Claims Processing, and more. Contact us. Free webinar by PwC tomorrow | Wed., Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. ET: 'Getting to know the 30 million newly insured: New patients equals new challenges' PwC    Share    In the wake of the Supreme Court's ruling to uphold the Affordable Care Act, about 30 million uninsured Americans under age 65 stand to gain coverage under the law. States are deciding whether to expand Medicaid coverage and which type of health insurance marketplace to create. When the exchange population is combined with the new Medicaid beneficiaries, the result will be a distinctly different customer base for the health sector, bringing with it many new challenges and opportunities. Join PwC's Sandra Hunt and Ben Isgur as they provide insight on the soon-to-be insured Medicaid and Exchange populations and on the challenges/opportunities that await payers. More Sebelius: Medicaid expansion's not 'bait and switch' Politico    Share    In a message targeted at states undecided about expanding Medicaid under the health care law, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius stressed that the White House won't back away from its promise to fund the expansions, even amid mounting battles over the federal budget. Sebelius said states hesitant to sign up for the Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act shouldn't fear that the federal funding commitment will disappear when states boost their Medicaid rolls. More Feds help states qualify for more medicaid dollars Kaiser Health News    Share    The Obama administration released guidance to states on how they can increase their Medicaid funding by eliminating copays for certain preventive services, including immunizations. The provision of the Affordable Care Act was slated to take effect Jan. 1. States that implement the changes can apply for the funding retroactive to that date. More Tennessee, Hawaii opt out duals demonstration; 23 states still pursuing initiative InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    Tennessee recently decided against moving forward with a high-profile CMS demonstration project focused on aligning reimbursements for so-called "dually eligible" beneficiaries due to concerns about plan rates and timing issues. Hawaii has also dropped out of the program. A CMS Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office official affirmed that 23 states still plan to pursue the financial alignment demonstration, and the office also continues to work with California and hopes to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding on that state's duals demo as soon as a few outstanding issues are ironed out. More Pennsylvania governor Corbett may wait on decision on Medicaid expansion The Associated Press via St. Paul Pioneer Press    Share    Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett may not announce whether he will support the expansion of Medicaid under the federal healthcare law when he delivers his budget address to the Legislature. What to do about Medicaid is a major dilemma for the Republican governor, who as attorney general earlier joined an ultimately unsuccessful multi-state lawsuit to try to throw out President Barack Obama's sweeping 2010 healthcare law. More Snyder to enter brewing Medicaid battle in Michigan The Detroit News    Share    Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will fire the first shot in the next healthcare skirmish when he recommends in his budget presentation to the legislature whether Michigan should open Medicaid to as many as half a million more residents. Under the 2010 Affordable Care Act, the federal government has promised to pay all costs for three years for residents added to the federal health insurance program for low-income people in states that raise income eligibility. Federal payments would decline to 90 percent from 2017 to 2020 and would never go lower, according to the law. More Republican Bolling makes case for expanding Medicaid in Virginia The Washington Post    Share    Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling came out in favor of expanding Virginia's Medicaid program, carving out another position that sets him apart from Gov. Robert F. McDonnell and a Republican rival for governor. Bolling, a Republican who is considering an independent bid for governor, laid out in a letter to House and Senate leaders his "business case" for opening the state-federal healthcare program to an additional 300,000 low-income Virginians. More Texas Medicaid expansion in spotlight as session heats up The Texas Tribune    Share    Will Texas expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act? That's the $100 billion question at the Capitol this session. The state's Republican leadership says no, but supporters of federal health care reform may be gaining traction. A recent report by former Deputy Comptroller Billy Hamilton indicated that if the state spent $15 billion on a Medicaid expansion over 10 years, it would get $100 billion back — and about 231,000 new jobs by 2016. More Medicaid could boost Mississippi health jobs The Associated Press via Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal    Share    Republican Gov. Phil Bryant wants to create more healthcare jobs in Mississippi, one of the poorest and most medically underserved states in the nation. He also opposes putting more Mississippi residents on Medicaid under the federal health care law that President Barack Obama signed in 2010, even with the federal government paying most of the cost. Are these two positions contradictory? Bryant says they're not. Read more: - Medicaid could boost Mississippi health jobs 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 info@libertydentalplan.com Take the risk out of your Vision and Rx Plans Let NVA help you get a better view. Learn More 'Helping Families Raise Healthy Children' video by UPMC and Rand YouTube    Share    This UPMC program is a cross-systems quality improvement initiative that helps families with children who are facing caregiver depression and early childhood developmental delays. "Helping Families" also won the 2012 Make a Difference award for from the MHPA Center for Best Practices. More WellCare assists Georgia Medicaid members earn a high school diploma with free GED testing Pharmacy Choice    Share    As part of its mission to enhance its members' health and quality of life, WellCare Health Plans, Inc., is underwriting the cost of General Educational Development testing for eligible WellCare of Georgia Medicaid members. Passing the GED test earns the member the equivalent of a Georgia high school diploma. More Recent webinar presentations from Deloitte and AmeriHealth Mercy available free on MHPA's website MHPA    Share    View PDFs of "The Fiscal Cliff, ACA, and Medicaid Managed Care" by Deloitte Consulting, "Optimizing Pharmaceutical Care in a Drug Therapy Management Program" by The AmeriHealth Mercy Family of Companies, and more. More MHPA's Joe Moser to speak at Strategic Solutions Network's 4th Annual 'Medicaid Innovations Forum | Feb. 5-7 | Orlando, Fla. Medicaid Innovations    Share    Medicaid Innovations will be the meeting place for all participants in the Medicaid universe who want to participate, share and learn about innovations that promote quality improvement, cost reduction and transformation in the face of reform. Use discount code MHPA when registering to receive a $200 discount off the current rate. More MHPA's Amy Ingham to speak at 6th Annual Leadership Summit on Medicaid Managed Care | Feb 25-27 | Arlington, Va. MHPA    Share    Payment transformation continues in Medicaid, as well as the development of integrated care delivery models industrywide. Medicaid managed care plans must continue to show their value. Attend the 6th Annual Leadership Summit on Medicaid Managed Care to learn how. MHPA members, receive a $200 discount when you register online or at 800-767-9499 with promo code MHPA200. Discounts are not valid on government rates. More Annual Medicaid Managed Care Congress | May 20-22 | Baltimore Marriott Inner Harbor Hotel | Baltimore Institute for International Research    Share    Collaborate and drive innovation to move the Medicaid industry forward. Implement the ACA, increase quality, grow membership, and strengthen financials. Register with code XP1826MHPA and save 25 percent. 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 Damon Sayles, Content Editor, 469.420.2662    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 Feb. 6, 2013 Jan. 31, 2013 Jan. 29, 2013 Jan. 24, 2013 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063