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 Sep. 18, 2012 Home   About   Policy & Advocacy   Education & Resources   Events           Former Clinton aide: Obama would be flexible on state Medicaid expansion InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    If he's re-elected, President Barack Obama would give states the flexibility they need to expand Medicaid without busting state budgets because more than half of the health reform law's coverage expansion is on the backs of Medicaid, former Clinton healthcare aide Len Nichols said. There is no way states will be able to expand Medicaid to the extent that was called for in Affordable Care Act, said Nichols, who is the director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University. More States seek a middle ground on Medicaid The Wall Street Journal    Share    A handful of states are considering only partially expanding their Medicaid programs under the federal healthcare overhaul — a new twist on how states are interpreting the Supreme Court's ruling on the law. Indiana, New Mexico and Wisconsin are among the states asking the federal government to let them omit from the Medicaid expansion residents whose incomes put them just above the poverty level. The states hope to take advantage of provisions in the Affordable Care Act that offer a federal subsidy to help these residents buy private insurance, starting in 2014. 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 Some House Republicans eye Medicaid per-person spending cap as block grant compromise InsideHealthPolicy.com    Share    Some House Republicans have discussed pushing a Medicaid per-person spending cap next year as a possible compromise to the Medicaid block grant proposal in the House-passed budget, according to U.S. Rep. Mike Burgess, R-Texas, but Democratic lobbyists say it is doubtful Congress could work out a deal in part because per-person caps would create bureaucratic nightmares. Nevertheless, the concept deals with one of the main arguments that Democrats make against block grants, which is that more people need Medicaid during economic downturns and block grants do not account for that counter-cyclical nature of the program. More CMS: Medicaid pay hike plan coming soon MedPage Today    Share    Details on increasing Medicaid payments to primary care providers starting next year soon will be announced by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the agency said. Under the Affordable Care Act, Medicaid rates for pediatricians, general internists, family physicians and those who work under their supervision are to be set at Medicare's December 2009 levels beginning in Jan. 2013 and going through 2014. But during a conference call with providers to provide updates on the Medicaid changes, Cindy Mann, director of CMS' Center for Medicaid and CHIP Services, couldn't provide specifics on the pay increase. More Sebelius praises health law's benefits for Latinos The Hill    Share    Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius praised the healthcare law for imparting benefits to the Latino community, which is less likely to have adequate healthcare than the population at large. In a statement marking Hispanic Heritage Month, Sebelius vowed to "renew our commitment to promote health and wellness for the Latino community." "In the future, up to 9 million Latinos will have access to affordable health insurance because of the availability of tax credits and better access to Medicaid made possible by the healthcare law," she said. More Dual Eligible Value White Paper Read about increasing health plan revenues and member loyalty while improving Medicare Star Ratings with Altegra Health’s Medicare Savings Advantage®. Altegra Health is uniquely positioned to provide business, technology, and consulting solutions that improve healthcare organization performance by aligning proven revenue management solutions with our health plan and provider clients’ existing capabilities. MORE Medicaid woes subject of Texas House committee hearing The Texas Tribune    Share    At a hearing on the implementation of Medicaid managed care in South Texas, lawmakers got a much bigger earful on the consequences of difficult budget decisions they made in the last legislative session. In an effort to curb costs last session, lawmakers expanded Medicaid managed care, the health plan that oversees care for impoverished Texans, to South Texas, the border region and previously underserved areas. They made two other budget-saving moves: reducing state reimbursement rates to providers who care for "dual-eligible" patients — people who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare — and crafting a health budget that did not account for Medicaid enrollment growth. More Medicaid expansion expected to be issue in Arkansas legislative races Arkansas News    Share    After Arkansas Gov. Mike Beebe announced his full support for expanding the state Medicaid program under the federal Affordable Care Act, a reporter asked the state's Democratic chief executive if he saw the expansion as a good campaign issue for his party's legislative candidates this fall. "Yes, but you know, this doesn't need to be politicized," Beebe said. "This is important on its merits." Political insiders say there is zero chance expanding Medicaid won't be a political football in the final weeks before the November general election as Republicans and Democrats battle for control of the Legislature. 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 Inaccurate or incomplete data wastes time and money. LexisNexis® data hygiene services make it easy to maintain updated member contact information and reduce undeliverable and returned mail. LEARN MORE South Carolina Gov. Haley's administration hopes to avoid replay of stimulus fight on Medicaid expansion The Post and Courier    Share    Call it the Big Sell before the Big Fight. Republican Gov. Nikki Haley's administration, opposed to an expansion of South Carolina's Medicaid program, has begun meeting with state lawmakers and other players in the debate over the expansion. The goal? Win allies now and when the Legislature returns in January, avoid a repeat of the last time the state had to decide whether to accept a huge sum of federal money. More Federal court rejects Maine's Medicaid lawsuit The Associated Press via Ventura County Star    Share    A federal appeals court rejected Maine's lawsuit that demanded swift action from the federal government on the state's Aug. 1 request to eliminate Medicaid coverage for more than 20,000 residents. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston declared the lawsuit premature because the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services had 90 days — until Nov. 1 — by statute to consider Maine's waiver request. The ruling came a little more than a week after the state of Maine sought an injunction. Republican Gov. Paul LePage's office had no comment. More Alabama voters to decide on Medicaid, prison support Reuters via The US Daily News    Share    Alabama voters will decide whether to transfer more than $437 million from a state trust fund to shore up the state general fund, primarily to support prisons and Medicaid payments. Alabama is required by law to have a balanced budget. Under its 1901 Constitution, voters must approve amendments to raise taxes or make other financial decisions such as the proposed transfer from the $2.3 billion trust fund. More Did you miss Baxter's webinar? Download 'Importance of Coordinated Care in the Management of Members with Hemophilia' free from MHPA's website MHPA    Share    The presentation on coordinating care in hemophilia and how to improve outcomes and reduce costs by Jeff Januska, PharmD, pharmacy director at CenCal Health and Dr. Steven Pipe, associate professor, Department of Pediatrics and the Department of Pathology, University of Michigan, now is available on MHPA's website. Improve HEDIS Scores with CareCall. Want to improve your HEDIS scores by enhancing wellness outreach efforts? Specializing in managed care for over 20 years, CareCall can provide cost-effective solutions for targeted wellness outreach initiatives. Call Today to learn more! 1-866-730-0426 www.carecall.com Download slides for Verizon's webinar: Fraud Waste and Abuse — The Next Generation MHPA    Share    Thanks for attending Fraud, Waste and Abuse — The Next Generation. The presentation on understanding the patterns of fraud, where to find it, how to detect and when to act by Connie Schweyen, Debra Faulkner, MBA, MHA; and Dr. David Botsko, CFE, managing principals at Verizon Connected Healthcare, now is available on MHPA's website. More Reaching, Retaining and Serving Dual Eligible Beneficiaries | Sept. 19-20 | Scottsdale, Ariz. Healthcare Education Associates    Share    Explore effective marketing, outreach and engagement for Medicare/Medicaid dual eligibles. Healthcare Education Associates and the Risk Adjustment Initiative & Society for Education are pleased to present the Reaching, Retaining and Serving Dual Eligible Beneficiaries Summit, slated for Sept. 19-20 in Scottsdale, Ariz. This groundbreaking two-day intensive event designed to tackle the unique challenges of marketing and outreach to the dual eligible population, will feature MHPA President and CEO Thomas Johnson as a guest speaker. MHPA members get 15 percent off registration by using Priority Code: HMP122. Call Theresa Powers at 704-341-2437 or register online here. The Experience and Technology to Help Fight Fraud Verizon’s Fraud Management services for healthcare automate prepayment fraud detection and monitor 100% of claims in near-real time - providing you the insight, actionable information, and expertise to manage risk, protect critical data, and combat fraudulent activity head-on. MORE Conference hotel completely sold out for MHPA's 2012 Annual Meeting | Oct 24-26 | Washington, DC MHPA    Share    There are no more rooms available at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill. See the list of nearby hotels for available rooms. And if you haven't registered yet for the MHPA 2012 Annual Meeting, "A Pivotal Time for Medicaid Health Plans," you may register online now from your PC or PDA. Free webinar by MHPA partner LexisNexis: Why Identity Management Matters to Medicaid | 1 p.m. EST Nov. 8 MHPA    Share    As a Medicaid Plan you should not just be addressing the "what" of identity management — the technical side — but, more important, the question of "who?" How do we know who the person on the other end is who they say they are and what risks they may pose for the environments and systems they are attempting to enter? More Insights webinar: Reduce Outsourcing Risk | 11 a.m. EST Dec. 20 MHPA    Share    Details here. 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 Sept. 18, 2012 Sept. 13, 2012 Sept. 11, 2012 Sept. 6, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063