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 Oct. 11, 2012 Home   About   Policy & Advocacy   Education & Resources   Events           New study: Reforming Medicaid pharmacy saves New York $425 million in 2012 Pharmaceutical Care Management Association    Share    Gov. Andrew Cuomo's decision to reform New York's Medicaid pharmacy program using proven pharmacy benefit management tools is projected to save the state $425 million in 2012, according to a new study from Special Needs Consulting Services, released by the Pharmaceutical Care Management Association. New York is one of many states exploring new ways to eliminate wasteful Medicaid spending without reducing patient access to quality care. More New Issue Brief examines challenges to improve Medicaid care quality, reduce costs Deloitte Center for Health Solutions    Share    State Medicaid Program Management: Update and Considerations, an Issue Brief from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, provides an update on state Medicaid programs and considerations for stakeholders as states identify ways to improve care management and reduce costs. More MCNA Dental Plans MCNA Dental Plans delivers high quality dental care to traditionally underserved populations enrolled in Medicaid, CHIP, and Medicare programs. MCNA contracts with over 25,000 dental providers throughout 22 states. Our provider network and our focus on customer satisfaction are the foundation of our commitment to excellence. MORE Navitus Health joins forces with Texas Association of Community Based Health Plans to provide pharmacy benefits to Medicaid members Close-Up Media via Pharmacy Choice    Share    Navitus Health Solutions, a national, full pass-through pharmacy benefit manager, announced the successful implementation of a PBM program for the Texas Association of Community Based Health Plans, a group of managed Medicaid and CHIP plans in Texas. According to a release, this partnership began in March 2012 and is under a five-year contract. TACHP supports more than 1.3 million Medicaid members in Texas More UnitedHealthcare launches initiative for Medicaid beneficiaries in New Orleans to help fight childhood obesity Business Wire via TMCnet.com    Share    UnitedHealthcare is bringing JOIN for ME, a community-based childhood obesity and lifestyle intervention program, to Medicaid beneficiaries who live in the New Orleans area. JOIN for ME is a 12-month program that helps generally healthy children who are overweight or obese reach healthier weights and reduce the risk of many related health issues. This evidence-based program emphasizes whole-family lifestyle and behavior modification delivered in 16 weekly sessions, followed by monthly maintenance sessions for up to one year. More Romney defends plan to repeal Obama healthcare law The Hill    Share    Repealing President Barack Obama's healthcare law would not keep people from getting insurance or quality care, GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney said. In a recent interview with the editorial board of the Columbus Dispatch, Romney defended his plans to repeal the healthcare law, saying the uninsured could still visit an emergency room and that people with pre-existing conditions could keep their insurance. More Obama camp launches Medicaid ad POLITICO    Share    Some Democrats and center-left policy types have wondered for a while if their party would lean harder at some point into a message about Mitt Romney's plans for Medicaid, the government-funded health program on which many lower-income Americans depend. Well that moment has apparently come — just a few days ahead of the vice presidential debate — with a TV commercial the Obama campaign says is airing in New Hampshire, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Iowa, Colorado and Nevada. More Flexible Tools. Better Outcomes. Proven Savings. McKesson VITAL Care Management provides high performing programs that help deliver better outcomes for members, while reducing cost for payers. With proven ROI and multiple awards, our Medicaid experience is second to none. Join us at MHPA 2012 to find out how we deliver practical expertise, effective solutions and a trusted partnership to help you succeed. MORE Nevada governor: No Medicaid decision until after elections The Associated Press via Las Vegas Review-Journal    Share    Gov. Brian Sandoval said that he won't decide whether expanding Medicaid eligibility as called for under the federal healthcare reform law will be part of his budget proposal until after the elections and state revenue projections are made later this year. Speaking to reporters, the Republican governor said his administration still is awaiting guidance from the federal government on aspects of the law. More Adderall for healthy children in Georgia: A cost shift to Medicaid? Kaiser Health News    Share    Doctors in Georgia are prescribing ADHD medications to help low-income children struggling in elementary school, even when they do not have an attention deficit disorder, reports a front-page article in The New York Times. The story focused on Dr. Michael Anderson in Canton, Ga., who said he had little choice in the matter if he wanted to help students boost their academic performance in under-funded schools. "We've decided as a society that it's too expensive to modify the kid's environment. So we have to modify the kid," he told Times reporter Alan Schwarz. Anderson, Schwarz writes, is "one of the more outspoken proponents of an idea that is gaining interest among some physicians." More Electronic health records shown to improve quality of patient care ScienceDaily    Share    A new study by Weill Cornell Medical College researchers, published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, provides compelling evidence that electronic health records enhance the quality of patient care in a community-based setting with multiple payers, which is representative of how medicine is generally practiced across the United States. The use of EHRs is on the rise, in part because the federal government has invested up to $29 billion in incentives promoting the meaningful use of these systems, with the aim of tracking and improving patient outcomes. 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 Vision and prescription drug programs for health plans Get a better view. Learn More Countdown to MHPA's 2012 Annual Meeting; 'Diabetes Disparities' workshop for all attendees MHPA    Share    If you haven't signed up yet for the MHPA 2012 Annual Meeting, "A Pivotal Time for Medicaid Health Plans," slated for Oct. 24-26, now is the time to register online from your PC or PDA. We've also added a diabetes disparities workshop Oct 24, free for all conference attendees. "Diabetes Disparities: Innovations in Identifying and Addressing Them in Medicaid Managed Care Plans" will feature Dr. Kasia Lipska from Yale University School of Medicine; Dr. Gary Puckrein of the National Minority Quality Forum; Mary Barton from NCQA; and Dr. Andrea Gelzer, CMO of The Amerihealth Mercy Family of Companies. See the agenda here. More New Keeping You Healthy video for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month: 'Gift for Life' mammography outreach program MHPA    Share    Keystone Mercy Health Plan's "Gift for Life," an aggressive mammography outreach and event scheduling program, provides mammography screenings for their members in their own neighborhoods. Through partnerships with mobile mammography vans and local providers, Keystone Mercy arranged accessible locations throughout their five-county service area to engage members who have not had screenings in the past two years. Learn more about this best practice, which was nominated for both the Center for Best Practices 2012 Outreach award and Innovation award, from Veronica Medina, director of the Rapid Response and Outreach Program for Keystone Mercy Health Plan. More 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 Watch now: Payer/Provider Relationships, expert video from Truven Health (formerly Thomson Reuters Healthcare) MHPA    Share    Bob Kelley, senior vice president of Truven Health, talks about how reform is causing health plans to change their business model and discusses innovative ways that health plans can begin to share risk with providers. Payer/Provider Relationships is the third in a free video series by Truven Health. Coming up next week: Complexities of alternative payment methods. Insights webinar: 'Prepayment Reviews & Minimizing Medicaid Exposure' | 11 a.m. EDT Oct. 15 Presidio Excess Insurance Inc.    Share    Discuss high-dollar Medicaid claim trends from a reinsurer's prospective. REGISTER NOW. 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 Insights webinar: 'The Ins and Outs of Encounter Reporting' | 11 a.m. EDT Oct. 29 Altegra Health    Share    Health plans have many compliance requirements tied to their state Medicaid contracts, not the least of which is encounter reporting. REGISTER NOW. 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 Take action for World Diabetes Day: Attend MHPA's free webinar by Novo Nordisk on diabetes trends to 2025 and resources for policymakers, patients | noon EST Nov. 14 MHPA    Share    In an effort to help confront the epidemic of diabetes, Novo Nordisk commissioned and funded "United States' Diabetes Crisis: Today and Future Trends," the first study to provide detailed diabetes prevalence and cost forecasts individually for all 50 states out to the year 2025. The study not only provides insight into how the growing diabetes epidemic geographically will spread in the U.S., but also highlights how this demographic shift might affect local economies. This webinar will provide an overview of the study from lead researcher Dr. Bill Rowley and will introduce the Novo Nordisk Diabetes Barometer, an interactive tool and comprehensive resource that highlights important research about the current state of diabetes in the United States. Participants also will learn how to use the interactive map portion of the website to benchmark and compare diabetes prevalence and cost forecasts to 2025 for all 50 states. More Health Insurance Exchanges Summit | Nov. 29-30 | Las Vegas Healthcare Education Associates    Share    Join Healthcare Education Associates Nov. 29-30 at the Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel for the Health Insurance Exchanges Summit. This health insurance exchanges conference will deliver real, actionable takeaways for effective exchange implementation. MHPA members are eligible for a 15 percent registration discount. Mention Priority Code HMP122 during registration to enjoy this offer. 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 Oct. 11, 2012 Oct. 9, 2012 Oct. 4, 2012 Oct. 2, 2012 7701 Las Colinas Ridge, Ste. 800, Irving, TX 75063