According to a recently posted Seattle Times article, cases of whooping cough in Washington State continue to grow: (more…)
Archive for April, 2012
Latest Report on Whooping Cough Cases in Washington State
Monday, April 30th, 2012What If? Accountable Care Organizations and Repeal of the ACA
Monday, April 30th, 2012
State of Reform is proud to launch, in collaboration with the Univ of Washington School of Public Health – Health Policy Center Initiative , a series titled “What If: A Post-Supreme Court World.” This is the third piece in a series of contributions hosted on our news site, by a range of authors, about the possibilities for health care in a still hypothetical world after a Supreme Court decision.
One of the major cost control mechanisms created by the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) are Medicare Accountable Care Organizations, or ACOs. The basic mechanics of the program are that a health care organization is held contractually accountable for the cost and quality of a defined population of patients (at least 5,000 Medicare beneficiaries) and can share in up to 60 percent of any cost reductions achieved. (more…)
CHPW, CUP Motion For Injunction Against State Is Denied
Friday, April 27th, 2012
A federal court judge in Tacoma denied a motion by Community Health Plan of Washington and Columbia United Providers to halt the state Medicaid RFP process.
The motion, which was outlined in a previous story on State of Reform, was part of a legal case the entities are bringing against the state. According to a release from CUP, the case will now move forward to a full trial.
This week, a federal court judge ruled against Columbia United Providers’ (CUP) motion for injunction against the state of Washington. The motion sought to halt the state’s efforts, which appear to have the effect of eliminating access to providers in Clark County for Medicaid beneficiaries. The motion was brought in a joint effort by CUP and Community Health Plan of Washington in advance of a hearing on the merits of the case in a full trial.
While the CUP/CHPW case is now cleared to move forward to a full trial, CUP and CHPW are considering the merits of appealing the judge’s decision on this motion to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The judge’s decision can be read here.
Report: Health Care Law Rebates to Top $1B
Thursday, April 26th, 2012
On Thursday, April 26 an article by Associated Press writer Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar highlighted the Kaiser Family Foundation’s report “Insurer Rebates under the Medical Loss Ratio: 2012 Estimates.”
According to the study, insurance companies will have to return more than $1 billion this year to consumers and businesses under the Medical Loss Ratio provision of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). (more…)
Studies Show That an Appendectomy Can Range In Cost from $1,500 to $182,955
Wednesday, April 25th, 2012
On Tuesday, April 24 both the Everett Herald and the Seattle Times ran articles reflecting studies of the cost of appendix surgery recently published by Archives of Internal Medicine. (more…)
Dr. Roger Stark Calls For The Repeal Of IPAB To Protect Medicare Beneficiaries
Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
Dr. Roger Stark wrote an article for the opinion section of the Seattle Times today in which he voices concerns with the Affordable Care Act’s establishment of the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB), and its potential to “exacerbate the Medicare doctor-shortage crisis.” (more…)
Outbreak of Measles in 2011
Tuesday, April 24th, 2012
Valley General Hospital And UW Neurologists To Start Stroke ID Program
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
On Monday, April 23, the Everett Herald ran an article on the stroke ID program that Valley General Hospital will launch next month. The program includes cooperation between the General Valley hospital and UW neurologists at Seattle’s UW Medicine. (more…)
Providence Lost $4.3 Million In First Quarter Of 2012; Seattle's Swedish Losing $250,000 A Day
Monday, April 23rd, 2012
Today the Everett Herald reported that in the first quarter of 2012, Providence Regional Medical Center Everett recorded a loss of $4.3 million. That sum is $800,000 more than what the medical center had budgeted and is “part of a trend of hospitals throughout the Puget Sound battling red ink.” (more…)
What If? Public Health Services At Risk With or Without the ACA
Thursday, April 26th, 2012 by Susan Allan, MD, JD, MPHState of Reform is proud to launch, in collaboration with the Univ of Washington School of Public Health – Health Policy Center Initiative , a series titled “What If: A Post-Supreme Court World.” This is the second piece in a series of contributions hosted on our news site, by a range of authors, about the possibilities for health care in a still hypothetical world after a Supreme Court decision.
State and local public health agencies overall were very enthusiastic about passage of the ACA: its promise to reduce the number of uninsured, the mention of prevention in many of its provisions, and the considerable funding it provides through the Prevention and Public Health Fund. As things have worked out, many health departments will find themselves struggling to deliver core public health services regardless of the Supreme Court’s decision – that is, with or without the ACA. (more…)
Tags: commentary, public health, Susan Allan, What If
Posted in Commentary, What if? |