The Health Care Authority and the Department of Social and Health Services have announced Regence BlueShield and United Healthcare as the “apparently successful” bidders for HealthPath Washington’s new Medicare and Medicaid coordination project launching in King and Snohomish Counties in April 2014. The two other bidders, Molina Healthcare and Community Health Plan of Washington, were not selected for the project. (more…)
A new study released today by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers provides new insight into the potential benefits and shortcomings of Medicaid Expansion on patient health and well-being. This is the first time that a randomized controlled design has been used to evaluate the Medicaid program. The full results of the Oregon Health Insurance Experiment can be viewed here.
More on the story from MedPage Today: (more…)
Despite continued opposition to medicaid expansion from republican leadership in the Montana Legislature, democrats nearly staged a procedural coup to help rescue the expansion bill from committee so that it could be considered on the house floor. The problem? In all the chaos of procedural motions, one democratic legislator voted against the bill – later admitting it was an accident. Rep. Tom Jacobson of Great Falls said he misunderstood what was being voted on. Subsequent attempts to vote on the motion failed. Republicans hold a 61-39 majority in the House. It is also worthy of note that the expansion bill had evolved over the session into a compromise modeled after Arkansas’s private purchasing model to increase the likelihood of passage, rather than the traditional expansion model. (more…)
Coming into the 2013 legislative session, many people were questioning whether or not Washington would expand our state’s Medicaid program, as envisioned by the federal health-care reform bill. (more…)
The HHS budget released yesterday calls for $1.5 billion to implement (at least in part) the federal exchange for 33 states. Despite Republican’s ongoing refusal to increase funding, with some creative financing HHS maintains “we’ll be ready. No matter what.” (more…)
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says she underestimated challenges and misinformation created by the slow roll-out of health care reform saying it’s a “state-by-state” political battle of information, especially in states where governors strongly oppose the reforms.
Two key components of the Affordable Care Act will roll out in 2014 with expanded Medicaid coverage for our lowest-income populations (if secured by the state Legislature this session) and insurance Exchanges offering subsidies to make health coverage more affordable for people with higher incomes. (more…)
The Washington Health Benefit Exchange announced that it has received 36 letters of intent in response to the In-Person Assister Program – Lead Organization Services RFP. Final proposals due on April 22nd. Successful vendors will likely be announced the week of May 13th with contracts beginning July 1st.
The following organizations have submitted letters of intent for Lead Organization Services. For more information on the populations and areas of the state each organization will serve, please click here. (more…)
The News Tribune is reporting that Senate Republican budget will include Medicaid Expansion and is expected to out next week:
Lawmakers appear headed toward accepting the Medicaid expansion in President Barack Obama’s health care law.
Democrats and Gov. Jay Inslee have been on board for a while with expanding Medicaid health insurance to cover more than 200,000 additional people. House Republicans recently said their budget would include the expansion, which will reduce state medical costs by snagging federal funds to replace them.
The Republicans and two Democrats in the Senate majority have been coy about it, but their caucus chairwoman, Linda Evans Parlette, was more clear today.
“Everybody will recognize there is a bunch of money to book in the budget, and … as the Senate majority coalition, we are going to put out a budget with no new taxes. So you just have to look at all alternatives,” she said. (more…)
Recently, we promoted Idaho on our list of states to watch on health care. This week may prove why, and it’s only Tuesday. The Spokesman reports that on Friday, the Idaho Workgroup on Medicaid Expansion sent a letter to Gov. Otter noting “Medicaid expansion will save Idaho more money than previously thought and that no expansion will cost the state more than previously thought.” Independent actuarial analysis found that a January 1, 2014 start date will save the state $84 million over ten years while a six month delay will cost taxpayers $40.5 million. Push that back to 18 months and Idaho loses out on $124 million in savings. Of course, unless the governor and Legislature act soon, delays will be the only option on the menu.
As the end of session nears, the Workgroup isn’t alone in its sense of urgency. The Statesman reported that yesterday House Minority Leader Rusche (D-Lewiston) attempted to invoke parliamentary procedure to force the House Health and Welfare Committee to hold a hearing on Medicaid Expansion. The motion was struck down by voice vote. Reportedly, Speaker Bedke later reinforced his position that Medicaid Expansion will not be considered this session. (more…)
