Progress Made, More Needed in Dual Eligible Demonstration Projects
Recently, CMS’ Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office (MMCO) released a new report on the progress of the Financial Alignment Initiative. Through this initiative, thirteen states are running demonstration projects focused on improving care for vulnerable Americans enrolled in both Medicare and Medicaid,...
How Arizona Got KidsCare Back: The System of Advocacy at its Best
After six years without it, about 30,000 children in Arizona will once again have access to affordable, high quality health care coverage. Late last week, in an exciting turn of events, Arizona’s Legislature pushed through a measure to reinstate KidsCare,...
Full Steam Ahead! Advocates Shaping the Conversation on Closing the Gap in Idaho
After years of silence within the Idaho Legislature on closing the coverage gap, and no visible intention of addressing it in the 2016 legislative session, advocates refused to leave 78,000 Idahoans in the gap and successfully shifted the conversation on...
The Takeaway: Closing the Coverage Gap—It’s Getting Better All the Time
There’s not much the Obama administration can do to persuade states to take up the already generous terms available for closing the Medicaid coverage gap, especially in an election year. But they are doing what they can to sweeten the...
With Health Policy Lemons, Florida Advocates Make Lemonade: Protecting Consumers From Unfair Surprise Medical Bills
Despite political opposition to the Affordable Care Act at the highest levels of state government, Florida led the nation as the state with the most people gaining new health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. However, for Floridians with coverage,...
Patient-Centered Care? We Have a Long Way to Go
On April 4, my 73-year-old mother had back surgery. It was a difficult and lengthy procedure and, unfortunately, she experienced a series of post-operative complications. She remained in the hospital for 12 days, and for several of those days things...
The Takeaway: Battle Over Drug Prices Heats Up
Drug prices are continuing their upward spiral and there seems to be no end in sight. Lucky for the drug companies (and unlucky for us) that they have very deep pockets because it appears they are going to need them...
Springtime and HST: When It Rains It Pours
It is Washington in April and the last year of the Obama administration and so – not unexpectedly – it has been a major week for health care policy proposals and rule changes; over 2,400 pages worth of proposals and...
UnitedHealth’s Marketplace Plans So Good, They’re Not Going To Offer Them Anymore
Recently, UnitedHealth Group signaled they will be exiting Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplaces in several states following losses they sustained because too many sick people are buying their plans and using their insurance. UnitedHealth seems to have learned what many...