« The Dual Agenda: August 19, 2015 Issue
Noteworthy News
Kaiser Issue Brief Highlights the Voices of Dually Eligible Beneficiaries
Building on the Early Insights case studies about the dual-eligible demonstrations in Massachusetts, Ohio and Virginia released in May, the Kaiser Family Foundation has released an issue brief that provides additional information and insights about initial program activities from the perspective of beneficiaries in these three states. The brief, which is based on 12 individual interviews conducted in early 2015, provides a summary of key findings along with profiles of six of the interviewed beneficiaries to illustrate representative program experiences. The personal narratives provide a fine-grained picture both of cases where care coordination is succeeding, and of the many ongoing shortcomings and challenges within the demonstrations.
Boston Globe Op-Ed Puts Challenges Faced by Massachusetts Demonstration into Perspective
The Boston Globe printed an op-ed by Lois Simon, president of Commonwealth Care Alliance, the largest plan participating in One Care. Ms. Simon’s op-ed, in response to a Globe article on One Care financial losses, puts the scope of the challenges faced by both dually eligible individuals and the One Care plans seeking to improve their care into perspective. As she points out, “There is no precedent for what One Care is trying to do, and little question that the traditional health care model for these most complex cases needs to change…we shouldn’t derail a groundbreaking program before it has a chance to fully work.”
Resources for CBOs Seeking Partnerships with Health Care Organizations
The SCAN Foundation has released new resources from its Linkage Lab Initiative for Community Based Organizations (CBOs) seeking partnerships with the health care sector. Part of the promise of health system transformation is to bring CBOs into a more central role in integrating long-term services and supports with the health sector to care for older adults and people with disabilities. The goal of the Linkage Lab Initiative is to prepare CBOs seeking to deliver care coordination services to form effective partnerships with health plans and other health care entities through structured management education and on-site technical assistance. Six CBOs in California participated in the first Linkage Lab cohort, and by the end of the program these organizations effectively negotiated 27 contracts with 17 health care entities. Online tools include modules on building business acumen, a pricing toolkit, a webinar and a summary of the lessons learned.