State Health Watch Archives – February 1, 2011
February 1, 2011
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No "wait and see" approach for Medicaid expansion
Will the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) survive in its current state, be significantly altered, or even be repealed altogether? More than two dozen cases in federal courts across the country are currently challenging various aspects of the law, notes Stan Dorn, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC. -
Arizona Medicaid needs $1 billion to fund current program for FY2012
Arizona will have to spend $11.6 billion in general fund monies from fiscal years 2011 through 2020 to serve expansion and "woodwork" populations, as well as maintain previously optional groups that are now mandated by the federal government, according to an analysis of the impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that was completed by Arizona's Medicaid program. -
What is most likely outcome for Medicaid expansion and health reform?
As speculation continues regarding the future of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), state Medicaid directors are continuing with their planning process, says Stan Dorn, a senior fellow at the Urban Institute in Washington, DC. "There is always a lot of posturing. After Medicare Part D passed, there was posturing," says Mr. Dorn. "But it's much harder to repeal a law than to create a law. I think it is realistic to assume it is going to go forward." -
Savings differ not only by state, but also by area of government
States have the potential to save significantly under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), according to a new analysis of its fiscal impact. -
New fraud detection requirements — and opportunities — for Medicaid
Under a proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), states would have the authority to impose a moratorium on provider types, as long as they can show this will not impact access to care. -
Medicaid combats fraud with better screening and more targeted audits
Mike Blackburn, bureau chief of Florida's Medicaid Program Integrity, says that the agency has multiple fraud prevention initiatives under way, "though it may be too early to call them complete successes." He says that the post-payment auditor that will meet the RAC [Recovery Audit Contractors] requirement will be a big help in supplementing what the Medicaid Integrity Group is able to do. -
Track new eligibles effectively, or lose out on higher federal match
Beginning in 2014, states will receive much higher federal reimbursement for newly eligible Medicaid beneficiaries, notes Judith Solomon, co-director of Health Policy at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities in Washington, DC. States will receive 100% federal match for the first three years, which phases down to 90% in 2020 -
HIEs are opportunity for better value
Brian Osberg, Minnesota's state Medicaid director, says that the agency was "a bit surprised and pleased by how much emphasis the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology placed on HIE [Health Information Exchange]," as a result of the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act [HITECH] legislation.