11/14/2011
Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have reduced their mental health budgets by nearly $1.7 billion since fiscal year 2009, according to a report by the National Alliance on Mental Illness. The report found that California, New York and Illinois collectively accounted for $1.2 billion in mental health budget cuts. According to NAMI, the budget cuts were exacerbated in June with the expiration of $87 billion in federal stimulus aid to state Medicaid programs, which led states to shift funds from mental health services to their Medicaid programs. AP/San Francisco Chronicle.
10/28/2011
A Kaiser Family Foundation report finds that states' Medicaid spending is projected to jump by an average of 29% in fiscal year 2012, the largest increase in the program's history. A funding boost from the federal economic stimulus package expired in June. Kaiser Health News.
10/17/2011
Last week, HHS announced that the National Health Service Corps -- a federal program that places clinicians in underserved communities -- has almost tripled in size from about 3,600 members in 2008 to 10,000 this year. The program provides scholarships and loan repayments to health care providers who commit to practice for two to four years in underserved communities. Funding provided by the federal health reform law and the 2009 economic stimulus package has allowed HHS to provide about $900 million to the providers, who serve about 10.5 million patients in underserved areas. Washington Post, The Hill's "Healthwatch."
10/07/2011
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has approved a proposal to award a $32 million contract to health IT vendor Cerner to shift the county's electronic health record systems to one central EHR system. Ventura County Health Care Agency Director Robert Gonzalez said the centralized EHR system will cut costs and improve the quality of care by reducing medication errors and complication rates. The shift to a centralized system also will help the county qualify for meaningful use incentive payments and avoid penalties under the federal economic stimulus package. The project is set to begin immediately and will take 14 to 18 months to complete. Ventura County Star.
08/19/2011
In a report sent to Gov. Brown and the Legislature last week, state Auditor Elaine Howle said that the state might have lost up to $3 billion in federal stimulus funding because it failed to spend the money in time. According to the report, California has been awarded $38.8 billion in stimulus funding, with spending deadlines ranging from September 2010 to September 2013. As of March 31, $8.6 billion -- or 22% -- of the funding was unspent. The report notes, "Any unspent funds for these grants after the respective deadline must revert to the federal government." San Francisco Business Times.
07/11/2011
The California Emergency Management Agency could risk losing unspent funding from the 2009 economic stimulus package in 2013 unless it closely monitors how it uses the money, according to a state auditor report issued last week. In a separate report from 2010, the state auditor said that the agency did not have an adequate system in place to monitor the use of funding and that the agency was spending its funding too slowly. Some of the $136 million in stimulus funding is allocated toward drug misuse prevention and enforcing methamphetamine regulations. California Watch/San Diego Union-Tribune.
06/30/2011
Billions of dollars in federal stimulus funds for Medi-Cal are scheduled to run out on Friday. Meanwhile, state officials are awaiting federal approval for about $1.4 billion in Medi-Cal cuts that would make up part of the budget package for the new fiscal year. San Francisco Chronicle.
06/16/2011
Officials in California and other states are preparing for the end of more than $90 billion in federal stimulus funding for Medicaid. The federal share of Medicaid spending increased to 67% with the stimulus package funding but will revert to 57% next month. To deal with the loss of federal Medicaid funding, California is cutting Medicaid payments to physicians and other health care providers by 10%, establishing higher copayments and limiting beneficiaries to seven physician visits annually. Toby Douglas, director of the California Department of Health Care Services, added that the federal Medicaid funding cut is causing "very consequential reductions in health care and other public programs." New York Times.
05/11/2011
A new report from the California HealthCare Foundation finds that 55% of primary care physicians in California use electronic health record systems. The report also finds that EHR adoption has increased significantly at community clinics statewide. Modern Healthcare et al.
04/14/2011
Lawmakers recently approved $1.6 billion in cuts to Medi-Cal, and federal stimulus funding for the program soon will dry up. The funding losses likely will create challenges as California attempts to expand Medi-Cal under the federal health reform law. Orange County Register.
03/22/2011
States could receive more than $1 billion in federal matching Medicaid funds if they expedite payment of bills before higher matching rates decline on April 1 and expire on July 1. As a result, many states are rushing to pay medical bills and asking hospitals and physicians to send claims in quickly. In California, a one-week auditor's hold on checks has been temporarily suspended, and two check-writing dates have been moved from July to June. USA Today.
03/11/2011
Six health information exchange initiatives in California will receive funding from Cal eConnect, the state-designated organization to disburse funds for such efforts. The $38.8 million in funding comes from the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, which was part of the 2009 economic stimulus package. Health Data Management.
03/10/2011
The implementation of health IT has had an overall positive effect on health care providers, according to a new analysis published in the journal Health Affairs. Researchers with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT analyzed 154 recent studies and found that 92% reached conclusions suggesting that health IT has benefited patient care. Officials said the findings help affirm the benefits of health IT for large and small medical practices. Government Health IT et al.
02/03/2011
On Wednesday, San Diego County officials unveiled the Healthy Works initiative, which features projects to promote physical activity, access to healthy food and healthy school settings. The initiative stems from a two-year, $16 million grant under the 2009 economic stimulus package. San Diego Union-Tribune.
01/31/2011
Many states are considering scaling back their Medicaid programs as they face budget shortfalls, reduced federal aid from the economic stimulus package and a required expansion of program eligibility under the health reform law. New York Times, Kaiser Health News.