05/18/2012
In a Payers & Providers opinion piece, Texas physician Chris Rangel argues that a provision in the federal health reform law that will expand Medicaid coverage to individuals below 133% of the federal poverty level "is more likely to raise health care costs over the next decade" than the law's individual insurance mandate. He writes, "Contrary to popular belief, the uninsured do not flood emergency rooms because they can't get care elsewhere." He notes, "They are their own best managed care system by avoiding expensive health care except for serious conditions," which they may no longer be compelled to do after the Medicaid expansion. Payers & Providers.
05/18/2012
Many California residents are ineligible for potential safety-net programs because the current federal poverty level, at $15,130 for a couple, is too low, according to a new study by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. The study's authors said the FPL should be nearly three times higher in some parts of the state, noting that 40% of adults older than age 65 and 25% of non-seniors are undercounted as being poor. Payers & Providers.
05/17/2012
Molina Healthcare, a Medicaid managed care plan based in Long Beach, has been named among Fortune's 500 largest U.S. companies, debuting at number 500. The company has expanded rapidly outside of the California market, generating $4.6 billion in revenue in 2011. Molina currently has 1.8 million Medicaid managed care beneficiaries in 10 states. Payers & Providers.
05/17/2012
The Senate voted down five different Republican-backed fiscal year 2013 budget resolutions yesterday. Lawmakers noted that Congress is unlikely to approve any budget proposals that include changes to Medicare and Medicaid until 2013. The Hill's "Floor Action Blog" et al.
05/16/2012
Gov. Brown's revised fiscal year 2012-2013 budget plan includes deeper cuts to health and welfare programs than his initial proposal, some of which would affect hospitals and social service agencies in the Central Valley. For example, Kaweah Delta Medical Center would lose $16.6 million, or about 14.5% of its Medi-Cal revenue, in the next fiscal year under the revised budget plan, according to Kaweah Delta CEO Lindsay Mann. Fresno Bee.
05/15/2012
Gov. Brown has released his revised budget plan for the next fiscal year. The plan includes deeper Medi-Cal and In-Home Supportive Services cuts than his original plan and maintains proposed cuts to welfare and child care programs. Sacramento Bee's "Capitol Alert" et al.
05/11/2012
The House has approved a budget reconciliation bill that would override automatic spending cuts and reduce entitlement spending. The bill would cut the federal Medicaid match to states and impose stricter eligibility standards. Washington Times et al.
05/10/2012
Yesterday, HHS released a proposed rule that would increase Medicaid reimbursements for primary care physicians over two years. Under the proposal, which stems from the health reform law, the federal government would cover the entire cost of the increase. Washington Post et al.
05/08/2012
Health care leaders in Sacramento County are concerned about the lack of primary care services available to low-income and uninsured residents. The county once operated six public clinics but now runs only one, while not-for-profit community clinics are scarce. Sacramento Bee.
05/08/2012
The House Budget Committee has approved a budget plan that would cut funding from Medicaid, the Children's Health Insurance Program and other health initiatives. The full House likely will pass the bill, but the Senate is expected to reject it. AP/San Francisco Chronicle et al.
05/07/2012
A Kaiser Family Foundation report finds that Medicaid spending increased from $330 billion in fiscal year 2007 to $400 billion in FY 2010, partly because of increased unemployment and lower incomes during the recession. Reuters.
04/25/2012
California Auditor Elaine Howle recently announced that the state is developing a new computer system to handle Medi-Cal billing. The new system -- called Health Enterprise -- will replace the 30-year-old Medicaid Management Information System that currently processes billing. Capitol Weekly.
04/17/2012
More than 50% of California's long-term caregivers who are paid by Medi-Cal to aid low-income seniors and residents with disabilities are living in poverty or close to living in poverty, according to a new report by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. Capitol Public Radio's "KXJZ News."
04/05/2012
Bay Area counties could lose tens of millions of dollars if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that a planned Medi-Cal expansion under the federal health reform law is unconstitutional. Forty-seven California counties by the end of January had established low-income health programs to prepare for implementing the Medicaid expansion in 2014, including Alameda, Contra Costa, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. If the expansion is ruled unconstitutional, the counties could lose out on expected federal funding. San Jose Mercury News.
04/04/2012
California recouped $388.26 million from Medicaid fraud and patient abuse cases in fiscal year 2011, according to an HHS Office of the Inspector General report. The amount is the most recovered by any state that year. FierceHealthcare, HHS OIG report summary.