Funding to Enroll Uninsured in New Markets Called ‘Drop in Bucket’, 4-9-13, Kaiser Health News
Phil Galewitz and Jenny Gold report the Obama administration on Tuesday said it will award $54 million to community groups in 33 states to help people sign up for insurance in the new online health insurance marketplaces that open for enrollment Oct. 1.
Health Care and Military Spending Bear the Brunt of Proposed Cuts, 4-10-13, New York Times
Robert Pear and Thom Shanker report President Obama’s effort to control federal spending would require the largest cuts from the government’s biggest programs — health care and the military — while preserving or increasing spending on favored initiatives like early education, manufacturing and research.
The White House wants to reverse $500 Million in Medicaid Cuts, 4-10-13, Washington Post
Sarah Kliff reports the White House wants to reverse $500 million in cuts to the Medicaid program meant to start in 2014, aiming to ensure that states have adequate funds to assist those that remain uninsured under the Affordable Care Act.
More Employers Dropping Insurance: Study, 4-11-13, Modern HealthCare
Jonathan Block reports rising premiums have driven a steady decline in employer-sponsored health insurance since 2000, according to a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study released today.
Docs Told They Must Drive Health System Change, 4-11-13, MedPage Today
David Pittman reports Doctors are the only people who can drive the change in healthcare delivery that’s needed to save the country from a financial crisis, a health policy expert said here.
HHS Seeking $1.5B in Funding to Run Federal Health Insurance Exchanges, 4-11-13, Kaiser Health News
Mary Agnes Carey reports the Obama administration, rebuffed earlier this year by Republicans, is trying once again to convince Congress to provide more funding for the health law’s insurance exchanges, which are set to begin enrollment this fall.
GOP Members Question Healthcare ‘Navigators’ , 4-12-13, The Hill
Julian Hattem reports house Republicans want more information about the Obama administration’s $54 million grants to help people navigate the new insurance marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act.
Experiment in Oregon Gives Medicaid Very Local Roots, 4-12-13, New York Times
Kirk Johnson reports under an agreement signed with the Obama administration last year, and just now taking shape, Oregon and the federal government have wagered $1.9 billion that — through a hyper-local focus on Medicaid — the state can show both improved health outcomes for low-income Medicaid populations and a lower rate of spending growth than the rest of the nation.
Survey Finds Industry Lagging on Move to ICD-10, 4-12-13, Modern HealthCare
Joseph Conn reports even with a year’s grace period, many providers, payers and health information technology vendors are still running behind schedule in their preparations for the massive conversion next year to ICD-10 diagnostic and procedural codes, according to an industry survey.
Sebelius: Exchanges Will Be Ready on Time, No Need for Backup Plan, 4-12-13, The Hill
Sam Baker reports the Health and Human Services Department will meet its central ObamaCare deadline and does not need a backup plan for delays, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Friday. Sebelius told the House Ways and Means Committee that a federally run insurance exchange will be up and running by Oct. 1.
Health Care Providers Want Faster Changes in Payments, 4-14-13, USA Today
Kelly Kennedy reports health care providers are pushing the federal government to scrap the payment plan for medical services, preferring instead one payment for a patient’s entire care instead of separate fees for each item.