Monthly Archives: November 2011
CaliforniACA November Newsletter Now Available!
| November 30, 2011 | Posted by Ashley Cohen under Legislation/Policy |
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Medi-Cal Provider Rate Cuts Approved Despite already having some of the lowest Medicaid reimbursement rates in the country, California was recently cleared by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) to cut an additional 10% from many providers’ Medi-Cal reimbursements (including physicians, dentists, clinics, pharmacies, and most nursing homes). The Medi-Cal program costs… more
Coordinating Care for California’s Dual Eligibles
| November 29, 2011 | Posted by Ashley Cohen under Blog |
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[The following post was written by Emily Webb. Emily is in her second year of pursuing a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Health Policy and Management from UC Berkeley. She is also completing an internship in Health Systems Innovation at the California Pacific Medical Center and worked… more
California Has Received Millions for Prevention and Public Health
| November 28, 2011 | Posted by Ashley Cohen under Blog |
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COMMUNITY TRANSFORMATION GRANTS In May, HHS announced $100M for up to 75 Community Transformation Grants (CTGs) as a part of ACA’s Prevention and Public Health Fund. The Fund, which will distribute $15B over 10 years, is aimed at focusing on wellness and prevention and preventing chronic disease. The CTG grants… more
Health Insurance Plan Comparison Tool to Aid Small Businesses
| November 22, 2011 | Posted by Kiwon Yoo under Blog |
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A renovated website is available to provide small business owners an unprecedented review tool to see health insurance plan choices, with the ability to sort by out-of-pocket limits, average cost per enrollee, prescription drug/maternity/mental health coverage and other factors. Smaller businesses, which do not have the large purchasing/negotiating power of… more
PCIP Enrollment To Be Capped?
| November 21, 2011 | Posted by Kiwon Yoo under Blog |
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Unless more federal funding is allocated for the Pre-Existing Condition Insurance Plan (PCIP), enrollment may have to be soon capped. PCIP, a federally funded coverage program for individuals who have been denied coverage due to pre-existing conditions, was expected to accommodate up to 23,000 California enrollees. This figure, however, is… more
November Exchange Board Meeting: Contract Timeline, New Senior Staff, and User IT Experience
| November 17, 2011 | Posted by Ashley Cohen under Blog |
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The November Exchange Board meeting (agenda) was held a little earlier in the month than usual (presumably to avoid Thanksgiving travel conflicts). The highlights of the meeting included an approved resolution intended to commend Pat Powers on her work as Acting Administrator, an inspirational and innovative presentation on an interface… more
Thoughts on the Sevensky v. Holder Ruling and the Constitutionality of the ACA
| November 9, 2011 | Posted by Lucien Wulsin under Blog, Legislation Policy News |
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If you want a lucid and easily understandable analysis 0f the constitutionality of the ACA, read Judge Silberman’s opinion and analysis in Sevensky v. Holder #11-5047 (DC Court of Appeals November 8, 2011). The issue the court is addressing is whether the individual mandate/shared responsibility is unconstitutional under the Commerce… more
What exactly is “MAGI”?
| November 9, 2011 | Posted by Ashley Cohen under Blog |
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We’ve been throwing around the term “MAGI” quite a bit lately when talking about eligibility determinations in 2014. My shorthand explanation has been, “MAGI is a simplified way of calculating income.” Thanks to a recently released report from Families USA, I can offer a more elaborate explanation of MAGI. In… more
CaliforniACA – October Edition
| November 8, 2011 | Posted by Ashley Cohen under Legislation/Policy |
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Update on Health-Related Legislation October 9 was Governor Brown’s deadline to sign legislation into law. Governor Brown signed bills related to MLRs (medical loss ratios), autism coverage, coverage for maternity benefits, standardization of applications, and extensions of Medi-Cal fees for hospitals and Medi-Cal managed care plans. To see a full… more
