State Highlights: Baltimore Hospitals Create Jobs For Disadvantaged City Residents; In Alaska, Medicaid Recipients May Soon Be Getting Recycled Medical Equipment
News outlets report on health care developments in Maryland, Alaska, Texas, Florida, Illinois, Wisconsin and California.
The Baltimore Sun:
Hospitals To Create Up To 375 Jobs For Disadvantaged City Residents
Baltimore residents living in struggling neighborhoods hard hit by riots last April will be able to apply for 375 new jobs at area hospitals thanks to an initiative approved by state hospital rate regulators. After three months of debates and hearings, state regulators reached a last-minute agreement on Wednesday requiring participating hospitals to pay a share of the cost of the program and the rest to come from hospital rate increases. (Cohn, 12/9)
The Associated Press:
Lawmakers Consider Reused Medical Equipment
Alaska's Medicaid patients may soon be getting recycled wheelchairs and walkers under new legislation that could reduce costs for the state program. State lawmakers and officials with the Alaska Department of Health and Social Services are working together to amend Medicaid regulations to allow reimbursement for reused medical items instead of having patients purchase new ones. (12/9)
The Baltimore Sun:
Maryland Fires Firm Upgrading Medicaid Technology, May Seek Money Back
Maryland health department officials have cut ties with the company hired to upgrade the state's Medicaid computer system and plan to hire outside counsel to review if the state is due any refunds. The state has paid the company about $30 million, with about 90 percent coming from federal funds, the agencies said. (Cohn, 12/9)
The Houston Chronicle:
Feds Could Boost Payment Rates To Local Medicare Managed Care Plans
Medicare managed care plans in Harris County may get additional funds due to proposed changes in the way the federal government sets its payment rates. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services adjusts payments to Medicare Advantage plans based on the health and demographics of the people who enroll. The agency has proposed increasing rates in 2017 for low-income Medicare beneficiaries who typically have higher costs. (Hawryluk, 12/9)
Health News Florida:
A Conversation About Florida’s Troubled Mental Hospitals: “Insane. Invisible. In Danger.”
Florida legislators have cut $100 million from the state’s mental health budget since 2009 — and now an investigative series, “Insane. Invisible. In Danger.” by two Florida newspapers details how those cuts have put patients and staff in harm’s way. Health News Florida spoke with the Tampa Bay Times’ Leonora LaPeter Anton, one of the reporters who spent more than a year looking into Florida’s mental hospitals. You can hear the conversation about what this has meant for patients in these facilities here. (Mack, 12/9)
The Associated Press:
Springfield Clinic Expanding To Care For More Patients
A Springfield clinic is in the middle of a $16 million expansion, planned to handle the volume of patients who are gaining insurance through President Barack Obama’s health overhaul. ... The clinic provides training for SIU family medicine residents. The expansion will double the number of exam rooms and make it possible for the clinic to hire about 40 more employees. The clinic sees up to 19,000 patients annually, a 60 percent increase from three years ago. (12/10)
Modern Healthcare:
Why Hospital-Owned Health Plans Are Big Like Cheese In Wisconsin
Wisconsin is known for its dairy farming and rolling hills. But some healthcare experts call it a trailblazer. In the past few years, health systems have been eagerly launching or growing their own health plans, seeing it as an opportunity to cut out the middleman and take on more direct financial risk while caring for patients. (Herman, 12/9)
Kaiser Health News:
California To Revamp Addiction Treatment For Medicaid Recipients
Kaiser Health News staff writer Anna Gorman reports: "California is overhauling its substance abuse treatment system for low-income people, embarking on a massive experiment to create a smoother path for addicts from detox through recovery. The state is the first to receive federal permission to revamp drug and alcohol treatment for beneficiaries of Medicaid, known as Medi-Cal in California. Through what’s known as a drug waiver, state officials will have new spending flexibility as they try to improve outcomes and reduce social and financial costs of people with substance abuse disorders." (Gorman, 12/10)
