State Highlights: Budget Proviso Would Delay KanCare Home Health Expansion; NYC’s Rikers’ Health Care Contract
A selection of health policy stories from Kansas, New York, North Carolina, Texas, Ohio, Georgia and Oregon.
Kansas Health Institute News Service:
Proposal Would Delay KanCare Health Home Expansion
The Senate Ways and Means Committee has adopted a budget proviso that’s expected to delay the implementation of “health homes” for KanCare patients with chronic illnesses such as asthma and diabetes. The proviso, drafted by Sen. Jim Denning, a Republican from Overland Park, stipulates that no state money shall be spent on KanCare health homes for chronic conditions without the Legislature’s explicit consent in fiscal years 2015, 2016 and 2017 — through June 30, 2017. (Ranney, 3/2)
The Associated Press:
Quality Of Health Care Focus Of NYC Jail Oversight Hearing
New York City lawmakers are taking a hard look at the quality of health care inmates receive at the Rikers Island jail complex and whether the city should renew a $126.6 million contract with a private health provider. (3/3)
North Carolina Health News:
N.C. Docs Face Retroactive Medicaid Rate Cut
In the 2014 state budget passed last August, state lawmakers inserted what could be considered a poison pill for Medicaid providers: a 3 percent pay cut that for specialists could be effective retroactively to January 2014. Primary care providers such as pediatricians, internists and family doctors will see the same pay cut, effective back to Jan. 1, 2015. But the cut is only now being implemented. (Hoban, 3/3)
The Texas Tribune:
Conservatives Join Push To Pay Care Workers More
Nearly every day for the past seven years, after dropping her daughter off at school, Maria Medina has driven to the home of Renee Lopez, a woman to whom she bears no relation but has come to know almost as well as family. (Walters, 3/3)
NPR:
Abortion Restrictions Complicate Access For Ohio Women
Ohio may not have gotten the national attention of say, Texas, but a steady stream of abortion restrictions over the past four years has helped close nearly half the state's clinics that perform the procedure. "We are more fully booked, and I think we have a harder time squeezing patients in if they're earlier in the pregnancy," says Chrisse France, executive director of Preterm. It's one of just two clinics still operating in Cleveland, and its caseload is up 10 percent. (Ludden, 3/3)
The Oregonian:
Portland VA System Shows Improvement In Patient Wait Times, Still Lags National Average
More than 96 percent of the veterans who sought care from the eight facilities in the VA Portland Health Care System in December completed their appointments in 30 days or fewer, according to the latest figures from the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. (Francis, 3/2)
Georgia Health News:
Georgia Medicaid Official Picked For Top Job
The Department of Community Health has tapped a current official to become the state’s new Medicaid chief. Linda Wiant has served as pharmacy director for Georgia Medicaid since August 2011. (Miller, 3/2)
