Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
When It Comes To Containing Costs, Study Finds Lawmakers Should Shift Focus To Private Insurers Instead Of Medicare, Medicaid
Modern Healthcare: Medicare, Medicaid Contain Costs Better Than Private Insurers, Study Says
Calls for funding cuts to popular entitlement programs, including Medicare and Medicaid, have been fueled by the growing U.S. deficit and the fear that the Medicare trust fund will soon run out. Some Republican lawmakers insist that trimming those programs is the only way to rein in federal spending. But Urban Institute researchers released a study Monday showing that Medicare and Medicaid have done a better job at controlling spending than private payers have. They concluded that lawmakers should shift their focus toward containing costs in the private insurance market. (Livingston, 2/11)
In other Medicaid news —
St. Louis Post-Dispatch: New Report Recommends $1 Billion In Annual Savings With Overhaul Of Medicaid In Missouri
Missouri could save as much as $1 billion annually within the next four years by undertaking an ambitious and potentially controversial overhaul of services and rates provided through the state’s Medicaid health insurance program for the poor, a new study shows. A 116-page report compiled by a consulting company for $2.7 million says the state could alter reimbursement rates for hospitals, doctors and nursing homes, shift more people to home-care services and better manage prescription drug costs as a way to rein in rising costs. (Erickson, 2/11)
Des Moines Register: Iowa Medicaid Company Centene Moving Into Some Of Des Moines Metro's Priciest Offices
Iowa's newest Medicaid company will move into one of the priciest commercial office spaces in the Des Moines metro area — a move critics worry will siphon the financial resources needed for the care of the state's disabled and poor. "It’s disappointing because there are so many other rental properties at far less costs," said Sen. Pam Jochum, D-Dubuque. "The money should really be going into the services of people they are hired to serve.” Iowa Total Care will officially join UnitedHealthcare and Amerigroup to help manage the state's $5 billion annual Medicaid program in July. (Hardy and Clayworth, 2/11)
