HR3590 Health Care Bill & Government Health Insurance

Health Care Reform: Things to Look Forward To in 2014

On September 3, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

There is a long road ahead for the implementation of the new health care reform law, and while progress has been made the journey has just begun. But what is there to look forward to four years down the road? A feature by Astrid Fiano on DOTmed.com shares the provisions that we can expect are in place by 2014, and we are sharing some of them with you.

As far as Medicare is concerned, an Independent Payment Advisory Board that will lower the per capita rate of growth in Medicare spending will be put in place. The function of the Board will be to develop and recommend ways to reduce per capita growth rate should Medicare exceed the projected growth rate set forth annually by the Chief Actuary of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

An expansion of the eligibility for Medicare coverage will be expanded to include the non-elderly whose incomes are 133 percent of the poverty level or less.

In terms of prevention and wellness, employers are given the option to offer rewards to employees for participation in a wellness program. These rewards may include premium discounts, cost sharing waivers or other benefits that are up to 30 percent of the cost of coverage. The percentage may be increased to 50 percent of the cost of coverage, if deemed suitable.

Taxes will also change by 2014, with the imposition of an annual, non-deductible fee on the health insurance sector; this will be allocated, according to Fiano, by market share throughout the industry.

Groups Receive Approval for Early Retiree Health Care Claims

On September 2, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

A post by Secretary of Commerce Gary Locke on HealthCare.gov announces the acceptance of almost 2,000 employers and unions in to the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP).

The Program is a provision within the Affordable Care Act, which aims to assist employers with providing high-quality health benefits to employees who opt to retire early.

Early retirees are retired workers who are aged 55 or older; they are too young to qualify for Medicare, which means that they will need to independently purchase health care insurance until such time that they can get Medicare.

Without a patch to this coverage gap, some early retirees may “see their life savings disappear because of medical bills and exorbitant rates in the individual health insurance market,” Locke wrote. The program is open to the following: employers, including large and small businesses, State and local governments, educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and labor unions.

The aim of the $5 billion program is to encourage employers to allow early retirees to maintain their – and their family’s – coverage, at least until the Health Insurance Exchanges are established by 2014.

The announcement regarding the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program was made a few months ago, and the administration has since received applications “from more than half of Fortune 500 companies, all major unions, and government entities in all 50 States and the District of Columbia.”

The Department of Health and Human Services also announced two new information tools that may be used by employers and unions that are interested about ERRP: the website www.ERRP.gov, and the hotline 877-574-ERRP.

Tagged with: early retiree health care • health care retired employees • retiree health care • retirement health care

Over 1 Million Rebate Checks Sent Out

On September 1, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

Don Berwick, M.D., the Administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, shared a milestone in one of the key steps in the implementation of the new health care reform law.

The $250 rebate checks are the first step towards closing the coverage gap – commonly known as the “donut hole” – in the prescription drug coverage of Medicare. Berwick wrote about how those who hit the coverage gap sometimes change their medication, or skip them altogether, because they cannot afford their medication. Realizing that this is something that may be dangerous and is therefore unacceptable, the Affordable Care Act aims to do away with this gap altogether.

With more than a million rebate checks sent out, it is the hope of the administration that the checks will be able to help the financial burden associated with entering the donut hole – during which time beneficiaries are expected to spend for the full amount of their medication. The checks are sent out, tax-free, without the need to request for them. The checks are mailed once a Medicare beneficiary enters the coverage gap.

Health care reform, however, remains to be a controversial issue. House Republicans opened a week-long focus on their effort to repeal health care reform, on the same day that the announcement regarding the milestone came out. Republicans counter that health care reform will increase, instead of lower, health care costs in the long run, and that it was unconstitutional to force Americans to buy health insurance.

Tagged with: health care check • health care costs • health care expenses • health care rebate

Movers and Players of Health Care Reform: Rep. Kendrick Meek

On August 31, 2010, In Healthcare Bill Personalities, By Health Care Provider

Rep. Kendrick Brett Meek, representative of the 17th Congressional District of Florida to the House of Representatives, is one of the 40 co-sponsors of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Cong. Meek was born on September 6, 1966, in Miami, Florida, to former Congresswoman Carrie Pittman-Meek and Harold Meek. He finished high school at the Miami Springs Senior High School, and went on to study Criminal Justice at the Florida A&M University, receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in 1989. He was a football player both in high school and in college, playing defensive lineman in high school. Meek founded the Young Democrats Club at Florida A&M, and served as president of the Florida Young Democrats Organization.

After earning his degree, Meek joined the Florida Highway Patrol as a trooper. He eventually rose to the rank of captain, the first African-American to hold that rank. He was also the owner of K&L Security Services Company and a development representative of Wackenhut Corporation. He is married to Leslie Meek, with whom he has two children: Lauren and Kendrick Jr.

From 1995 until 1998, Meek served in the Florida House of Representatives. He then joined the Florida State Senate in 1998, serving until 2002.

On November 5, 2002, Kendrick Meek was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving as his mother’s successor to the seat, after Congresswoman Carrie Pittman-Meek retired from office. He assumed office on January 3, 2003.

Rep. Kendrick Meek has been named the Democratic nominee in the 2010 Senate elections, vying for the seat that will be vacated when Sen. Mel Martinez retires.

Tagged with: health care advantages • health care sponsors • health care supporters • Kendrick Meek

Baker Center at UT Knoxville Hosts Discussion on Health Care Reform

On August 30, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

A lot has been said about the health care reform, from the time that it was first laid on the table to the time that it was passed into law. Most of the things said about it consisted of what the Democrats, and the Republicans, thought about it, which resulted in a chaotic it’s-good-no-it’s-bad affair. It is certainly not surprising that many people find health care reform confusing and have difficulty understanding what it is about.

In order to help clear the air, the Howard H. Baker Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is hosting a panel discussion on health care reform. The Baker Center is a non-partisan organization that focuses on “better understanding of government,” as well as a “greater appreciation for the importance of public service.” Its efforts are towards education, research and public programs.

Carole R. Myers, assistant professor in the College of Nursing at UT Knoxville and fellow for health policy at the Baker Center, and Beth Uselton, the lead organizer for the Tennessee Health Care Campaign, will serve as panelists at the event.

Myers shared the following with The Daily Beacon, a student newspaper at UT: “The goal of Beth Uselton, who is my partner for the presentation, and I is to do three things: provide factual, non-partisan information about key provisions of the health reform law that passed earlier this year, describe the impact of the law of key constituencies and respond to questions from attendees at the forum.”

The discussion will be held on Tuesday, August 31, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in the Baker Center Toyota Auditorium.

Tagged with: health care • health care baker center • health care discussion • health care forum • health care talks

Preventive Care, Health Care Reform and You

On August 28, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

In a previous post, we shared with you how Medicare is being expanded to include tobacco cessation programs, ensuring that beneficiaries are given the opportunity to undergo such programs when these can be more helpful and effective, which is before the onset of disease.

Preventive care is not just a Medicare provision, but a provision that includes everyone, regardless of age. After all, it is not just seniors who have smoking habits; come to think of it, there may be more yuppies that are into smoking when compared to seniors.

Health care reform recognizes that being able to prevent disease from occurring is just as important as meeting the health care demands of patients. It is for this reason that cancer prevention tools, including such programs as annual mammograms for women over 40, regular pap smears, HPV vaccination, tobacco cessation counseling or medication, and screening tests for colon cancer for adults over 50.

New health plans are also mandated to offer coverage sans cost-sharing services, for services such as obesity screening, counseling from physicians or health professionals in order to promote sustained weight loss, blood pressure screening, counseling on the daily use of aspirin in order to reduce the risk of a stroke, and screening for high cholesterol and diabetes.

Children are also taken care of by healthcare reform, through the availability of new health plans for children without cost-sharing. Among these services are well-baby and well-child doctor’s visits every few months and screenings for such childhood problems as obesity and depression.

Tagged with: disease prevention • health care • prevent diseases • prevention health care • preventive health care

Medicare Coverage Expanded to Include Tobacco-Related Services

On August 27, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

An announcement from the administration – shared in a feature on The Huffington Post – revealed that Medicare coverage for seniors has been expanded to include beneficiaries who have not yet been diagnosed with a tobacco-related disease.

Before the expansion, Medicare coverage only included tobacco-related counseling for patients who have already been diagnosed with a tobacco-related disease. With the expansion, beneficiaries who are trying to quit smoking will be able to avail of coverage for up to two tobacco-cessation counseling sessions yearly, for up to four individual sessions per attempt.

Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the following in a statement: “For too long, many tobacco users with Medicare coverage were denied access to evidence-based tobacco cessation counseling… Most Medicare beneficiaries want to quit their tobacco use. Now, older adults and other Medicare beneficiaries can get the help they need to successfully overcome tobacco dependence.”

The feature mentioned that the expansion is in keeping with the thrust of the administration to push the US health care system towards prevention. It is also something that will be more helpful to tobacco users since tobacco cessation treatment may prove to be too late for someone who has already been diagnosed with such tobacco-related diseases as cancer or heart disease. In such cases, nipping it in the bud and keeping a disease from ever happening at all is more desirable, which means that the best time to undergo counseling is before the onset of disease. Hopefully, the fact that counseling is now covered under the expansion will encourage seniors to get rid of their smoking habits before it’s too late.

Tagged with: lung disease • lung health care • tobacco disease • tobacco related disease

Making Health Care Coverage Easier for Seniors

On August 26, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

A post on HealthCare.gov by Jonathan Blum, the Deputy Administrator and Director for the Center of Medicare at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, shares the efforts that the administration is putting towards making the Medicare program and health care coverage in general easier for seniors.

Blum shares how seniors and other Medicare beneficiaries have expressed that going through the 4,000 choices available for prescription drug plans can be daunting, especially since there are plans that offer comparable benefits. In order to address this concern, efforts are being made to eliminate duplicative plans in order to make it easier for seniors to choose a plan that is suitable for their needs.

Blum also said that “making Medicare Part D easier to use” will be one of their top priorities, citing a Commonwealth Fund report that determined that most seniors found Part D “too complicated,” an observation that may have prevented some seniors from finding the best plan for their needs.

The phase out of duplicative plans will result in the reduction of prescription drug plan choices by more than 700 plans. Despite the reduction, there will still be 3,240 Part D drug plans for beneficiaries to choose from.

Blum assures seniors that the change is seamless and will not require any action on the part of the beneficiaries; there will be no gap for seniors in terms of coverage. Should seniors feel the need to change their plans, however, they can choose to do so.

Should seniors have any questions regarding Medicare and Medicaid services, Blum encourages them to call 1-800-MEDICARE.

Tagged with: health care seniors • senior health • senior health care reform • seniors health care coverage

Movers and Players of Health Care Reform: Rep. Earl Blumenauer

On August 25, 2010, In Healthcare Bill Personalities, By Health Care Provider

Rep. Earl Blumenauer is the representative of the 3rd District of Oregon, and is one of the co-sponsors of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

He was born on August 16, 1948, in Portland, Oregon, and finished high school at the Centennial High School in 1966. He attended Lewis & Clark College after high school, earning a bachelor of arts degree, majoring in political science, in 1970. He then went on to attend the Northwestern School of Law (formerly the Lewis & Clark Law School), earning a Juris Doctor degree in 1976. While working on his degree at Northwestern, Blumenauer worked as an assistant to the President of Portland State University.

Rep. Blumenauer served in the Oregon House of Representatives after being elected in 1972, as a Democrat representing District 11 in Multnomah County. He was re-elected in 1974 and in 1976, and served as the representative of Portland and Multnomah County until 1979. He also served on the Board of Portland Community College from 1975 to 1981, and was elected as Commissioner of Multnomah County. He was a member of the governing board of the county from 1979 to 1987.

He served on the Portland City Council from 1987 until 1996, and was appointed by Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt to the commission on higher education, which he served in 1990 and 1991.

Rep. Blumenauer eventually made a bid for a seat in Congress and was elected in 1996, filling the seat vacated by his predecessor, Ron Wyden, who had been elected to the Senate.

Tagged with: Earl Blumenauer health care • Earl Blumenauer health care reform • health care reform advocates • health care reform supporters

Misinformation an Obstacle to Implementation of Health Care Reform

On August 24, 2010, In health care programs, By Health Care Provider

A feature on the Billings Gazette shared a statement from Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, regarding inaccurate information about health care reform.

Secretary Sebelius, joined by Sen. Max Baucus, paid a visit to Missoula, Montana, where she made an appearance at the St. Patrick Hospital for a town hall-style meeting.

Secretary Sebelius shared that incorrect information regarding health care reform – such as the existence of so-called “death panels” or the belief that small employers will end up having to pay more for health care – is an obstacle between Americans and affordable health care. Sebelius said: “There’s been a lot of misinformation out there… We just have to have some time to get the information out.”

Secretary Sebelius and Senator Baucus also talked about an infusion of federal money into community health centers, where the uninsured and the under-insured are able to receive health care. The feature shared that in the case of the Partnership Health Center in Missoula, additional funding will certainly go a long way towards being able to service more patients, offer more services, and improve the quality of health care that it is able to provide.

In 2009, Partnership Health Center catered to nearly 11,000 patients.

Sebelius and Baucus also spoke a bit about the lack of primary care doctors, a concern for the state of Montana. Health care reform also includes a provision that will give incentives to medical students who choose to become primary care physicians and serve in rural areas.

Tagged with: health care details • health care facts • health care information • health care misinformation