Public Policy Clips: April 5, 2016
April 5, 2016 · Paul Cotton
Today, NCQA gives a rundown of the best national, state and private sector health care articles from the week. Here are our picks for today’s Public Policy Weekly Clips.
National:
CMS’ Patrick Conway is lauded as a policy leader who still practices medicine in a NYX profile.
A new HHS report shows how Medicaid expansion helps with opioid and other behavioral health needs.
Obama proposed to triple medication-based opioid treatment funding to $1.1B.
Extended-release naltrexone lowers opioid relapse rates vs usual counseling & referral treatment.
ACA enrollees have higher disease & utilization rates vs. pre-ACA (underwritten) non-group members.
KFF says current ACA enrollment of 12.7M represents 46% of the potential market.
RWJF/Urban say nearly 28% of uninsured qualify for Medicaid or CHIP & 21% qualify for ACA subsidies.
ACA enrollees who switched carriers in open enrollment were significantly younger & healthier.
Medicaid enrollment is higher if states run their Marketplaces or allow federal eligibility determination.
CMS’ final rules for Medicaid mental health parity require coverage criteria & denial reason disclosure.
CMS wants QIOs to partner with providers/partners to compete for Special Innovation Project awards.
NBGH released an issued brief on how employers can help promote Patient-Centered Medical Homes.
Younger doctors are much less likely to say that FFS supports delivery system reforms that older peers.
Consumer Reports magazine published primary care physician group ratings for 8 states.
ACP issued recommendations, including transparency & value-based decisions, to address drug prices.
An FTC suit says drug maker Endo violated anti-trust laws with a “pay-for-delay” deal to block a generic.
Antipsychotics widely used for delirium in hospital patients do not reduce symptom length or severity.
Premature births linked to air pollution cost the US over $4B annually.
AHRQ is seeking public member nominations & also will survey hospitals on how they use H-CAHPS data.
David Knutson is the new director of AHRQ’s Center for Delivery, Organization & Markets.
Hospital mergers in the same market between 2002-12 led to price hikes of 6-10%.
Centene completed its acquisition of Health Net & says it is now the nation’s largest Medicaid plan.
State:
Alaska has FTC support to let out-of-state Alaska-licensed doctors deliver in-state telemedicine care.
Delaware became the 15th state to ban insurers from discriminating against transgendered people.
Florida is carving out dental benefits and studying their effectiveness in Medicaid managed care.
Kentucky’s new public benefits computer system’s glitches are causing people to lose health coverage.
New Jersey named Meghan Davey as Medical Assistance & Health Services Division director.
Wisconsin released a concept paper for more coordinated care in its Medicaid managed LTSS program.
Private:
Health plan satisfaction rose in 2016 for a second consecutive year, at an all-time level since ACA.
Almost half of workers would skip the raise if it meant they could count on their health coverage.
37% of 200 large employers use activity trackers; another 37% plan to with incentives to improve health.
