States Launch High-Risk Pools For Uninsured With Federal Funds.

The Baltimore Sun (9/2, Walker) reports, "An additional 3,500 uninsured Marylanders will get health coverage as the state expands its high-risk program using $85 million in federal funding received under national health care reform." Under the high-risk program, "those who have been denied coverage because of a pre-existing condition [may] obtain health insurance." The Sun notes that Maryland has had such a program since 2002, but with federal aid the premiums will be lower. The federal funding "was part of $5 billion the federal government gave out nationwide as part of health care reform."

        The Baltimore Business Journal (9/2, Mullin) reports the Maryland Health Insurance Plan, "which will now be called MHIP Federal, received $85 million of those federal funds and began accepting applications for the new insurance plan through the federal pool in August." And "at a press conference Wednesday afternoon, the approved applicants were to be presented with ceremonial Certificates of Coverage cards by Lt. Governor Anthony G. Brown."

        The AP (9/2, Leingang) reports, "About 330 Ohioans with pre-existing health conditions, such as cancer or diabetes, are getting coverage under a new high-risk insurance pool that began Wednesday, part of President Barack Obama's health care overhaul, authorities said. The number is a bit lower than anticipated but thousands of applications have been requested, and the state still projects about 5,500 getting coverage through the plan, said Carly Glick, spokeswoman for the Ohio Department of Insurance." HHS spokesman Keith Maley said that "national enrollment numbers weren't immediately available," but "the agency hoped to compile the data later this month."

        In a separate story, the AP (9/2) reports, "Health insurance coverage has started for the first enrollees in a new Illinois program for uninsured people with medical problems. Enrollment opened Aug. 20 for the federally funded program, an early benefit of the nation's new health care law." Of "more than 1,600 people" who applied Department of Insurance Director Michael McRaith said that "41 people so far have met requirements and were covered starting Wednesday."

Study Finds Reform Will Give More Access To Health Insurance Through Jobs.

The Los Angeles Times (9/2, Kaplan) reports that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 is "still pretty unpopular," citing the Kaiser Health Tracking Poll showing 45% "have a 'somewhat unfavorable' or 'very unfavorable' view of the law, compared with 43% who like it," while "Pollster.com shows even more negativity -- 48% of Americans oppose the law, compared with only 42% who favor it." Yet "those numbers might shift once the law goes into effect and the controversial health insurance exchanges are up and running." The Times cites a Rand Corp. study appearing in the New England Journal of Medicine showing that "the proportion of US workers who will have access to health insurance through their jobs will jump from 84.6% to 94.6%."

Democrats Could See Big Losses In November Polls Mainly Due To Healthcare Reform.

The Time's (9/2, Pickert) "Swampland" blog reports "two Gallup polls this week confirmed what's become obvious -- Democrats seem headed for an electoral bloodbath in this year's congressional mid-term elections." It says the results of one poll, on who would better handle healthcare reform, showed that "voters are evenly split," a change from traditional view that Democrats are "far more trustworthy on this issue." This "latest set of poll results feeds into an emerging conventional wisdom" -- that "Democrats grossly underestimated the political damage of pushing through" healthcare reform "and that the issue is a primary reason Democrats are set up for big losses come November."

Sebelius Says Public Opinion On Healthcare Reform May Be Turning More Favorable.

The Oregonian (9/2, Rojas-Burke) runs a Q&A With Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, which it prefaces by saying that "public opinion" on the healthcare law "may be shifting" citing "a nationally representative poll conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation in July," in which "35 percent expressed an unfavorable opinion," while "fifty percent expressed favorable views." In the Q & A Sebelius said, "We have to re-educate people about the fact that there really is a benefit coming their way." Sebelius also said that there has been a lot of "misinformation and intentional scare tactics" regarding Medicare, noting that "we have about 4 million seniors who will get prescription drug assistance this year," and "the savings to be gained from this bill will add 12 years to the life of the Medicare trust fund," while "not a single guaranteed benefit will be harmed in any way."

Star-Tribune: Minnesota To Suffer From Governor's Rejection Of Federal Health Reform Money.

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune (9/2) editorializes that Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's refusal of federal money under the healthcare reform "smacks of politics." It says "the amount of money" that the state could "lose to other states" is "not known, but it could be substantial." The "lost-opportunity tally is bound to grow -- and with it, the negative impact on Minnesota lives," warns the paper. Also, "If Minnesota declines to set up its own exchange, the federal government will do it." The "federal 'intrusion ... into personal health care matters' that Pawlenty "decried Tuesday will deepen, not ease, as a result." That "inconsistency makes it hard for Minnesotans to believe" that Pawlenty's "executive order" [refusing federal money] is grounded in policy principles." Presidential "politics is the more plausible explanation," it says.

Businesses Connected To Healthcare Reform Opposition Apply For Aid.

The Hill (9/2, Pecquet) reports, "About two dozen businesses associated with high-profile opposition to the healthcare reform law are taking advantage of a provision that helps pay for their retirees' medical bills, according to a review of federal records by The Hill." Tuesday, HHS "announced that almost 2,000 employers and unions have been accepted into the $5 billion Early Retiree Reinsurance Program, with more applications pending." Among the "high-profile opponents of healthcare reform" identified by The Hill are Koch Industries and "more than a dozen members of the board of directors of the US Chamber of Commerce."

Sebelius Touts Reimbursements For Early Retirees' Healthcare Benefits.

The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette (9/2, Smith) reports, "The state of Indiana, dozens of schools, one of the state's largest private employers and unions will receive money under the nation's new health insurance law when early retirees file high-cost medical claims." HHS approved the application of "75 Hoosier employers and unions...to participate in the $5 billion program that will help them maintain insurance for early retirees who are 55 and older but not yet eligible for Medicare." Indiana State University president Daniel Bradley, "who participated in a news conference with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, said this might lead to staffing flexibility that the university needs." Under the program, "Sebelius said the nearly 2,000 employers and unions...will be reimbursed for medical claims of early retirees and their spouses, surviving spouses and dependents." The Journal-Gazette notes that the state applied for the program despite the fact that "Gov. Mitch Daniels has been a constant opponent of the law."

        The Fort Worth Star Telegram (9/2, Tinsley) reports, "Four local cities and 90 other Texas employers are among nearly 2,000 entities nationwide to land federal subsidies to help with healthcare costs for early retirees, though Texas is among the states suing the federal government over the constitutionality of the healthcare reform law." Horatio Porter, Fort Worth's budget officer, said "It's good news." Porter explained that "the money could help reduce a proposed 15 percent increase in premiums for retirees or decrease the amount the city puts into an insurance fund that pays claims for retirees." Secretary Sebelius is quoted saying, "The Affordable Care Act's Early Retiree Reinsurance Program will make it a little easier for employers to provide high-quality health benefits to their retirees as we work to put in place market reforms to lower costs for all."

Nebraska Seeks Federal Healthcare Funds For Online Insurance Marketplace.

The AP (9/2) reports, "The Nebraska Department of Insurance has applied for a federal grant to help the state establish an online marketplace for insurance plans." Gov. Dave Heineman in a letter to state senators said that "the department had submitted an application to help set up the so-called insurance exchange." While "Heineman has criticized the reforms," he "says the state will apply for some grants available under the law."

Utah Considers Applying For Healthcare Reform Funds To Start Ombudsman Program.

The Salt Lake Tribune (9/2, Stewart) reports on Utah's consideration of establishing "a health consumer assistance program," noting that "ombudsman programs have thrived in other states. Most are government-funded, but run by nonprofit groups." The Utah Health Policy Project is "a non-profit group angling to" become the state's ombudsman program. It is urging the state to seek funding from the "federal health overhaul [that] contains $30 million to fund such programs." Gov. Gary Herbert "has until Sept. 10 to decide." The governor's health adviser said that he will "probably recommend we not go forward," because the money "is one-time money and likely not enough to sustain the operation." He also said that the Utah Insurance Department and insurance brokers "help businesses and individuals purchase policies." Lincoln Nehring at the Utah Health Policy Project pointed to problems with both and said, "we could pull this off, ... We just need the seed money, which the feds are offering, no strings attached.'"

Fewer Minnesotans Under GAMC Program Will Receive Coordinated Care.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune (9/1, Wolfe) reports that state officials made an administrative change Wednesday that means some 2,500 fewer "poorest and sickest" state residents will receive "coordinated care" in facilities in the General Assistance Medicare Care (GAMC) program and will instead "need to find clinics that offer charity care, wait for a medical emergency so they can get free care in any hospital emergency room, or go without." The Star Tribune said the state decided "to reduce the maximum number of patients who may choose coordinated care offered by four Twin Cities hospitals" because the number of people in the GAMC program declined. "As a result, three of the hospitals now are well above their GAMC patient limits, leaving only Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis with open slots."

Utah Health Exchange Opens To Small Businesses Statewide.

The Deseret Morning News (UT) (9/2, Leonard) reports, "The Utah Health Exchange, which has operated under a pilot program for the last year, is now available to small businesses across the state." Under the exchange, "qualifying businesses with up to 50 associated individuals, can offer expanded health care coverage to their employees while controlling their health benefit costs." Gov. Gary Herbert "said the Exchange 'is quickly becoming a model for the rest of the nation when it comes to health care reform.'"

AHA, FHA Seek Changes To OPPS Rule.

Modern Healthcare (9/2, Lubell) reports "hospital groups are asking the CMS to revise how it plans to calculate the payment adjustment for certain cancer hospitals under the proposed outpatient payment rule for 2011" under the health reform law. CMS found outpatient costs were higher at 11 cancer hospitals across the US compared with other hospitals, so it proposed additional payments for these hospitals. The provision would help increase outpatient prospective payment system, or OPPS, "outlays to the 11 cancer hospitals by 41.2% next year," but the CMS "would have to reduce payment to all other hospitals by 0.7% in order to maintain budget neutrality," the American Hospital Association said in comments to the CMS. The Federation of American Hospitals said it "does not believe it is appropriate or equitable to propose such substantial increases for 11 hospitals at the expense of significantly lower payments to all other hospitals."

Jackson Health System Faces Drop In Medicaid Patients.

The Miami Herald (9/2, Dorschner) reports that the Jackson Health System in Florida "is seeing a surprising drop in the number of Medicaid patients -- a disturbing trend that may have lasting implications as healthcare reform kicks in over the next several years." Reatha Clark of the PricewaterhouseCoopers consulting firm "told a committee of the Public Health Trust on Wednesday that over the four-month period of April through July, Jackson had lost $11.4 million in Medicaid income," as measured against a baseline. "In July alone, Jackson saw a drop of about 500 Medicaid patients." Jackson's Revenue Cycle Department "has been doing a good job of converting uninsured patients into Medicaid recipients," but Shaw "said that this improvement could have 'unintended consequences'" because "the newly insured patients could now choose to go to other hospitals."

Massachusetts May Be Losing Millions In Medicaid Dollars Covering Unnecessary Imaging Services.

The AP (9/2) reports, "State Auditor Joseph DeNucci has released a report saying Massachusetts may be losing millions in Medicaid dollars covering the cost of unneeded imaging services like MRIs." According to DeNucci, the "state lacks safeguards against possible conflicts of interest from doctors who refer patients to facilities where they have a financial interest." What's more, the "state reimbursement rate for imaging services hasn't been reduced to the level used by the federal government for Medicare patients."

        He also pointed out that the "amount spent on imaging services has increased dramatically in the last decade," the Worcester Business Journal (9/2) reports. "In 2009, MassHealth paid more than $30 million on 582,000 claims for advanced imaging." The Boston Globe (9/1, Cooney) "White Coat Notes" also covered the report.

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