November, 2016 |

Planned Medicaid Overhaul Could Put GOP Governors in an Awkward Spot

Confused about Medicare / Medicaid issues? Ask the experts at The Firm Services Wall Street Journal -By STEPHANIE ARMOUR Nov. 24, 2016 8:00 a.m. ET WASHINGTON—Republicans set on rapidly dismantling the Affordable Care Act are also pushing an overhaul of Medicaid, whose expansion under the 2010 law has covered millions of low-income Americans—many in states run by GOP governors. President-elect Donald Trump has proposed converting the federal-state program into block grants to the states in an effort to give them more latitude over how the program is run. This would jibe with many leading Republicans in Congress, who for years have wanted a Medicaid overhaul that hands more control over to the states. But such a move is likely to expose divisions among Republicans over how significantly to peel back coverage protections for the more than 12 million people who gained Medicaid in the 31 states, as well as Washington, D.C., that expanded the program. “Right now a lot of Republican governors expanded Medicaid and they have said they will fight to keep it,” said Caroline Pearson, a senior vice president at Avalere Health, a consulting firm. “You have to assume there will be some need for a solution for the 20 million who are better off under ACA, and most are in Medicaid.” Republicans are still in conversations about the shape and timing of any possible changes to the program. Any revisions would likely include a sunset or transition period, which would help people now covered through the expansion. It would also give states time to meet and plan for any changes, health policy analysts said. Meanwhile, the talk of an overhaul has left governors in a state of flux. South Dakota [...]

By kristian|November 25th, 2016|Blog, Commercial Insurance, Consulting, Credentialing, doctor Credentialing, Healthcare Professionals, ICD-10, Medicaid, Medical Billing, Medical Compliance, Medical Credentialing, Medical Insurance, Medicare, Medicare, Obamacare, Physician Credentialing, Staff Training|Comments Off

Repealing Obamacare Is Going to Take Forever, Admits Very Important Republican

Will Obamacare survive? Slate- By Jordan Weissmann- Nov.17, 2016 Republicans may control the White House and Capitol Hill, but repealing and replacing Obamacare is going to be a long and probably torturous process. How do we know? Because the GOP is already saying so. On Thursday, Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee admitted to reporters that the entire journey could take “several years.” Alexander's comments are worth special attention because, as chair of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, he is going to play an absolutely crucial role in any kind of health reform effort next year. And as of now, he's signaling that any legislation will need to contain some sort of bipartisan compromise. "Eventually, we'll need 60 votes to complete the process of replacing Obamacare and repealing it because Obamacare was not passed by reconciliation it was passed by 60 votes. And it was cleaned up by reconciliation because Scott Brown won his election," Alexander told reporters, according to Talking Points Memo. "Before the process is over, we'll need a consensus to complete it, and I imagine this will take several years to completely make that sort of transition to make sure we do no harm, create a good health care system that everyone has access to and that we repeal the parts of Obamacare that need to be repealed." There's lots to unpack in that paragraph. First, it's further confirmation that the Senate filibuster is going to survive during the Trump administration, a fact that should cheer Democrats who were worried they might spend the next two to four years getting steamrolled on every major piece of legislation. Second, Alexander for now seems to be rejecting the theory, pushed by [...]

By kristian|November 20th, 2016|Blog, Commercial Insurance, Credentialing, Doctor, doctor, doctor Credentialing, Healthcare Changes, Healthcare Professionals, ICD-10, Medicaid, Medical Billing, Medical Coding, Medical Compliance, Medical Credentialing, Medical Insurance, Medicare, Medicare, medicare claims, Obamacare, Physician Credentialing, Staff Training|Comments Off

100,000 PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR OBAMACARE ON DAY DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENCY ANNOUNCED

Will Obamacare survive? Newsweek- BY CONOR GAFFEY ON 11/11/16 AT 5:25 AM More than 100,000 Americans signed up for health care plans under President Barack Obama’s “Obamacare” policy Wednesday after Donald Trump clinched victory in the presidential election. U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Burwell tweeted Thursday that a record number of signups had been recorded on November 9, when it became clear that Trump—who has promised to repeal the healthcare legislation—would become the 45th U.S. president. Wednesday’s figure is the highest since open enrollment—the annual three-month period during which Americans can apply for health insurance plans—began on November 1. Best day yet this Open Enrollment. Nov 9: Over 100K plan selections on http://HealthCare.gov . Consumers shopping & enrolling. #GetCovered Commenting on the large number of signups, White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said that it was “an indication of the intense demand” for affordable health care plans among Americans, USA Today reported. Congressional Republicans Plan to Target Obamacare The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act passed in 2010 and was the largest overhaul of the U.S. health care system in half a century. The act has extended health care coverage to a further 20 million people but has forced up insurance premiums for private health care customers. Trump has promised to begin the process of repealing Obamacare “on day one” of his administration. The Republican will be sworn into office on January 20, 2017. The Republican party, including House Speaker Paul Ryan, has expressed its commitment to getting rid of Obamacare. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell told reporters in Washington on Wednesday, following the news that Trump had been elected, that repealing Obamacare was “a pretty high item on our agenda” [...]

By kristian|November 11th, 2016|Blog, Commercial Insurance, Credentialing, Doctor, doctor, doctor Credentialing, Healthcare Changes, Healthcare Professionals, Medicaid, Medical Billing, Medical Coding, Medical Compliance, Medical Credentialing, Medical Insurance, Medicare, medicare claims, Obamacare, Physician Credentialing, Staff Training, Verification|Comments Off

Platform Check: Trump And Clinton On Health Care

November 2, 2016 2:20 PM ET NPR-Heard on All Things Considered Alison Kodjak When it comes to health care, the choice between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump comes down to whether to keep, or trash, the Affordable Care Act. Premium Hike Catapults Obamacare Into Election Spotlight Trump says he wants to repeal and replace the health care law that is responsible for insuring about 20 million people, while Clinton has vowed to retain it and even expand its reach. Here are the candidates' plans: HILLARY CLINTON Keep and build on Obamacare Offer a tax credit of up to $5,000 to offset out-of-pocket costs over 5 percent of income Create a "public option" for health insurance Increase funding for community health centers Establish federal oversight of drug price increases Allow people to "buy in" to Medicare starting at age 55 Clinton's plan maintains the basic structure of Obamacare, with its expansion of Medicaid to more people with higher incomes and the ability to buy insurance through government-run exchanges. But she acknowledges problems with the program in its current form and offers changes to cut consumer costs, rein in drug prices, and ensure more uninsured people get covered. The so-called public option would allow consumers to buy health insurance directly from the federal government. It's proposed in most cases to ensure there are choices for buyers in places where only one insurance company offers policies through the Obamacare exchanges. Hillary Clinton Hitches Her Health Care Wagon To Obamacare An analysis of Clinton's plan by the Commonwealth Fund, a private foundation that supports independent health care research, concludes it would boost the number of people with health insurance by about 400,000. But the impact on the federal deficit [...]

By kristian|November 4th, 2016|Blog, Commercial Insurance, Consulting, Credentialing, Doctor, doctor, doctor Credentialing, Healthcare Changes, Healthcare Professionals, ICD-10, Medicaid, Medical Billing, Medical Coding, Medical Compliance, Medical Credentialing, Medical Insurance, Medicare, Medicare, medicare claims, Obamacare, Physician Credentialing, Staff Training, Uncategorized|Comments Off

Summary of Services

Planned Medicaid Overhaul Could Put GOP Governors in an Awkward Spot

Repealing Obamacare Is Going to Take Forever, Admits Very Important Republican

100,000 PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR OBAMACARE ON DAY DONALD TRUMP PRESIDENCY ANNOUNCED

Platform Check: Trump And Clinton On Health Care