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Showing posts with label Funding. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Funding. Show all posts
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
Health Funding Cuts Put Women at Risk
By ANGELA K. BROWN Associated Press FORT WORTH, Texas March 11, 2012 (AP)
Delia Henry was tired but had no idea her blood sugar was high when she went to Planned Parenthood for her annual gynecological exam. The clinic referred her to a doctor, who diagnosed her with diabetes.
The 31-year-old nursing student said she would have skipped the exam since she has no insurance, but she had just signed up for Texas' Women's Health Program, which provides cancer screenings, contraceptives and basic health care to about 130,000 low-income women through Medicaid.
But under a state law taking effect Wednesday, Henry and other eligible women won't be able to get care at Planned Parenthood clinics — which treat about 44 percent of the program's patients — or other facilities with ties to abortion providers, meaning those women will have to find new health-care providers.
The $40 million program is at the center of a faceoff between conservative Republican lawmakers and the federal government, which provides 90 percent of the program's funding. Although Texas already forbids taxpayer money from going to organizations that provide abortions, the law will cut off clinics with any affiliation to a provider, even if it's just a shared name, employee or board member.
"The program is vital. But now when women call another clinic and are told they have to wait to get an appointment, it will deter them from going and will be detrimental to their health," said Henry, of Austin, who credits the program with saving her life. "It infuriates me what the lawmakers are doing. You have to question: Do they really care?"
The nonpartisan Center for Public Policy Priorities, which works to alleviate poverty, said poor women would have difficulty finding new doctors who participate in the program. Doctors and clinics must be qualified Medicaid providers and enrolled in organizations that manage the program.
Plus, more than a dozen facilities that provided health care to poor women recently closed because of budget cuts. Lawmakers last year slashed state funding for women's health and family planning programs by $73.6 million, cutting services to 160,000 women. They also took $10 million out of a another family planning budget line and shifted responsibility for providing those services onto the managed care organizations that administer Medicaid in Texas.
That means clinics run by local hospitals have already seen an increase in patients. Those health clinics, including nine run by Parkland Hospital in Dallas, expect to be even more crowded after next week.
"As more clinics close, more patients come to Parkland requesting services," said Paula Turicchi, the hospital's senior vice president for women and infants specialty health. "And we will have to weigh what services we can continue to provide."
Gov. Rick Perry pledged last week to find state money to keep the program afloat, but he hasn't offered specifics. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said Friday that the federal funding would be phased out this year because the Texas law violates federal Medicaid regulations requiring that women be allowed to choose a qualified health-care provider. Perry disputes that claim, saying Medicaid rules give states the right to determine which clinics are qualified.
His administration said it would go into a deeper deficit to keep the program running. But that doesn't prevent the law from creating at least a temporary shortage of health-care clinics.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Feds to stop funding Texas women's health program
HOUSTON (AP) — The federal government will stop funding a Texas health program that serves 130,000 low-income women because of a state law that bars abortion-affiliated clinics from getting public money, a top U.S. health official said Friday.
The federal money, which covers 90 percent of the state's $40 million program, will be phased out between May and September because the law violates federal regulations requiring that women have a choice in medical care, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said during a trip to Houston. That means the Women's Health Program will join a long list of programs nationwide on the chopping block because of their affiliations with Planned Parenthood or other groups that offer abortions.
The announcement came a day after Texas Gov. Rick Perry pledged to find state money to keep the program afloat, though details remain scarce about where the money would come from. Texas suffered massive spending cuts last year due to a $15 billion deficit, though a state health services official said Friday that Texas would prefer to increase its deficit than completely eliminate the program.
Perry blasted Sebelius' announcement, insisting Medicaid rules give states the right to determine which clinics are qualified to provide women's health care.
"The fact that the Obama administration would announce its decision to deny care for more than 100,000 low-income women during a press event before giving official notice to the state is a clear demonstration of the political motivation behind this decision," he said in a written statement, adding that Texas officials are still waiting for official word on the decision.
As is the case with other programs now in the national spotlight, the Women's Health Program provides cancer screenings, family planning and other women's health services. About 44 percent of women in the Texas program go to Planned Parenthood clinics, although none that accept funding from the program may perform abortions, and no federal funds are used to terminate pregnancies.
The problem in Texas is being caused by lawmakers' desire to prevent state funds from going to Planned Parenthood. The state is implementing a law that bars public funds from going to any programs, organizations or groups that are affiliated with abortions, even if they don't perform them.
After touring a hospital in Houston, Sebelius said the state law violates federal Medicaid regulations that require women be allowed to choose where they go for health care. Federal funds flowed to Texas under a waiver, but "we plan to let Texas know that that waiver will not be extended," Sebelius said.
The money will be phased out so women have time to find alternative care, she said.
The state was warned that implementing the law would jeopardize federal funding, and Texas chose not to immediately enforce it when it was passed, Sebelius added.
"They knew ... they are not allowed to deny women the right to choose," Sebelius said. "Women would be losing their doctor, their medical home, their choice."
Stephanie Goodman, spokeswoman for the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, said money to pay for the program would be diverted from others that are under budget — though she didn't offer specifics. If that doesn't cover the costs, she said, the state would increase its deficit to pay for the services because officials believe that if low-income women don't have access to birth control, the birth rate would rise and cost the state another $57 million in maternity bills.
Last year, Texas lawmakers slashed state funding for women's health and family planning programs by $73.6 million — cutting services to 160,000 women. They also took $10 million from a separate family planning budget line and shifted those responsibilities to organizations that administer Medicaid in Texas.
Now, with the expected cut in federal funds, "there's a huge gap in family planning" in Texas, Sebelius said.
State Rep. Sheila Jackson-Lee, D-Houston, said she and members of Congress are negotiating with Sebelius and federal officials to find a way to ensure that the funds don't stop flowing.
And while Sebelius said her department has been trying to work with the state to provide a solution, she didn't indicate that would happen before March 14, when the state plans to begin enforcing the law.
"We have been working with Texas. We're eager to work with Texas to find a solution," Sebelius said. "But if Texas chooses to go down a road that violates the law, we really have no choice."
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Plushnick-Masti can be followed on Twitter at https://twitter.com//RamitMastiAP.
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Associated Press writers Chris Tomlinson in Austin and Angela K. Brown in Fort Worth contributed to this story.
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
The National Alliance of State Health Cooperatives Applauds Initial Round of Health CO-OP Funding
HELENA, Mont., Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Alliance of State Health Cooperatives (NASHCO) applauded today's U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announcement that $638,677,300 is being invested by the agency in seven health cooperatives serving eight different states. This is the initial round of federal loans to support these innovative cooperatives, which were established in Section 1322 of the Affordable Care Act. Several more funding announcements from HHS are anticipated throughout the year as more state-based cooperatives submit applications.
"Today's announcement marks an important step toward providing access to high quality, affordable health care and wellness benefits to ALL Americans," said John Morrison, President of NASHCO and former Montana Insurance Commissioner. "Tens of millions of Americans remain uninsured and businesses are buckling under the crushing cost of health insurance. CO-Ops represent an innovative, free enterprise solution to the health coverage crisis. Health care CO-OPs, combined with the state-based health care exchanges that will launch in the 2013-2014 timeframe, hold great promise for all Americans."
Functioning similarly to existing co-ops for electricity, agriculture, and credit unions, health care CO-OPs will provide health insurance to individuals and small businesses which currently have a difficult time obtaining or affording quality health care and wellness benefits. A health care CO-OP will be governed and run by its members, who will form a majority of the board of directors. Unlike traditional insurance, however, any profits earned will be used to either lower premiums or to improve benefits.
The formation of health care CO-OPs will help drive cost savings, enhance competition in the newly-created state-based exchanges, and provide choice in markets traditionally dominated by one or few insurance companies.
"Today's loan announcement provides an opportunity for CO-OPs across the United States to create a new form of health insurance that is more accessible, accountable, and consumer-governed," said Dr. Tom Roberts, Chairman of the Montana Health Cooperative in Helena, Montana. "We are very excited about the prospects of providing more choice in the Montana health insurance market by creating an innovative system based on a proven idea. I am confident the CO-OPs receiving funding today will provide a viable and affordable alternative to existing health care plans."
"It is time to place consumers back in the center of the health insurance system. We hope to restore real competition that is truly responsive to consumer and small-business needs for affordability and improved health," said Dave Lyons, Cliff Gold and Steve Ringlee, the founders of Midwest Members Health serving Iowa and Nebraska.
"Physicians are excited about the opportunity to work with CO-OP health plans because they are committed to involving consumers in using the health care system more effectively to improve their health," said Dr. David Carlyle, a family physician from Ames, Iowa who served on the HHS Advisory Committee on CO-OPs.
$3.4 billion has been appropriated for Start-up and Solvency loans for qualifying CO-OPs. Start-Up loans must be repaid within 5 years, while Solvency loans must be repaid within 15. In the initial round of applications, preference was given to applicants that demonstrate plans to operate in states with no other qualified applicants; use an integrated care model; use innovative reimbursement models; are able to accept enrollment applications by October 2013; have private support; and operate statewide over time.
"We are excited to support the health insurance CO-OPs," said Marilyn Tavenner, Acting Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). "CO-OPs will promote competition in the insurance market and respond well to the health care needs of Americans."
Organizations receiving funding in the initial round of loan disbursements are:
Freelancers CO-OP of Oregon
New Mexico Health Connections
Montana Health Cooperative
Midwest Members Health (Iowa and Nebraska)
Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative (Wisconsin)
Freelancers CO-OP of New Jersey
Freelancers Health Service Corporation (New York)
In addition, NASHCO will hold its second annual conference in Washington, D.C. on March 9th. The conference will bring together representatives from state-based CO-OPs, health care experts, and public health officials. For more information about the conference, please visit www.nashco.coop.
Following the passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010, The National Alliance of State Health Cooperatives (NASHCO) was organized as a nonprofit corporation to promote the development and success of the health co-op movement. NASHCO is the only association of state-based health cooperatives. It is composed of dedicated teams of volunteers throughout the nation seeking to establish a new way of accessing care using the cooperative governance model.CONTACT: John Morrison, NASHCO: 406-442-3261, jmmmontana@msn.com
Lewis Lowe, Strategies 360: 706-302-8404, lewisl@strategies360.com
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tango Health Raises $4 Million in Series B Funding
Tue, Feb 7, 2012, 8:50 AM EST - U.S. Markets open in 40 mins.
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