tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53065334560342183242012-05-21T08:58:59.248-04:00Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-43510647026334920232012-05-16T16:16:00.000-04:002012-05-16T16:16:18.345-04:00

Today, the Maine Heritage Policy Center, a conservative spin-tank funded by Wall Street’s biggest insurance and pharmaceutical firms, posted a blog that would have you believe Maine’s new insurance law called Chapter 90 is lowering insurance rates for individuals and small businesses. Unfortunately, it is not true. Using Anthem Health Plans of Maine’s recent individual insurance filing with

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-80910890657456335482012-05-16T15:13:00.000-04:002012-05-16T15:14:14.013-04:00

So it's a little late to celebrate Mother's Day, but it is National Women's Health Week, a good reminder to take stock of all the important benefits for women in the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  Unless you've been completely avoiding media for the past week, you've probably heard about the controversial Time magazine cover featuring a woman breastfeeding her nearly 4-year old child to illustrate a

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-76991281925629374562012-05-08T11:20:00.002-04:002012-05-08T11:27:16.937-04:00

Yesterday's Portland Press Herald featured stories about the rise in hospital free care in Maine, addressed questions about the function of non-profit hospitals in our communities, and outlined eligibility guidelines for patients in need of free care. The amount of free care or "charity care" provided by Maine's 36 non-profit hospitals has doubled in the last five years. The article also

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-55883753127126026642012-04-04T14:38:00.113-04:002012-04-04T15:51:45.344-04:00

Perhaps one of the most important health care innovations in the modern era is our ability to screen for many types of cancer including breast, cervical, and colorectal, among others.  Women, in particular, are inundated with changing recommendations about mammograms and breast cancer screenings, leaving us to constantly question our own self-judgment and that of our doctors.  Unfortunately, our

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-6306806539908538022012-03-30T10:49:00.001-04:002012-03-30T10:53:40.887-04:00

According to a new study of 11 countries by the Commonwealth Fund, patient engagement leads to better health outcomes.  Adults with complex health needs who are engaged in their care, e.g. self-managing a health condition or participating in treatment decisions, have better quality of care and experience of care.  These same adults also report fewer medical errors and rate the health care system

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-55007608199600665272012-03-21T15:52:00.000-04:002012-03-21T15:52:47.249-04:00

If you listen to any top 40 radio station, you probably know the tune I'm referring to...it's catchy and does stick with you after just a few listens.  The creative and clever folks at Maine Quality Counts are also now "halfway there"....celebrating the halfway point of their innovative Patient-Centered Medical Home Pilot (PCMH).  The pop song may go down in history as a "one hit wonder" but

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-60207398775082063882012-03-12T10:45:00.000-04:002012-03-12T10:45:46.797-04:00

Hearing from health law and policy experts at last month's forum really whet our appetite for the Supreme Court oral arguments starting March 26th and the implications of the case on policies and programs in the ACA already underway.  And we're clearly not the only ones interested.  An article in the Associated Press reminds us that the ACA is a trek, not a sprint and that the law will take up to

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-81308976198877668282012-02-28T17:56:00.000-05:002012-02-28T17:56:04.236-05:00

How are you planning to spend the extra day on the calendar tomorrow?  Sadly, Leap Day hasn't been declared a national holiday, so we'll be at USM in Portland tomorrow, Feb. 29th hosting a forum on health reform. With the current debates swirling about the role government should play in helping people access health care coverage, the timing of tomorrow's panel on the Affordable Care Act (ACA)

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-18234772551310352282012-02-22T14:20:00.001-05:002012-02-22T14:21:47.209-05:00

It's hard to believe it's almost March of 2012 and time to observe the 2-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act.  An important but little known provision in the law was creation of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation in CMS aimed at developing new payment models of care for the population of patients with both Medicaid and Medicare, known as "dual eligibles".  As Community

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-24683296497898699092011-12-23T11:42:00.002-05:002011-12-23T13:21:11.414-05:00

Here's part two of our two-part post on the latest policy happenings.... LD1333/Ch90Chapter 90 (the bill LD 1333) is the new law passed by the Legislature last session that drastically changes the way private health coverage is regulated in Maine. Community RatingThe changes to the Community Rating standards have already started to take effect for small businesses and will start in 2012 for

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-27720232888273824852011-12-22T16:42:00.003-05:002011-12-22T16:55:35.942-05:00

The end of 2011 has been extremely busy for CAHC and other health policy wonks in Maine and DC!  Here's the first of a two-part post on how things are shaping up and what we can look forward to in 2012 on the health policy front. State Supplemental BudgetAs part of the Maine Can Do Better coalition CAHC and others have been working to oppose the Governor's proposed budget cuts to MaineCare and

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-83726469631978459542011-11-28T12:02:00.000-05:002011-11-28T12:02:30.825-05:00

This time of year always reminds me of law school and being stuck in the library studying for exams when it seemed like everyone else was out Christmas shopping, cookie baking, and frolicking in the snow.  A common type of exam question is one in which the professor provides a fact pattern that requires you to spot the issues and apply your legal knowledge to propose possible solutions and

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-22031243063848095282011-11-14T11:32:00.001-05:002011-11-14T13:12:03.286-05:00

It's hard to believe that 2014, the year that the state health insurance Exchanges created by the ACA must be operational, is just under 2 years away!  We've begun the lengthy and difficult process at the state level of deciding how to structure the Exchange, e.g. how will it function, who will be in charge, and how will we pay for it.  Just last week, MPBN covered the latest in Exchange politics

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-31922411839175367222011-11-08T15:11:00.001-05:002011-11-10T12:27:08.531-05:00

On November 7, I attended the first meeting of the Maine Quality Forum’s (MQF) Shared Decision Making (SDM) Workgroup.  I am one of the consumer representatives that was asked to join the group.  The Workgroup was formed as a result of a report delivered to the legislature in February entitled “The Practice and Impact of Shared Decision-Making.”  You can view the full report here.  In case you’

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-16182490158597413142011-10-27T15:15:00.000-04:002011-10-27T15:15:58.045-04:00

Unfortunately, even if you have health insurance, through your job or if you purchase it yourself, that doesn't necessarily mean you will have your bills paid when you receive treatment. Insurance companies have made it very difficult to understand their policies and figure out exactly what is covered under your plan. Throw in words like "deductible", "coinsurance" and "in-network provider" and

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-17797212374898033352011-08-24T13:37:00.000-04:002011-08-24T13:37:49.223-04:00

Saving money in health care and the federal budget in general is all the rage, but we all know that if you shift resources around and make cuts for necessary services, someone else will still end up paying the bill. This is true for people without health insurance - it's common knowledge that when people are uninsured, they are more likely to delay preventive and recommended care and end up

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-87030405265435895082011-08-03T12:33:00.001-04:002011-08-03T12:34:09.987-04:00

Yesterday Congress reached a compromise and President Obama signed a bill to raise the debt ceiling and reduce spending without any immediate cuts to important public programs like Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. The deal, however, only postpones the debate as the new law calls for the creation of a bipartisan joint committee to come up with a plan to reduce the deficit by December and

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-87183636778529070702011-07-28T15:01:00.000-04:002011-07-28T15:01:23.861-04:00

This Saturday, July 30, is the 46th anniversary of the Medicare program. Its passage was an enormous step forward in ensuring that our most vulnerable citizens get the health care they need. For 46 years, the Medicare program has provided essential health care coverage – and with it, economic security – to tens of millions of older adults. For millions of families with an older person who is

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-13620752404037688942011-07-25T11:08:00.000-04:002011-07-25T11:08:21.366-04:00

This week marks the 46th anniversary of the day President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the law authorizing creation of the Medicaid and Medicare programs to provide health care to our nation's most vulnerable citizens - notably the disabled, the elderly, and low-income children and families. Today these public programs form the foundation of our health care system - financed primarily by the federal

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-69581017900745577002011-06-28T15:40:00.000-04:002011-06-28T15:40:23.668-04:00

Summer in Maine is always a good thing - it means lobster bakes, camping, and trips to the beach. Unfortunately, it also means throngs of tourists, annoying black flies, and in recent years, the annual debate over the budget. Once again, Congress is taking aim at Medicaid and Medicare, two safety net programs that provide health coverage to million Americans. We strongly believe that cuts to

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-1729717204609440252011-06-14T14:38:00.000-04:002011-06-14T14:38:36.658-04:00

Interesting...apparently a Joplin, Missouri hospital had converted its medical records to electronic just 3 weeks before the big tornadoes hit: "The bottom line is, if we didn't have the electronic health records, we would not be back operational today," says Mike McCreary, chief of technology services for the Sisters of Mercy Health System, which runs St. John's. . Read the full article here on

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-26316253516901306772011-06-13T10:59:00.000-04:002011-06-13T10:59:33.096-04:00

If only a discussion about using electronic medical records (EMR) were that simple; rather, the debates over EMR and other aspects of health information technology (HIT) are among the most complex, personal, and controversial you can have about health care. If you live in the state of Maine, you're probably already a registered member of HealthInfoNet, the secure database used by dozens of

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-87943141334389237962011-06-07T15:35:00.000-04:002011-06-07T15:35:14.292-04:00

According to the Washington Health Policy Week in Review, Medicare announced a proposed rule that would make claims data available to assist in performance evaluation of doctors, hospitals, and other providers. "Performance reports that include Medicare data will result in higher quality and more cost effective care," said Donald M. Berwick, administrator of the Centers for Medicare and

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-78223407390800119492011-06-01T09:24:00.000-04:002011-06-01T09:24:47.696-04:00

In his commencement speech to the graduates of Harvard Medical School noted surgeon and bestselling author Atul Gawande observes that modern medicine and its increasing need for system-wide coordination of care calls for pit crews rather than cowboys and a cultural shift to team-based care within the practice of medicine. Gawande outlined many of the symptoms and numerous challenges of our

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5306533456034218324.post-49297211447119173932011-05-26T11:19:00.001-04:002011-05-26T11:20:25.168-04:00

Graduation season is upon us again. With one report estimating that 85% of new college graduates will be returning home to live with their parents, it's no surprise that young adults between the ages of 19 and 29 are among the groups struggling the most to get the health care they need. Early reports by five national insurance carriers indicate more than 600,000 young adults have obtained new

Consumers for Affordable Health Carehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17322595788389975503noreply@blogger.com0