[Ohio-talk] FW: Proposal to Make Medicaid Recipients Pay for Care

[Marianne Denning]

If you read the article it states this is for citizens of Ohio who do
not have a disability.  I am very concerned about this but does it
belong on this list?  Members of NFB would be covered as they
currently are.

On 4/23/16, Suzanne Turner via Ohio-Talk <ohio-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR7nQ0UvMkqCzpW48_jCDghUBM4jytRWjFIdijKfAfiCQnPwkKy
>
> mccarthy.JPG
>
> April 22, 2016
>
> Proposal to Make Medicaid Recipients Pay for Care Roundly Criticized in
> Columbus
>
> State Medicaid director John McCarthy and other regulators listen to
> criticism of a proposal to require Medicaid recipients to help pay for their
> care.
>
> The Medicaid Department held the first of two hearings on the proposal in
> Columbus on Thursday. (Casey Ross)
>
> COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A state proposal to make Medicaid recipients pay for a
> portion of their medical care was roundly criticized in Columbus Thursday,
> with
>
> citizens and advocates for low-income residents arguing it would undermine
> care and increase costs.
>
> During a 90-minute hearing, a steady stream of commenters took aim at the
> proposal, asserting it would create an unfair cost barrier and force many
> Medicaid
>
> recipients to drop their coverage.
>
> "How is this good for anybody?" asked Rosetta Leeper, a health care customer
> service employee who works with Medicaid recipients. "How is it caring for
>
> anybody? It's easy to sit in an office and vote and make decisions, because
> you don't have to talk to them. I do."
>
> The proposal, dubbed the "Healthy Ohio Program," would require all
> non-disabled adults with income to make a monthly payment into a health
> savings account
>
> to help pay for the cost of their care. Failure to make the payment within
> 60 days of the due date would result in the loss of coverage.
>
> The proposal would affect about 1.6 million Medicaid recipients in Ohio. It
> was passed by the state legislature last year and signed by Gov. John
> Kasich,
>
> who is seeking federal approval to implement it in January 2018.
>
> Supporters say it is designed to get Medicaid recipients to put "skin in the
> game" and become more directly involved in the costs and consequences of
> medical
>
> decision-making. They also estimate that it would cut Medicaid costs by
> about $1 billion over five years.
>
> Under the program, participants would be required to pay 2 percent of their
> income, capped at no more than $99 annually, or $8.25 a month. Health care
>
> providers, which have a financial incentive to get people covered, could
> also help make those payments.
>
> Do you think the Medicaid proposal would save money or result in higher
> costs for everyone? Tell us in the comments.
>
> The state would also make a $1,000 annual contribution to help fund each
> recipient's deductible. The rest of the money in the account would be used
> for
>
> co-pays and other out-of-pocket costs. Participants would be awarded
> additional funding for their accounts for using preventive services and
> wellness programs
>
> aimed at improving their general health.
>
> No supporters spoke during Thursday's hearing. Most comments were made by
> health care advocates who came prepared with a long-list of concerns and
> criticisms.
>
>
>
> Marsha Riley, a counselor for Ohio's chapter of the Universal Health Care
> Action Network, said the proposal would undermine access to care for
> Medicaid
>
> recipients.
>
> "Many will lose their coverage and will go back to using the emergency room
> for their health needs," Riley said, a prediction that was made repeatedly
>
> during the hearing. Opponents argued the proposal would only increase health
> care costs and undermine gains made by Kasich's recent expansion of
> Medicaid
>
> under the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
>
> Kasich's expansion of Medicaid, which increased the income eligibility to
> 138 percent of the federal poverty level, resulted in an additional 640,000
> Ohioans
>
> gaining health coverage.
>
> In a document outlining the proposal, the state Department of Medicaid
> estimates that the proposal to require recipients to make a monthly payment
> would
>
> result in between 125,000 and 140,000 people dropping their coverage.
>
> Jim Butler, one of the architects of the proposal in Ohio's legislature,
> said that those who
>
> do lose coverage could quickly get it back by catching up on their payments,
> which could
>
> be paid up to 75 percent by a non-profit health care provider.
>
> He said the program -- modeled after a similar initiative in Indiana -- has
> the potential to
>
> significantly improve health outcomes. He pointed to survey data from
> Indiana that
>
> shows participants who stuck with the program reported using preventive
> services at
>
> much higher rates; the participants also reported a much lower reliance on
> the emergency
>
> room to get care, which helps to reduce costs.
>
> "The most important thing is to incentivize proper care and engender a cost
> consciousness" in Medicaid recipients, Butler said. "Those are all
> important
>
> parts of empowering the patient to have the best care and have the knowledge
> to make the best decisions in consultation with their doctors."
>
> But on Thursday, some advocates questioned whether the ability of health
> care providers to help pay for recipients' care would create a conflict of
> interest
>
> and open the door for abuse of the system.
>
> "There is potential for tens of millions of dollars in fraud by allowing
> providers to deposit into a person's account," said Loren Anthes, a fellow
> at
>
> the Center for Community Solutions, a research organization that focuses on
> health and social services issues.
>
> Thursday's hearing was the first of two in which Ohioans can comment on the
> proposal; the second is scheduled for Tuesday in Cincinnati. The public can
>
> also submit written comments to the state Department of Medicaid until May
> 19.
>
> The Kasich administration will then consider whether to alter the the
> proposal and submit it to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid
> Services
>
> for consideration. It is unclear when CMS will make a determination, but the
> process typically takes six to nine months.
>
>
>
> Suzanne Turner, MPA, BSW
>
> Quality Care Navigator
>
> Department of Pharmacy and Care Management
>
>
>
> Medical Mutual of Ohio
>
> 2060 E. 9th Street
>
> Cleveland, Ohio 44115
>
> Ph: 216-687-6538
>
> Suzanne.Turner at MedMutual.com <mailto:Suzanne.Turner at MedMutual.com>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Visit MedMutual.com <http://www.medmutual.com/>
>
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-- 
Marianne Denning, TVI, MA
Teacher of students who are blind or visually impaired
(513) 607-6053