Administration touts early success of Medicare/Medicaid coordination

[cbayer]

More good news and much needed innovative reform in the system. We are slowly, but surely, moving towards a program that will be the single payer, universal plan that we want.

By Julian Pecquet - 10/11/11 11:40 AM ET


Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia are interested in testing new ways to coordinate care for people who are dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid, the Obama Administration announced Tuesday.

The federal health law for the first created an office tasked with improving care delivery for so-called "dual eligibles," who account for about 16 percent of Medicare enrollees but 27 percent of the program's spending. Oct. 1 was the deadline for states to indicate interest in a pilot program to test two new payment and service delivery models.

"Across the country States are moving forward and proposing new ways to better serve their Medicare-Medicaid enrollees," Melanie Bella, the director of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office, wrote in a blog post.


"These innovative initiatives vary regionally and in their approach, ranging from using health homes that provide total care management to expanding existing programs to meet all of an individual's needs by incorporating behavioral health and long-term supports and services, as well as making current coordinated care models available to new populations, such as individuals with long-term care needs or those with serious and persistent mental illness."

more at link:

http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/medicare/186719-administration-touts-early-success-of-medicaremedicaid-coordination