Last Friday, the Ohio Department of Insurance announced the Medical Mutual of Ohio has been selected to operate Ohio’s temporary high risk pool program that was created the the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This high risk pool will provide uninsured people with pre-existing conditions an opportunity to purchase more affordable health insurance. It is estimated that Ohio will receive $152 million from the federal government to operate this high risk pool. To read the full press release from ODI, please visit: http://www.insurance.ohio.gov/Newsroom/Pages/06252010StateOf.aspx. To learn more about the high risk pool program, please visit: http://www.healthcarereform.ohio.gov/Pages/Highrisk.aspx.
Medical Mutual of Ohio Selected to Operate High Risk PoolJune 28th, 2010OHIO POLICYMAKERS URGED TO ‘THINK THE UNTHINKABLE’ TO FIX NEXT STATE BUDGETJune 28th, 2010In a report released by the Center for Community Solutions this past week, Thinking the Unthinkable, Finding Common Ground for Resolving Ohio’s Fiscal Crisis the report models a possible 10%-20% reduction in most human services, but states ODMH and ODADAS should be excluded from reductions due to the critical condition of Behavioral Health Services. Additionally the report recommends that the state should be responsible for the Medicaid Match, it states: “Relieving local boards of this responsibility would help stabilize precarious, if not dangerous, situations in communities across Ohio, while helping county governments and local boards address the multifaceted impact of the recession. It would also help align Ohio’s Medicaid program with the impact of federal health reform on mental health benefits and expanded eligibility for currently uninsured individuals. If the cost for state assumption of behavioral health Medicaid match were shared between new appropriations and current state subsidies to local Mental Health and Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services boards, then local boards would shed a major financial burden, while a significant step toward clarifying roles and stabilizing behavioral health finance is taken”. The report also states: Additional funding would be needed to cover this, as well as provide some subsidy to local communities to support the behavioral health needs of the uninsured.
Hopefully Ohio’s leaders will read this report, and see that what we have been telling them for the past several years is in fact recognized by others as well. A link to review the entire report follows. http://www.communitysolutions.com/assets/1/AssetManager/Thinking_the_Unthinkable_Begala_WEB.pdf HAVE A GREAT WEEK!
Cheri L. Walter PPACA Rules ReleasedJune 24th, 2010This week, the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and Treasury released a set of regulations for items within the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. These interim rules address banning health insurers from denying coverage to children with pre-existing conditions; preventing insurers from canceling coverage if someone makes an unintentional mistake on an application; and barring them from imposing lifetime or annual limits on coverage. To review the interim rules, please visit: http://www.federalregister.gov/OFRUpload/OFRData/2010-15278_PI.pdf GOAAAAAAAAAAL! NO?June 21st, 2010Over the past few weeks we have watched an almost perfect game in baseball and the US Soccer team trying to do what no other team has ever done in World Cup Soccer, come back from a 0-2 deficit at intermission and win. A referee’s call took both of these moments from historical to hysterical. Why do these events matter? The grace and sportsmanship displayed by both the US Soccer team and the Detroit Tigers should be honored. It is clear after further review the officials made incorrect calls, but all the participants showed was humility and strength of character not disdain or disgust. We should applaud these individuals for understanding that mistakes happen, and adversity touches us all, even when it is unjust. As we move forward facing our own personal moments … our eventual success is not dependent on the result. It is more the result of our attitude, commitment and the friends and family support we are able to maintain. Medicaid Expansion and the Impact on Behavioral HealthJune 17th, 2010The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare recently hosted a webinar on the topic of Medicaid Expansion and the Impact on Behavioral Health. This webinar included a wealth of information about the Medicaid expansion that will take place as a result of the health care reform law. While there is a provision to expand Medicaid early, it appears that Ohio has elected to expand the Medicaid eligibility in 2014 as required by the law. The webinar recording and handouts are available at: http://www.thenationalcouncil.org/cs/recordings_presentations Peer Supports: A Helping HandJune 14th, 2010Vol. Six, Issue VI Download: June 2010 One Pager Each of us knows the feeling of needing someone to turn to for help or advice. Often, we look to those who have been down that same road we are currently traveling. They are the ones best able to relate. For those who suffer from mental illness, this need is… CEO Minute: FIFA World Cup 2010June 14th, 2010Last Friday the FIFA World Cup began. This 64 match soccer tournament is the most widely viewed sporting event in the world. The World Cup takes place every four years and this year South Africa is the host country for the month long event. For this tournament, some of the world’s best athletes come together to represent their countries in one of the most competitive sporting environments for athletes and fans alike. Only a few days old, this tournament has already seen some incredible feats: Ghana became the first African nation to win a World Cup match on African soil, France and Uruguay’s match ended in the first 0-0 tie of Accountable Care Organizations: An OverviewJune 10th, 2010As a result of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Accountable Care Organizations (ACOs) are getting a great deal of attention. An ACO is a local health care organization and a related set of providers that can be held accountable for the overall cost and quality of care delivered to a defined population. ACO models are used in some areas throughout the nation and being increasingly called upon as the new method of accountability both in the financial and service delivery realms. For more information about ACOs, please read: Accountable Care Organizations: An Overview. On page three of this document, you’ll find an extensive list of resources to help you learn more about ACOs. Research Provides Parental Insight for Approaches to Underage DrinkingJune 7th, 2010With the end of the current school year comes the discussion related to underage drinking. Parents find themselves in a situation wondering what the best approach to take with their children regarding drinking. Some parents have adopted the European model for their children, where children are socialized to drink at the family table, in an effort to teach responsible drinking. However, researchers in the United States have found that this model less effective. Researchers are advocating that parents have a strong impact on their children’s drinking habits. Children of parents who disapprove completely of underage drinking are less likely to drink and less likely to engage in binge drinking. On the other side, children of more permissive parents are more likely to engage in risky behavior, such as binge drinking. To read more, please visit: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/ story.php?storyId=127222042 ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS 75th ANNIVERSARYJune 7th, 2010This summer is the 75th anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), founded in 1935 by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith. This week in Akron, Ohio where AA began, Founders Day will celebrate this anniversary. There are many people around the world that owe their life and their sobriety to AA, and I am one of them. While I know that AA is founded on the idea of anonymity, I believe that if more individuals in recovery would share their story, the more people would understand the disease, and just maybe we could put a dent in the stigma that the disease of alcoholism still faces today. Let’s celebrate recovery and the 75th anniversary of Alcoholics Anonymous; but let’s also share our stories and help others know that RECOVERY IS POSSIBLE! Have a great week!!
Cheri L. Walter |
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