September 2nd, 2010
Wednesday, September 1, 2010, a Governor’s press release announced that “Ohio’s mental health system will receive $32.6 million to help provide critical treatment for adults and children with mental illness and preserve jobs in the mental health system.” The funds are being designated from Ohio’s portion of Enhanced Federal Medicaid dollars that will flow to the state as part of a projected $518.6 million in total new funds to offset Medicaid payments. Of the new funding, $30.6 million will be distributed to County Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Boards on a per capita basis for community mental health services, and $2 million will be set aside for children’s mental health services.
Ohio Association of County Behavioral Health Authorities (OACBHA) President Joseph L. Szoke, Executive Director of the ADAMHS Board for Montgomery County, commented, “We are grateful for this funding that will go directly to Ohio communities to provide desperately needed mental health treatment services and recovery supports like consumer-directed services, employment, and housing that enable so many adults to live productive lives in the community. This means that vital services like crisis care will be maintained to help people avoid costly alternatives such as state hospitals, emergency room visits, and even jail.”
According to Cheri L. Walter, OACBHA CEO, “The additional funding will help to replace the loss of state funds for community-based services. Ohio’s behavioral health system of care has hung on by a thread, and this new funding will allow access to treatment for non-Medicaid individuals and the recovery supports that keep people alive. We are very thankful for these additional dollars; people with a mental illness and their families will truly benefit from the services provided. We know that Treatment Works, and People Recover when they have access to the community-based services and recovery supports they need.”
Tags: behavioral health, crisis care, medicaid, non-Medicaid, Ohio
Posted in CEO Minutes, Up to the Minute |
August 25th, 2010
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO), in conjunction with Ohio Medicaid’s Bureau of Health Services Research, has released the 2010 Medicaid Atlas. The Atlas consists of a number of descriptive maps built upon county level data regarding certain categories within Ohio’s Medicaid program. The goal of the document is to inform awareness and policy discussions relating to Ohio’s Medicaid program. To see the Atlas, please click here. There are lots of interesting maps, but here is some shortcut information: Mental Health – Page 44; AOD – Pages 46-48; FQHC – Page 41; Rx Utilization – Page 49.
Tags: atlas, Bureau of Health, HPIO, medicaid
Posted in Up to the Minute |
March 29th, 2010
On Tuesday President Obama signed the health care reform bill into law, then on Thursday the budget reconciliation measure making final changes to the bill passed both in the Senate and House. The final House vote was 220 to 207 and the Senate vote was 56 to 43, with the Republicans unanimously opposed in both chambers. The reconciliation bill makes numerous revisions, including: changes to the subsidies that will help moderate-income Americans afford private insurance; changes to the Medicare payroll tax that will take effect in 2013 to help pay for the legislation; delays the start of a new tax on high-cost employer-sponsored insurance policies to 2018 and raises the thresholds at which policies are hit by the tax; makes changes to close the gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage known as the doughnut hole; clarifies a provision requiring insurers to allow adult children to remain on their parents’ insurance policies. Many of the changes were intended to address the concerns of House Democrats, as well as to bridge differences between the original House and Senate bills and to incorporate additional provisions sought by President Obama. For a more complete overview of health care reform, please go to www.oacbha.org and click on Health Care Reform.
Have a great week!
Cheri L. Walter
Chief Executive Officer
Tags: behavioral, BH, complete, health, health care reform, medicaid
Posted in CEO Minutes, Health Care Reform |
March 1st, 2010
The Center for Community Solutions recently released their latest edition of State Budgeting Matters, discussing federal health care reform scenarios and their possible implications across Ohio’s Medicaid program. To read the report, visit http://www.communitysolutions.com/images/upload/resources/ sbmv6n1.pdf .
Tags: medicaid, State Budgeting Matters
Posted in Health Care Reform, Up to the Minute |
February 26th, 2010
Ohio will receive $151 million in additional federal stimulus funds to offset state spending on prescription drugs for the Medicaid population. The funds will come from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through the federal stimulus bill and helps the states by increasing Federal Medical Assistance Percentage payments, which is the federal share of Medicaid costs. States will therefore have to pay less to the federal government for what are referred to as “clawback payments” that a state pays to offset the added expense to Medicare Part D of assuming drug costs for residents who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. The ARRA boost was not accounted for among the FMAP stimulus aid already budgeted by Ohio for the current biennium, so the relief can serve as an offset to the a current budget gap. Ohio’s clawback payments of $581,726,147 will be therefore be reduced to $430,246,974, according to HHS.
Tags: ARRA, FMAP, medicaid, Medicare Part D, Ohio
Posted in Up to the Minute |
January 14th, 2010
President Obama and Democratic leaders met today to begin working on a final healthcare bill. The President met with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada), and other Democratic leaders to narrow the differences between the House and Senate bills. The Democratic leaders still have a few obstacles to overcome, one of them being a special election next week in Massachusetts to replace the late Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy. The surprisingly close race for this Senate seat could cost Democrats the 60th vote they need to pass the final bill through the Senate. Republican leaders believe that they may still be able to stop the bill because many House Democrats who supported the initial healthcare bill may not vote for the final version due to potential changes in provisions on abortion, Medicare cuts, and federal Medicaid aid to states.
To read this article in its entirety, please visit: www.msnbc.msn.com/ id/34839717/ns/politics-health_care_reform/.
Tags: democrats, Edward Kennedy, Harry Reid, health care reform, medicaid, medicare, Obama
Posted in Health Care Reform, Up to the Minute |
October 27th, 2009
There has been an 8% increase in Medicaid enrollment in the last year, an increase of about 154,000 Ohioans, the largest 12 month increase in seven years. Enrollment in Medicaid has continued to increase for 19 consecutive months, the longest period of sustained growth since 2001. Now almost two million Ohioans, nearly 1 in 5, are insured by Medicaid.
To read this article in its entirety, please visit: www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/10/13/capspike.html.
Tags: dispatch, enrollment, increase, medicaid, seven years
Posted in Up to the Minute |
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