amanda waldroupe

Policy Board Voices Little Concern About CCO Letters of Intent

April 12, 2012—A presentation about the number of organizations intending to become coordinated care organizations (CCOs) by August drew little discussion from the Oregon Health Policy Board on Tuesday.The authority received 47 letters of intent from every county and area of the state. “We look at that as being an enthusiastic response,” Judy Mohr Peterson, the authority’s director of medical assistance programs, told the board. “We have a lot of interest.”

Apr 11, 2012

Deschutes County Audit Could Result in Medicaid Payback

April 9, 2012—An August 2011 audit performed by Accountable Behavioral Health Alliance on Deschutes County Health Services is showing how difficult it is for some organizations to meet the requirements and provide the type of care expected of coordinated care organizations (CCOs).

Apr 9, 2012

Guidelines Set for Community Health Workers to Participate in CCOs

March 26, 2012—Community health workers who will work with coordinated care organizations (CCOs) will be expected to need 80 hours of training and education, but not be licensed, according to recommendations that a subcommittee of the Oregon Healthcare Workforce Committee expects to approve Wednesday.The committee, called the Non-Traditional HealthCare Workforce Subcommittee, was created by the Oregon Health Policy Board to create standards and guidelines for a state-wide workforce of community health workers.

Mar 26, 2012

Southern Oregon Providers Work to Embed Behavioral Health into Primary Clinics

March 24, 2012—A quick, 15-minute appointment with a mental health counselor to talk about the effects of stress and anxiety when a person has an ulcer is radically different than a traditional hour long appointment with a counselor. But providers in southern Oregon are discovering that such appointments, which integrate mental healthcare in the same primary care setting, go a long way toward improving a patient’s health.

Mar 25, 2012

School District’s Achievement Compacts will Include Absenteeism

March 22, 2012—After intense lobbying and attending countless Oregon Education Investment Board meetings and subcommittee meetings, the Healthy Kids Learn Better Coalition got what it wanted: inclusion of absenteeism in the achievement compacts between school districts and the state, which could lead to more information about students’ health problems.

Mar 23, 2012

No Need for Provider Tax on Developmental Disability Programs

March 21, 2012—People who provide services to the developmentally disabled were willing to pay a provider tax out of their own pockets in order to receive federal matching dollars, but such a tax ended up being unnecessary. They made the attempt after learning about a 4 percent reduction that would have been imposed in April, and had already seen a 6 percent cut in programs last October.

Mar 21, 2012

A Tight Timeline for CCO Development Worries Policy Board Members, Advocates

March 19, 2012—The Oregon Health Authority is racing against the clock in order to have coordinated care organizations (CCOs) certified and providing care to Oregon Health Plan patients by August 1st amid growing concern that the tight timeline doesn’t leave enough time for a thorough vetting public process.

Mar 19, 2012

Mental Health Carve Out Bill Faced Governor’s Veto

March 12, 2012—A bill that would have required the state to continue paying for drugs used for mental illnesses, HIV/AIDS, cancer, and immunosuppressant drugs until 2016 died in the last days of the Legislature, blocked by the House and facing a veto threat from Governor Kitzhaber.

Mar 12, 2012

Nutrition Program for Seniors Goes Without Additional Funding

March 7, 2012—The recently resolved $300 million deficit in Oregon’s budget meant tough cuts. But the ongoing recession means an ongoing need for funding social programs. One of the programs that fell between those proverbial rock and hard spots this legislative session was the Senior Farm Direct Nutrition Program, which helps low-income seniors purchase fresh fruit and vegetables.

Mar 7, 2012

Insurance Exchange Bill Moves Toward Floor Vote, with Amendment Relating to OEBB Opt-Out Christen McCurdy Thu, 03/01/2012 - 19:42

• Read more about Insurance Exchange Bill Moves Toward Floor Vote, with Amendment Relating to OEBB Opt-Out
• Log in or register to post comments