October 7, 2013 -- Ever since it launched the tri-county area’s first coordinated care organization (CCO), health care organizations around the country have sought advice from FamilyCare, Inc. on how best to streamline health care, especially with the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the horizon.
Jeff Heatherington, president and CEO of FamilyCare, Inc., is one of two FamilyCare executives who, as recently as last week, shared his expertise with health care professionals attending America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) Medicaid Conference in Washington, D.C.
On Friday (Oct 4), Heatherington will deliver the keynote address at the 2013 State of Reform Health Policy Conference in Anchorage, Alaska highlighting “Solutions from the Outside.” He will also participate in a similar conference Oct 9 in Portland.
“With the Affordable Care Act now underway, people want to hear about the Oregon experience,”Heatherington said. “There is great interest in the process and the steps Oregon has taken to transform health care. There is a way to improve the delivery of services and save costs through better coordination. We have a good story to tell.”
Heatherington founded FamilyCare, Inc., the oldest Medicaid managed care organization in Oregon and presided over the Coalition for a Healthy Oregon (COHO), an association of seven community-based plans. Heatherington has also been instrumental in shaping how Oregon has worked to reduce the costs of health care and streamline delivery of services.
At the conference in the nation’s capital, Heatherington spoke of his experiences during the panel discussion “Opportunities and Challenges for Medicaid Managed Care Plans in the Post-Reform Environment.” Heatherington said his remarks centered on the critical issues health plans face on daily basis and on key elements of health care transformation, and how the ACA will impact the industry.
States are currently making decisions about whether to expand Medicaid coverage to individuals with income up to 130 percent poverty level, pursuant to the Affordable Care Act.FamilyCare’s Vice President of Integrated Services, Daniel Roth, M.D., also spoke at the AHIP conference, sponsored by the national trade association representing the health insurance industry. Each year, AHIP provides a forum for public policies to be discussed.
Roth highlighted operational issues and innovative strategies FamilyCare and other health plans are implementing to meet the unique needs of individuals with complex health care and service needs.
Next week, Heatherington will speak in Portland at the State of Reform conference along with FamilyCare’s Mary Nolan, Vice President of Business and Community Development, and Dayna Steringer, Government Program Director.
FamilyCare, Inc. is a Medicare and Medicaid managed care organization that has been providing patient-centered health care to Oregonians for nearly 30 years. FamilyCare was the first health plan in Oregon to integrate models of physical and mental health, and recently added dental care to its integrated programs.
As the first coordinated care organization in the tri-county area certified by the Oregon Health Authority, the health plan serves more than 50,000 members. FamilyCare’s mission is, “Creating Healthy Individuals Through Innovative Systems.”
