The Lund Report

Medicaid Pays for 47 Percent of Children Born in Oregon Christen McCurdy Thu, 01/17/2013 - 09:34

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CMS Approves Accountability Measures

January 16, 2013 -- The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has given final approval to a waiver that includes a list of 17 accountability measures for Oregon’s new coordinated care organizations, which are providing care to the state’s Medicaid population through the Oregon Health Plan. CMS ordered a last-minute adjustment that requires the CCOs to monitor the follow-up care for children who receive drugs for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Jan 17, 2013

Regence Rate Decision Sparks Consumer Watchdog Approach

January 8, 2012 -- When insurance officials made a decision about a rate request by Regence BlueCross BlueShield after reviewing documents behind closed doors last summer, it raised the ire of Sen. Chip Shields (D-Portland). A strong proponent of transparency, he’s drafting legislation that would let consumer watchdog groups such as OSPIRG have access to such proprietary information, giving them intervener status.

Jan 9, 2013

Alternative Practitioners Could Face Legal Hurdles with CCOs

January 8, 2013 -- Oregon statute is quite clear about allowing people on the Oregon Health Plan to receive care from complementary and alternative medical practitioners – acupuncturists, chiropractors, naturopaths, massage therapists and nurse midwives. A non-discriminatory amendment is embedded in the legislation (Senate Bill 1580) that called for the creation of coordinated care organizations – charged with integrating physical, mental and dental care for low-income people on Medicaid.

Jan 9, 2013

Tricia Tillman Says Diverse Groups Need a Seat at the Table

January 2, 2013 -- Growing up in southwest Portland – and later studying political science at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. – Tricia Tillman didn't realize public health was an occupation, much less the one where she’d end up. “I kind of stumbled into public health,” Tillman said. “I didn't know it was a field at all.”

Jan 9, 2013

Mitch Greenlick Wants CCOs to get Share of Tobacco Settlement

January 8, 2013 -- Governor Kitzhaber’s proposed healthcare budget taps $120 million from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement as a revenue source for the Oregon Health Plan, but doesn’t indicate how those dollars should be spent. Rep. Mitch Greenlick (D-Portland) would like to convince the Oregon Health Authority, which will appropriate that revenue, to distribute 10 percent -- $12 million -- to the coordinated care organizations and earmarked for tobacco prevention and reduction.

Jan 9, 2013

Northwest Mothers Milk Bank Meets Fundraising Goal

January 2, 2013 -- The Northwest Mothers Milk Bank is still pressing toward its goal of opening the first human milk processing center in the Northwest – and just completed a matching funds campaign to purchase an automated pasteurizer, said executive co-director Lesley Mondeaux.

Jan 2, 2013

Regence Regains its Lead While Losing Individual Members

January 2, 2013 -- Regence BlueCross BlueShield took back its spot as Oregon’s top provider of health insurance, though its ongoing battle for market dominance remains a near-tie with previous leader Kaiser Permanente. Oregon’s health reform efforts played a major role pulling Kaiser down from the top position.

Jan 2, 2013

Ashland Community Hospital Expected to Merge with Asante

January 2, 2013 -- Ashland Community Hospital and Asante – a southern Oregon-based healthcare company that owns hospitals in Medford and Grants Pass – are hammering out the details of a proposed merger, and expect to continue those talks into early next year, according to Roy Vinyard, Asante's president and CEO.

Jan 2, 2013

Mental Health, Long-Term Care Targeted for $30 Million in Innovative Ideas

January 2, 2013 – The money trail for healthcare transformation is nowhere close to the end. In fact, Governor John Kitzhaber has set aside $30 million in his budget for 2013-2015 to foster collaborations between mental health, long-term care providers and the coordinated care organizations.

Jan 2, 2013