Tag: Health Care Reform

Finding Ways To Pay For Mental Health: Kaiser Studies Examine Medicaid & Other Mental Health Financing Needs & Options

Treating mental illness and finding a way to pay for mental health treatment present a big challenge for health plans, health care providers, policymakers and the families of Americans afflicted with mental illness. The Kaiser Family Foundation’s Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured has released two new resources that explore key aspects of mental health care financing and access, which may provide valuable insights for employer and other health program sponsors, community leaders and others working to meet the challenges of providing financially viable and effective mental health treatment to meet the needs of their respective constituencies within the bounds of their available budget.

Join Project COPE: Help Develop Real Tools To Meaningfully Empower Patients & Improve Health Care Access, Affordability & Quality

With all the recent debate about health care policy reforms, it is important to keep the focus on the practical needs of patients and their families in dealing with an illness or disability, and simple steps that health care providers, employers, insurers and other payers, churches and other community organizations, and regular people can do to meaningfully help patients and their families effectively access and pay for care and meet other related challenges attendant to illness and disabilities.You can access information about how you can arrange for training on “Building Your Family’s Health Care Toolkit,” using the “PlayForLife” resources to organize low cost wellness programs in your workplace, school, church or other communities, and other process improvement, compliance and other training and other resources for health care providers, employers, health plans, community leaders and others here

Delivery Of CBO Scoring Opens Door For House Health Care Reform Vote As Early As Sunday

Time is running out for Americans to make their health care reform views known to key Congressional decision-makers. The stage now appears to be set for the House of Representatives to vote as early as Sunday on the latest version of health care reform backed by President Obama, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other key Congressional Democrats, the Reconciliation Act of 2010 (H.R. 4872). Access the bill text, CBO text and tips for sharing your views here.

COBRA Subsidy Extension Enactment Requires Quick Action, Shows Subtle Reform Enactment While Health Care Reform Debate Continues

Congress’ quiet extension of the COBRA subsidy rules for involuntarily terminated employees and their dependents beyond their scheduled 12/31/09 expiration date and lengthening of the required subsidy period from 9 to 15 months shows that the big health care reform debate is not the only legislation Americans and American business needs to watch. (You can learn more about the COBRA Subsidy extension mandates at http/ /slphrbenefitsupdate.wordpress.com ).

Senate Finance Committee Chair Baucus Introduces New Version of Health Care Reform, The America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) today (November 19, 2009) introduced his latest health care reform proposal, the America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009 (S.1796), the text of which is available for review here. Chairman Baucus’ introduction of S. 1796 follows the November 7, 2009 passage by the U.S. House of Representatives of the massive health care reform proposal sponsored by Representative John Dingell (D-MI) and supported by Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the Affordable Health Care for America Act (HR. 3962). Review highlights and get link to text of bill here!