http://www.lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/index en vcalderon@lahealthaction.org Copyright 2012 2012-05-16T22:04:34-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3950/ Report on a survey measuring consumer assistance in four state health agencies (California’s Department of Insurance, Department of Managed Health Care, Department of Health Care Services, and Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board) performed in providing assistance to Californians. They asked for help in filing for Medi-Cal, Healthy Families, and the Pre-existing Condition Insurance Programs, or they also presented themselves as covered by health insurance, but asking for guidance about how to find a primary care physician, get a second opinion, or obtain a prompt referral to a specialist. For the most part, the surveyors got useful, timely, and accurate answers. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization 2012-05-11T22:11:04-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3935/ Report providing results of a study on the undergoing transformation of primary care from physician-centered practices to patient-focused teams. Visiting seven primary care clinics to understand how they adapted their practices to put the patient at the center; the authors found six key characteristics considered to be the building blocks of the new model of health care delivery: data-driven improvement, empanelment and panel size management, team-based care, population management, continuity and availability of care, and prompt access to care. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Care Delivery Systems, Ambulatory Care, Health Professionals 2012-04-24T23:53:06-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3933/ Memorandum to the Board of Supervisors providing that the evaluation process for the DHS EHR System acquisition has concluded, with the two final proposers being ranked in the following order: first ranked proposer is Cerner, and the second ranked proposer is Epic. DHS anticipates that contract negotiations will begin with Cerner in May and continue through June. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Care Delivery Systems 2012-04-23T18:15:00-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3930/ Policy brief providing findings from the recent Commonwealth Fund Health Insurance Tracking Survey of U.S. Adults and insight as to how the ACA will help end the insurance gaps and consequent interruptions in care that so many Americans experience every year. The findings of the survey underscore the need for federal and state policymakers to press ahead with their work implementing the law. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Employment-based Health Insurance, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-04-19T18:16:16-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3928/ Policy brief addressing a number of challenges facing school health centers that must be addressed in order to expand and enhance the system as discussed at a recent policy summit co-convened by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas, LACOE, and LAUSD. Potential strategies to address the challenges and next steps based on ideas generated during the summit are provided. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Care Delivery Systems, Ambulatory Care, Children's Health and Coverage 2012-04-16T21:23:37-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3938/ Policy brief providing a summary of the federal Medicaid eligibility rule changes, which includes information on the impact to California. This simplified version of the rule changes provides a great overview of policy change associated with the Affordable Care Act. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Employment-based Health Insurance, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-04-12T18:53:38-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3913/ Summary presenting the discussions, concerns, and recommendations from the 2011 LA Health Collaborative meetings. The Collaborative is a coalition of more than 80 public and private organizations dedicated to improving the health care safety net and community health in Los Angeles County. The Collaborative is a neutral discussion forum on county-generated health policies and a platform for initiating broader innovations that convenes county government, health plans, community clinics, hospitals, labor, physicians, business, patient advocates, and academicians. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Care Delivery Systems, Health Status and Issues, Maternal and Child Health, Chronic Conditions, Health Behaviors, Vulnerable Populations and Health Disparities, Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver 2012-04-04T01:55:04-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3903/ Memorandum to the Board of Supervisors providing updates on the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No.1 meeting convened to consider several California Department of Social Services administration projects including the LEADER Replacement System (LRS) and the administrative changes to the CalFresh program. The subcommittee approved the Legislative Analyst's Office (LAO) proposal to provide regular briefings on the progress of LRS development. The subcommittee also approved a two-year extension of the CalFresh county match waiver and the Governor's proposed increase in funding to the CalFresh program. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-03-26T17:42:34-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3881/ Fact sheet providing information to California consumers with key Affordable Care Act (ACA) reforms to are likely to affect them. The guide includes a list of ACA reforms already in effect and the reforms scheduled to be implemented in 2014, the 2014 coverage options and cost considerations for uninsured California individuals and families, the 2014 coverage options and cost/benefit considerations for Californians with insurance through employer plans, individually purchased plans, or Medicare, and a description of potential federal developments, including U.S. Supreme Court review, that may affect implementation of the ACA or its individual provisions Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Employment-based Health Insurance, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-03-19T21:55:58-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3880/ Report commissioned by California HealthCare Foundation addressing the widely different ways Community Health Centers (CHCs) respond to their working environments. This study employs ethnographic research to examine the culture and identity of health centers through the lenses of the people who work and receive care there. The findings led to a new framework for understanding the motivations behind clinic activities. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Care Delivery Systems, Ambulatory Care 2012-03-19T21:21:25-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3878/ Report providing a updated summary of the framework set for the California Health Benefit Exchange, updates since its inception and present decisions that will need to be made over the next few years. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-03-16T22:56:01-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3871/ Report reviewing current and future benefits and statistics of the first year's use of the Health-e-App Public Access application commissioned by the California HealthCare Foundation and Lucille Packard Foundation for Children's Health. Health-e-App Public Access (HeA PA) is a self-service, online application for California’s Healthy Families Program. It is also a screening tool that becomes an application for the state’s Medi-Cal for Children and Pregnant Women programs when forwarded to a county social services office for an eligibility determination. Potential benefits include easy access and accuracy for applicants, efficiency for application processing center and more allotted time for certified application assistants (CAAs) to spend with individuals requiring the most help with completing the application process. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-03-08T18:40:43-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3869/ Report providing industry experts' opinions on the future of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) in health care. Asked to provide their visions for EHRs over the next five years and beyond, experts predicted that the future generation of EHRs will offer further integration with mobile technologies, greater affordability and personalization for providers, more accessibility and interoperability with other systems and greater emphasis on patient centeredness to encourage engagement in care decisions and communication with providers. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-02-29T23:44:29-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3866/ Policy brief commissioned by California HealthCare Foundation surveying eligibility workers and county officials in the four counties including L.A. County about in-person enrollment for Medi-Cal. The county workers noted that caseloads are high, budget cuts pose challenges, and the client base has changed (more first-time applicants and more applicants with complex financial situations). They voiced concern about obtaining documentation and managing client frustration over slow processes. Some questioned the value of online application options. In addition, eligibility workers were generally unaware of the system changes expected in 2014. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-02-29T21:57:50-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3865/ Report commissioned by the California HealthCare Foundation and The California Endowment documenting the experiences and preferences of low-income, uninsured Californians as they applied for Medi-Cal and Healthy Families. Researchers surveyed 106 applicants in Alameda, Fresno, Humboldt, and Los Angeles Counties. Overall, these applicants value straightforward processes and clear answers. They are unsure about their ability to enroll successfully, hesitant to ask questions, sensitive to poor service, and appreciative of enrollment options. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-02-29T18:26:05-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3863/ Policy brief showing that approximately 1.7 million people eligible for tax credits in the Exchange will be from communities of color, and over 1 million non-elderly adults will not speak English well. The brief also projects that 100,000 Californians who do not speak English well could be deterred from enrolling in the Health Benefit Exchange without culturally and linguistically appropriate outreach and enrollment efforts. Finally, the report provides policy recommendations to help reduce these language barriers and ensure that all those eligible for coverage will enroll. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Status and Issues, Vulnerable Populations and Health Disparities 2012-02-28T21:44:19-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3842/ Memorandum to the Board of Supervisors providing notification on plans to accept two grants from Blue Shield of California Foundation (BSCF) and to execute an agreement with National Health Foundation. The BSCF $500,000 grant will support the eConsult Specialty Guidelines Development Project, and the $150,000 grant will support Low Income Health Plan (LIHP) implementation and enrollment-related projects. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Care Delivery Systems, Ambulatory Care 2012-02-22T03:02:27-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3877/ Policy brief addressing the potential impact of removing the minimum coverage requirement (MCR) or "individual mandate" from the ACA. Based on analysis using the California Simulation of Insurance Markets (CalSIM) model, the authors found that the ACA will reduce California's eligible uninsured population from 4.63 to 2.72 million by 2019, a reduction of 41%. However without the MCR, the ACA will only be able to reduce the amount of eligible uninsured from 4.63 to 3.76, a reduction of only 19%. Therefore, eliminating the MCR from the ACA would substantially lower the number of newly insured Californians and undermine the goal of the law to substantially increase insurance coverage for the uninsured. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Employment-based Health Insurance, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-01-30T18:21:07-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3848/ Policy brief summarizing participant thoughts and recommendations regarding the creation of the California Health Benefit Exchange based on two issue work groups and 25 regional work groups held by Insure the Uninsured Project (ITUP) in 2011. Overall, participants felt that aggressive outreach, a level playing field, continuity of coverage, program simplification and cultural/linguistic appropriateness are some of the keys to a successful Exchange. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Public Health Insurance Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion 2012-01-20T17:24:06-08:00 http://lahealthaction.org/index.php/library/full_entry/3823/ Memorandum to the Board of Supervisors providing an update on Healthy Way LA (HWLA) enrollment having reached 110,000 as of December 31, 2011, Community Partner (CP) issues, transitioning to using LEADER/Your Benefits Now as the HWLA enrollment system, moving Seniors and Persons with Disabilities (SPDs) onto mandatory managed care, and improving primary care and specialist linkages with L.A. Care Health Plan's eConsult system. Health Insurance and Coverage Programs, Outreach, Enrollment, Retention and Utilization, Health Care Reform and Expansion, Health Care Delivery Systems, Ambulatory Care, Section 1115 Medicaid Waiver 2012-01-14T00:56:02-08:00