Rhode Island is applying for a second round of funding to further work on the state Health Benefit Exchange. The application asks for $74.5 million in additional funds for the exchange. Rhode Island is one of several states working to comply with new requirements outlined in federal health care reform legislation. The state expects that [...]
Arizona Governor Jan Brewer is asking the federal government for money to build her state’s health insurance exchange while simultaneously challenging the law. Arizona was one of the first states to get involved with the challenge to federal health care reform legislation, a fight which continues, the state is also seeking an exemption from health [...]
States may be able to opt-out of expanding Medicaid coverage if two Senators have their way. Senators Lindsey Graham and John Barrasso introduced a bill last week designed to provide ‘Medicaid flexibility,’ for states. The Senators argue that Medicaid is a drag on state budgets and plans to expand the program under federal health care [...]
Michigan Governor Rick Snyder signed new laws yesterday that are focused on the state’s health care system. The new rules will impose a 1% tax on all health care claims paid in the state and use that money to provide health care for low-income residents. A second bill makes the state eligible for $780 million [...]
WellPoint, the nation’s largest health insurer is setting up a private health insurance exchange to compete with those created and managed by governments under federal health care reform legislation. The exchange is a joint effort between WellPoint, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, and Health Care Service Corporation. The exchange will serve all national markets [...]
IBM’s jeopardy playing supercomputer Watson is moving out of the game show circuit and into healthcare, it may even have a future in politics. IBM has partnered with WellPoint the nation’s largest insurer to look at ways the technology that powers Watson can be used to make health care more manageable. CivSource spoke with Dr. [...]
South Carolina is the latest in a small group of states that are rejecting federal funding to enact requirements outlined in the health care reform law. Governor Nikki Haley indicated at the end of last week that her state will not apply for funds to set up a health insurance exchange in the state saying [...]
Following a rejection of $31.5 million in funds to build a health insurance exchange, Kansas made it clear yesterday that they will not be complying with federal heath care reform until the US Supreme Court makes a ruling on the constitutionality of the law. Earlier this month, the state was awarded $31.5 million in grants [...]
North Carolina is leading a pilot project designed to determine if Medicaid management can also create savings in the private sector. According to an announcement today, the project will be a public-private partnership called, “First in Health.” Private pharmaceutical companies and insurers will be working with state health care providers to apply the state’s Medicaid [...]
15 community groups in California are getting a funding boost to support telehealth initiatives. UC Davis Health System and the California Telehealth Network (CTN) awarded nearly $5 million in grants to community groups throughout the state to help the implement telehealth projects. The awards were given through merit based process that required groups to show [...]
