Upcoming Webinar: ACA Implementation Post-SCOTUS

A Special EDWeb Event:

ACA Implementation Post-SCOTUS: Moving Forward

Thursday, August 16

10-11:30 AM CT

Cost: $50.00*

Featuring: Richard Deem, SVP, Advocacy, American Medical Association

AAMSE is hosting a special webinar to help medical societies understand the implications of the recent ruling to uphold the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). 

The June 2012 Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decision left nearly all of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act intact, including the individual mandate. One policy change triggered by the Supreme Court decision would allow states to opt out of the law's expansion of Medicaid to cover childless adults up to 133 percent of the federal poverty level. The Court's decision on Medicaid has left many in the healthcare community with more questions than answers. 

This webinar will explore the implications of the Court's decision and what's next for physicians and their patients in implementation of the ACA.  

Richard Deem, Senior Vice President of Advocacy at the American Medical Association, will discuss ACA implementation issues and will answer your questions during this special event. 

For more information and to register, visit the webinar information page. 

* AAMSE members qualify for FREE registration. Check your email for additional details or contact aamse@aamse.org.

Snowe Indicates She Will Side with Dems in Crucial SFC Vote

Senator Olymipia Snowe (R-Maine) has indicated in her remarks to the Senate Finance Committee that she will vote to move the bill out of committee. She did, however, express that this should not be an indication of support of any final bill that emerges once the SFC's bill is combined with Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions bill that was passed early this summer.

All though she expressed reservations, Senator Snowe believe the process must move forward.

CBO Reviews Finance Committee Health Bill

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) gave a boost to the Senate Finance Committee's America’s Healthy Future Act of 2009, and have reported that in its current form the bill will not increase the federal deficit, but would actually reduce it by $81 billion over the next 10 years and these savings would continue into the future.

However, a major caveat to the CBO's report is the fact that the bill has not yet been formatted into legislative language. The estimates made by the CBO may change when this occurs.

The Finance Committee is expected to vote and approve the act this week. Once it is approved it will be merged by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid with legislation passed early this summer by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and brought to the Senate floor for debate.

To read the CBO's letter to Chairman Baucaus and the Senate Finance Committee, click here.

For more coverage:

Wall Street Journal
New York Times
Washington Post
Politico

WSJ Profiles What Health Care Bill Means to Docs

The Wall Street Journal's Health Policy Blog recently posted an item discussing what the Senate Finance Committee's Bill means to doctors. Items highlighted in the posting included:

• Bonus Medicare provisions to primary care doctors
• Provisions that would make it harder for doctors to own stakes in specialty hospitals
• The bill would not scheduled cuts to medicare payments

For the full posting click here.

Health Care Reform Bill Prepares for Floor Debates

Early Friday morning the Senate Finance Committee completed its review of over 500 amemendments and both the Senate and the House of Representatives will be scheduling floor debates for the bill in the near future. This is the farthest stage any Health Reform bill has made it in the legislative process.

For more information, click here.

Public Plan Defeated in Senate Vote

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee twice defeated amendments adding a government run health insurance plan to the Senate Health Care bill. Although these votes do not bode well for the inclusion of a public plan, supporters of the option plan to reintroduce the option when the full Senate votes on the bill.

For more details click here.

Senate Finance Committee Releases Health Care Bill

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D‐Mont.) today introduced the America’s Healthy Future Act, thought by many to be the basis for future negotiations in the health care reform debate.

Provisions in the legislation include:

• Create health care affordability tax credits to help low and middle income families purchase insurance in the private market;
• Provide tax credits for small businesses to help them offer insurance to their employees;
• Allow people who like the coverage they have today the choice to keep it;
• Reform the insurance market to end discrimination based on pre-existing conditions and health status;
• Shift incentives in Medicare to reward better care, not just more care;
• Increase the number of primary care doctors in the system;
• Provide annual “wellness visits” for Medicare participants and their doctors to focus on prevention;

Click here for the full text of the Bill.

Click here for Chairman Baucus's Press Release.

Links to Pres. Obama's Remarks to Congress

Pres. Obama outlined a $900 billion-ten year health reform program which includes a limited public option covering less than 5% of Americans, new insurance regulation and limited tort reform to a joint session of Congress last night.

Rep. Charles Boustany (R-LA) delivered the Republican response to the proposal.

To view the speech, click here

To read the remarks, click here

Physicians Foundation Releases New Report

A report commissioned by The Physicians Foundation, a national healthcare organization that represents the interests of physicians, raises new questions about the role of socioeconomic determinants as they relate to access, quality, and cost of medical care in the United States. The report, prepared by a team of noted physicians and economists headed by Richard “Buz” Cooper, MD, Professor of Medicine and Senior Fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, was sent to the President and Congress today in order to contribute to the national health care debate.

The report, entitled “Physicians and their Practices under Health Care Reform,” highlights several important concerns that the report’s authors believe have been left out of the health care discussion, including: the growing problem of physician shortages, the changes in physicians’ practices that will be necessary in a reformed health care system, and the pervasive effects of poverty and other social determinants which impact variation in access, quality and cost of care.

The full report can be viewed at www.physiciansfoundation.org

Nonprofits Not Included in Health Care Bill Subsidy

According to an action alert sent out by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE), in the House Health Care Bill, a tax credit available to small businesses who provide health insurance excludes small non-profits.

According to ASAE:

The House health care bill has a provision that gives a tax credit to any business that provides health insurance to its employees, has fewer than 25 total employees, and has an average salary of under $40,000. But because the bill provides a tax credit, nonprofits that qualified as a small business would be unable to receive needed financial support.

For more information and to get form letters to send your congressional officals, visit ASAE's Association Advocacy web page on this issue.

House Democrats Release Health Care Bill

On Tuesday, House Democrats released a health care bill to the Senate, stating that health care is a right and a responsibility for all Americans. The bill, which proposed spending $1.5 trillion dollars over 10 years, would be subsidized by taxing medical providers, employers and the wealthy. It is not expected to pass in the Senate, but has reignited a fervor to expedite health care reform.

To read more about the bill, click here.

Poll Finds Public Opinion On Health Reform Stable, but Pliable

As the debate over health reform options heats up at the federal level, the June Kaiser Health Tracking Poll has found that the majority (61%) of Americans continue to believe health reform is important issue that needs to be addressed.

Although many of the reforms, such as employer mandates (69%), individual mandates (71%), and a public plan option (65-67% depending on wording), being considered have strong support, only 41% of those polled are willing to pay more for health reform.

For more information and a complete analysis of the results click here.

Full Text & Commentary of Pres. Obama's Speech to the AMA

President Obama reiterated his commitment to health care reform in front of the American Medical Association this afternoon, saying:

"health care reform is the single most important thing we can do for America's long-term fiscal health."

President Obama touched on many topics, including electronic medical records, medical liability reform and a focus on preventive care. Whatever reforms are eventually put into place, Obama stated:

"no matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise: If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your health care plan, you will be able to keep your health care plan. Period. No one will take it away. No matter what. My view is that health care reform should be guided by a simple principle: fix what's broken and build on what works."

For more information:

Full Text of President Obama's Speech - Chicago Tribune

Video of President Obama's Speech - C-Span

Roundup of the latest commentary on President Obama's Speech:

AMA's Press Conference Response - Wall Street Journal Health Care Blog

Audio of AMA's Press Conference - C-Span

Obama Tries to Woo Doctors on Health Care - Helene Cooper, The New York Times

Health-Care’s Fate May Be Shaped by Party Elders - Albert Hunt, Bloomberg

Naive, Hypocritical and Dishonest - Robert Samuelson, Real Clear Politics

Repeat the Question - Stanley B. Greenberg, The New Republic

Alternatives to Government Health Takeover - Gov. Mark Sanford and Dr. Scott W. Atlas, The Washington Times

Obama Wants to 'Explore' Malpractice Reform - Sam Youngman, The Hill

C-SPAN to Broadcast Live Obama Address to AMA

C-SPAN is offering a free live video feed of President Obama's address to the AMA at 11:15 a.m. Central Time today.

Click here to view the feed.

AMA Releases Healthcare Reform Action Kit

The AMA released their action kit for physicians to use in the federal debate on healthcare reform, which includes briefs on current issues surrounding the health system.

To access the kit, click here.