Hi Dana,
Thanks for sharing the info. It is appreciated as well as useful.
With Love,
CtrlAltDel aka Dave
C4/5 Complete - 29 Years Post
Texas, USA
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
More info .From: "Stephanie Thomas" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Dana(C4-5, 31 years post, 51, KC)
To: "micassa list" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Subject: Fw: HHS Medicaid Commission Adopts Recommendations For $10 Billion In Program Saving
Date: Fri, 19 Aug 2005 16:10:32 -0500
----- Original Message -----
From: "Justice For All Moderator" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Friday, August 19, 2005 1:37 PM
Subject: HHS Medicaid Commission Adopts Recommendations For $10 Billion In
Program Savings
> HHS Medicaid Commission Adopts Recommendations For $10 Billion In Program
> Savings
>
> On August 18, the Medicaid Commission, appointed by U.S. Department of
> Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt, unanimously adopted
> its short-term recommendations for $10 billion in savings in the Medicaid
> program over the next five years. The recommendati! ons will be sent to
> Secretary Leavitt in a report by September 1 in order to allow
> consideration by Congress during the budget reconciliation process this
> fall. The Commission has 13 voting members and 15 non-voting members.
> The final recommendations include a provision to allow states to charge
> beneficiaries increased co-payments for certain non-preferred
> prescription drugs in order to encourage beneficiaries to use the least
> costly effective prescriptions. Although several of the non-voting
> members of the Commission spoke vigorously against this proposal, Gwen
> Gillenwater was the only voting Commissioner to oppose this provision.
> Gillenwater is with the American Association of People with Disabilities
> and had proposed an amendment to replace this co-payment proposal. Her
> amendment failed. The co-payment provision is expected to save $2 billion
> over 5 years.
>
> Two a! dditional provisions in the Commission's recommendations will have a
> direct impact on Medicaid beneficiaries or applicants through increasing
> penalties for people who transfer assets to qualify for Medicaid long tem
> care (changing the starting date of the penalty period and increasing the
> look-back period from 3 to 5 years).
>
> Other provisions included in the Commission's final recommendations
> address complex reimbursement issues: prescription drug reimbursement
> formula reform; extension of the Medicaid drug rebate program to Medicaid
> managed care; and reform of the Medicaid managed care organization
> provider tax requirement. The total package of recommendations would save
> between $10.3 to 11.1 billion over 5 years (2006-2010). More details on
> the provisions will be provided when they become available.
>
> The Arc and United Cerebral Palsy Disability Policy Collaboration's (DPC)> Marty Ford addressed the Commission during the public comment portion of
> the Commission's two-day meeting. Ford's comments focused on the
> potential harm that adding co-payment requirements for purchasing drugs
> would impose on Medicaid beneficiaries, who already have few, if any,
> financial resources. Ford also asked the commission members to ensure
> that the special exemptions for transfers of assets and trusts remain
> intact for people with disabilities. After reviewing the Commission's
> recommendations, the exemptions seem to be still intact, but the
> Commission has not provided a clarification on this issue.
>
> The Commission's second report, due December 31, 2006, is intended to
> provide recommendations to help ensure the long-term sustainability of
> the Medicaid program. The Commission will begin addressing the Medicaid
> program's long-term issues at its next meeting in October.
>
> Upon receipt of the Commission's report after Labor Day, the House Energy
> and Commerce Committee and Senate Finance Committee, which have
> jurisdiction over Medicaid, will begin to mark up their versions of the
> reconciliation bill some time in September. It is unclear if the Congress
> will adhere to the Commission's recommendations or if it will extract
> Medicaid savings in other ways.
>
>
> Thanks to Disability Policy Collaboration
>
>
>
> # # #
>
> --
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