Our Health Policy Matters

Florida recently elected to turn down – again – over $2 million in Federal money to pay the administrative costs of expanding its Medicaid long term care program’s home and community based services. In March 2011, Florida qualified for over $35 million to join most of the rest of the nation in participating in the Money Follows the Person program.   The program was created during the Bush Administration as a way of helping people move back out of nursing homes into the community.   It became so popular in the 29 states (and District of Columbia) participating in it that it was expanded as part of health reform.   Thirteen additional states, including Florida, were invited to participate.   Former Governor Charlie Crist authorized Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to file Florida’s application. Rejecting the program means that people who want to leave Florida nursing homes won’t be given control of the resources they need to do so.   ...

Florida recently elected to turn down – again – over $2 million in Federal money to pay the administrative costs of expanding its Medicaid long term care program’s home and community based services. In March 2011, Florida qualified for over $35 million to join most of the rest of the nation in participating in the Money Follows the Person program.   The program was created during the Bush Administration as a way of helping people move back out of nursing homes into the community.   It became so popular in the 29 states (and District of Columbia) participating in it that it was expanded as part of health reform.   Thirteen additional states, including Florida, were invited to participate.   Former Governor Charlie Crist authorized Florida’s Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA) to file Florida’s application. Rejecting the program means that people who want to leave Florida nursing homes won’t be given control of the resources they need to do so.   ...

For over thirty years, states have tried and failed to contain Medicaid costs. And if they continue to do what they’ve always done, then “more flexibility” through block grants – code words for cutting people and benefits from the programs – isn’t going to help.   This is because the strategies they have used don’t work.   I wrote a few weeks ago about problems with some of the specifics of Florida’s Medicaid reform bill this year.   In this column, I want to add a more global perspective.   source: US DHHS, 2007 Between 1980 and 2004, total personal health care expenditures in the United States increased by 726%.   Total Medicaid expenditures increased by 1,028%.   That’s a pretty compelling opening argument against the four common “cost containment” strategies -- cutting provider rates; reducing the number of people eligible; eliminating chronic disease detection, prevention, and management services; and making recipients ...

For over thirty years, states have tried and failed to contain Medicaid costs. And if they continue to do what they’ve always done, then “more flexibility” through block grants – code words for cutting people and benefits from the programs – isn’t going to help.   This is because the strategies they have used don’t work.   I wrote a few weeks ago about problems with some of the specifics of Florida’s Medicaid reform bill this year.   In this column, I want to add a more global perspective.   source: US DHHS, 2007 Between 1980 and 2004, total personal health care expenditures in the United States increased by 726%.   Total Medicaid expenditures increased by 1,028%.   That’s a pretty compelling opening argument against the four common “cost containment” strategies -- cutting provider rates; reducing the number of people eligible; eliminating chronic disease detection, prevention, and management services; and making recipients ...

There were more than a few sighs of relief when Florida House and Senate members came to an agreement on health and human budgets this week. There was also some welcome news.   But not everyone is happy, and there will still be plenty of pain to go around.   People like me won’t feel it, but millions of others will. First, let’s get to the good news.   After weeks of uncertainty, funding for adult mental health services will not be eliminated or cut.   Senate and House leaders, led by Rep. Denise Grimsley, came to the conclusion that asking people with mental illness to shoulder this much more pain this year was just too much.   This is a tremendous relief to everyone affected by mental illness.   Though we may not be able to quantify “things that don’t happen,” we know that legislators saved many people from harm, and prevented scores of crises down the road. The Medicaid “medically needy” and “aged and disabled” programs in Florida also remain intact...

There were more than a few sighs of relief when Florida House and Senate members came to an agreement on health and human budgets this week. There was also some welcome news.   But not everyone is happy, and there will still be plenty of pain to go around.   People like me won’t feel it, but millions of others will. First, let’s get to the good news.   After weeks of uncertainty, funding for adult mental health services will not be eliminated or cut.   Senate and House leaders, led by Rep. Denise Grimsley, came to the conclusion that asking people with mental illness to shoulder this much more pain this year was just too much.   This is a tremendous relief to everyone affected by mental illness.   Though we may not be able to quantify “things that don’t happen,” we know that legislators saved many people from harm, and prevented scores of crises down the road. The Medicaid “medically needy” and “aged and disabled” programs in Florida also remain intact...