Show 5-15 | April 11 2015 Healthcare Checkup

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Air Dates: April 11 & 12, 2015

We are fast approaching the 3rd year anniversary of Obamacare getting the green light from the Supreme Court. In the days leading up to that decision, Oregon’s now former-Governor Kitzhaber sweet-talked the Obama administration into funding an accelerated version of Obamacare, in his grand “health care transformation” using Coordinated Care Organizations also known as CCOs. (In Obamacare, they’re referred to as “ACOs”or “Accountable Care Organizations”.)

What has been the outcome of that closed-door deal with Obama?

Remember how the fiasco of Cover Oregon’s blown $300 million means Oregon may have to refund $300 million to the feds? It turns out we may also be on the hook for another $1.9 billion.  Yes, billion. As it turns out, the sweet-talking may have been misleading and the CCOs are not meeting Medicaid standards nor meeting stated outcomes, putting us in danger of refunding some or all of that $1.9 billion.  Tune in to hear about global budgets, lack of transparency, and Oregon’s response to the federal government about the feds concerns over the CCO model.  Be prepared because there’s a financial cliff that Oregon is about ready to jump over.

 

Links mentioned

• Host Mark Anderson will be on Patti Milne’s TV Show, “People, Places, and Politics” on CCTV in Salem, Ore., discussing more about CCOs and Oregon’s health care transformation. It is currently set to air Wed. Apr 15 (6:00 pm), Thurs. Apr 16 (8:00 am), Sat. April 18 (8:00 pm), and Sun. Apr 19 (8:00 am). Here’s a link to CCTV’s schedule.
• The Portland Business Journal article discussing Lynn Saxton’s response to CMS
• Senator Doug Whitsett’s newsletter discussing the $1.9 billion Oregon could potentially be on the hook for — and it’s just the start
• Sign up for Doug’s weekly newsletters (look for the link on the right-hand side to “e-Subscribe”)

Some of Mark’s Articles on CCOs

• CCOs : Lurching into a County Near You (June, 2012) – Get a baseline understanding of what a CCO is and why it matters
• CCOs: Forced Compliance (Sept, 2012) – CCOs have the potential for real—dare we say it?—evil.

Additional Info

• Article on effect of the lack of pricing information in healthcare from Free Market Medical Association
• Marion-Polk Counties’ CCO quarterly financial filings (note that this link downloads a PDF)