Contents tagged with affordable care act
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Inside the coverage gap maps
Texas and the Affordable Care Act: Key facts
1.5 million people would qualify for Medicaid were Texas to expand coverage to working-age low income adults. With the Medicaid expansion, the … more
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Inside the coverage gap
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Texas’ refusal to expand Medicaid leaves 1.5 million poor working-age adults without access to affordable health coverage
Almost two years after the Affordable Care Act took effect … more
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The brave new world of the SGR repeal
By Dale Ragle, MD
TAFP President, 2014-2015On April 16, 2015, President Obama signed the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act of 2015, which phases out Medicare’s flawed sustainable growth rate payment formula over the next 10 years. The so-called “doc fix” enjoyed bipartisan and bicameral support in Congress, a rare phenomenon these days, as well as support from most major medical organizations, including AAFP and the American Medical Association. In spite of broad support, the bill took more than a year of tweaking and survived innumerable negotiations between both political parties and the White House, a testament to the adage that “the devil is in the details.”
The SGR formula tied Medicare expenditures to the gross domestic product. Since demand and utilization of health care services do not rise and fall directly with the ebbs and flows of the general economy, the SGR often threatened to cut physician fees year after year. Perennially, Congress passed special legislation to delay the fee cuts, often only finding they have to repeat the action in the following year.
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Court upholds subsidies in ACA
Health care organizations and millions of people across the country can breathe a sigh of relief. The Supreme Court has upheld the subsidies established by the Affordable Care Act that help about 6.4 million Americans purchase health insurance on the federal exchange. Had the court struck down those subsidies, more than one million Texans might have lost their coverage.
President Obama addressed the nation from the White House shortly after the ruling was announced, saying there could be no doubt that the ACA is working and that the law is here to stay.
“Today is a victory for hardworking Americans all across this country whose lives will continue to become more secure in a changing economy because of this law,” the president said.
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Report from TACHC, TAFP says Supreme Court ruling could worsen growing consequences to Texas’ refusal to expand Medicaid coverage
More than 1 million Texans might lose their health insurance if the Supreme Court rules against the Obama administration this month in King v. Burwell. Such a ruling would deny premium subsidies to Texans and residents of 35 other states that refused to establish state exchanges under the Affordable Care Act.
Texas’ decision not to expand Medicaid coverage under the Affordable Care Act already leaves more than a million low-income, uninsured Texans without access to Medicaid or to federal subsidies to help them purchase insurance. A new report, “How will Texas’ Affordable Care Act Implementation Decisions Affect the Population? A Closer Look,” written by health care law and policy experts at George Washington University and commissioned by the Texas Association of Community Health Centers and TAFP examines the effects of that decision and the compounded damage to the state’s economy and health care infrastructure that would accompany a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the plaintiff.
“The combined effects of not expanding Medicaid and the potential impact of King v. Burwell will hit Texas’ health care system hard,” according to the report. “County‐level estimates show that prior to implementation of the ACA, 38 counties experienced hospital annual uncompensated care levels of $50 million or greater, and four counties showed losses greater than $200 million. Texas’ failure to adopt the Medicaid expansion, coupled with the loss of premium subsidies as a result of a decision against the government in King would reverse the progress that has been made in reducing the number of uninsured Texans. Furthermore, hospitals could find that the demand for charity care actually rises, as thousands of previously‐insured people with serious health conditions turn to their hospitals for help.”
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The clock is winding down on the Texas Legislature
The clock is winding down on the Texas Legislature
posted 5.27.15
With less than a week left in the 84th Texas Legislature, many bills TAFP has been tracking have passed the House and the Senate … more
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ACO requirements from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
ACO requirements from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
That groups of providers have established structures for reporting quality and cost of health care, leadership, and management … more
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Primary care is the real “Medicare Advantage”
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By Bruce Bagley, MDTransforMED CEO
If you are not familiar with Medicare Advantage plans and how they work, it is time to get up to speed and follow this important trend in health … more
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ACA update: Small businesses must inform employees of health coverage options
ACA update: Small businesses must inform employees of health coverage options
Oct. 1 deadline nears; model notices linked in story
posted 09.11.13
Many family physicians in Texas are small … more
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Health Insurance Marketplace
As patients come to you with questions about Texas’ new federally-facilitated health insurance marketplace, here are some resources and information for you. Enrollment in the marketplace health … more