Confused about how the new health reform law really works? This short, animated movie — featuring the “YouToons” — explains the problems with the current health care system, the changes that are happening now, and the big changes coming in 2014.
Written and produced by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Narrated by Cokie Roberts, a news commentator for ABC News and NPR and a member of Kaiser’s Board of Trustees. Creative production and animation by Free Range Studios.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has issued new rules to help fight waste, fraud and abuse in Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). These important new tools were made possible by the Affordable Care Act, which includes a series of provisions to fight fraud in the health care system. The rules will strengthen and expand CMS’ fraud prevention efforts – stopping fraud on the front end by keeping out criminals who pose as providers and prey on Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP, and saving the Medicare Trust Fund money by avoiding fraudulent claims.
Specifically, the proposed rule will:
- Establish the requirements for suspending payments to providers and suppliers based on credible allegations of fraud in Medicare and Medicaid;
- Establish the authority for imposing a temporary moratorium on Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP enrollment on providers and suppliers when necessary to help prevent or fight fraud, waste, and abuse without impeding beneficiaries’ access to care.
- Strengthen and build on current provider enrollment and screening procedures to more accurately assure that fraudulent providers are not gaming the system and that only qualified health care providers and suppliers are allowed to enroll in and bill Medicare, Medicaid and CHIP;
- Outline requirements for states to terminate providers from Medicaid and CHIP when they have been terminated by Medicare or by another state Medicaid program or CHIP;
- Solicit input on how to best structure and develop provider compliance programs, now required under the Affordable Care Act, that will ensure providers are aware of and comply with CMS program requirements.
For more information click here.
Interested in what you can do to take action? Check this out. Click here.
I wanted you all to know about a new website sponsored by the Health Care Foundation of Greater Kansas City that really breaks down the Affordable Care Act into simple and concise answers to questions that people may have. It is called ReformReality.org. The website is user friendly and created for the general public, not policy wonks. It answers questions like:
How will this affect children?
It is part of the foundations program to spread the word regarding reform and is a great tool.
Prop C is getting attention from the national media. The NY Times wrote a well informed piece on the ballot initiative, making the point that it is not a true test of the popularity of health reform and its impact is not much more than a fleeting headline. Click here to read the article.
The KC Star has written several editorials opposing the measure, one by Barb Shelly entitled Proposition C will only encourage freeloading. Click here to read the column.
On radio, a story featuring Ruth Ehresman of the Missouri Budget Project is running on the public news wire which can be found here. KC’s NPR station ran a long piece on the issue with several interviews including Andrea Routh of the Alliance. Listen here.