News Release

Cincinnati, Detroit selected as final health IT pilot communities under innovative HHS Recovery Act Beacon Program

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced that Cincinnati and Detroit are the two final pilot communities selected under the new Beacon Community Program that is using health information technology to help tackle leading health problems in communities across the country.  At the same time, the program will also allow HHS to look for new ways to share the lessons learned by funded communities and, working with local and national health care foundations, develop support networks for other communities that want to employ similar innovative approaches.

The two awardees announced today, Greater Cincinnati HealthBridge, Inc. in Cincinnati and Southeastern Michigan Health Association in Detroit, join 15 other projects selected in May for the Beacon Community Cooperative Agreement Program.  The other communities that previously received Beacon program funding include Tulsa, Okla.; Stoneville, Miss.; Brewer, Maine; Danville, Pa.; Salt Lake City, Utah; Indianapolis, Ind.; Spokane, Wash. New Orleans, La.; Rochester, Minn.; Providence, R.I.; Grand Junction, Colo.; Concord, N.C.; San Diego, Calif.; Hilo, Hawaii, and Buffalo, N.Y.  Beacon projects are expected to initially create dozens of new jobs in each of the communities paying an average of $70,000 per year for a total of over 1,100 jobs up-front, while accelerating development of a nationwide health IT infrastructure that will eventually employ tens of thousands of Americans. 

“The Beacon program uses health information technology tools to link health providers and other community-wide resources in new and innovative ways,” Secretary Sebelius said.  “Under the Beacon program, communities first identify leading health problems that are unique to their community, develop innovative, health IT-related strategies, and work together through community collaborations to implement their strategies and track their performance.”

The Beacon Community awards are part of an overall $100 billion federal government investment in science, innovation and technology the Administration is making through the Recovery Act to spur domestic job creation in emerging industries and create a long-term foundation for economic growth.  There has been significant interest in the program, with over 100 applications for the final two Beacon program slots.  David Blumenthal, M.D., national coordinator for Health Information Technology, said the applications demonstrated widespread readiness in communities across America to use health IT to address specific challenges in health and health care.

“Beacon communities are designed to point the way toward maximizing community resources to address specific health goals at the local level, including quality of care, the cost of care, and the health of the whole population,” Dr. Blumenthal said.  “We have seen first-hand through the Beacon application process that a great many communities have promising ideas and are starting to use health IT in innovative ways.  We look forward to engaging and helping these communities through a broader nationwide effort.”

In the near term, HHS’ Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT will work closely with other federal partners and the private sector to identify and share promising health IT health care solutions among communities across America.

“Although we could only select two additional Beacon communities, we are incredibly impressed by the creativity and focus exhibited by communities over the course of this competition,” said Blumenthal. “Local leadership is an essential ingredient to improving health care. The Beacon Community application process provides strong evidence that communities throughout the country are mobilizing for positive change, using health IT as a critical foundation for improving health care.”

Like other Beacon communities, today’s awardees will coordinate community efforts toward specific goals:

The Greater Cincinnati HealthBridge, Inc. – $13.8 million over three years – HealthBridge will serve a 16-county area spanning three states surrounding greater Cincinnati. Under the Beacon program, HealthBridge and its partners will use its advanced health information exchange program to develop new quality improvement and care coordination initiatives focusing on patients with pediatric asthma, adult diabetes, and encouraging smoking cessation. For example, not only will physicians and other providers receive more timely and accurate information about when their patients experience a medical complication or are hospitalized, they will have new support from care managers to use this information effectively to intervene early and assist patients in managing their health and avoiding further complications. This program will provide better clinical information and IT “decision support” tools to physicians, health systems, federally qualified health centers, and critical access hospitals. As part of the Beacon program, this health IT community collaboration will also provide patients and their families with timely access to data, knowledge, and tools to make informed decisions and manage their own health and health care.

The Southeastern Michigan Health Association (SEMHA) – $16.2 million over three years – The SEMHA and its partners in the greater Detroit area will use health IT tools and strategies to prevent and better manage diabetes, which today affects a large percentage of residents of the city of Detroit. This community collaboration will leverage existing and new technologies across health care settings to improve the availability of patient information at the point of care, regardless of where the patient is in the health system. Furthermore, the community will provide practical support to physician practices to help clinicians, nurses, and others make the best use of electronic health data to catch potential health complications before they arise.  The city’s clinical community will have the capacity to track clinical outcomes with the overarching goal of making long-term, sustainable improvements in the quality and efficiency of diabetes care in Detroit, Hamtramck, Highland Park, Dearborn and Dearborn Heights.

The Beacon program is one of several new programs created by the Health Information Technology Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act as part of the Recovery Act last year.  HITECH included $2 billion for technical assistance, training and demonstration programs supporting the adoption of heath information technology, including electronic health records (EHRs).  Total funding for the Beacon program initiatives is $250 million plus an additional $15 million for technical assistance and evaluation.  In addition, HITECH authorized incentive payments to health care professionals and hospitals to reward adoption and meaningful use of EHRs.  The incentive payments, provided through Medicare and Medicaid, could total as much as $27 billion over 10 years.  These Recovery Act incentive payments, along with the Affordable Care Act, are part of broader efforts in Medicare and Medicaid to transform payments to reward better quality care.

More information about Beacon Communities can be found at:  http://Healthit.hhs.gov/Programs/Beacon

For information about the Affordable Care Act and other efforts to promote improved care delivery, see: http://www.healthcare.gov

For information about other HHS Recovery Act programs, see: http://www.hhs.gov/recovery

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Young Adults Will Soon Be Able To Remain on Parents’ Health Plans

Last Updated: 8/20/2010

Help is available for families of children with special needs whose private health insurance will no longer cover children once they reach a certain age. The new federal health insurance law requires many private insurers to allow children to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans until they are 26 years old.

Families of children with special needs who have private health insurance, typically through work, face a dilemma when their child gets older. Under many private health insurance plans, coverage for children ends once the child reaches a certain age — typically 21, depending on state law. Although some private insurance plans allow parents of a child with disabilities to continue coverage well into the child’s adult years, many plans terminate coverage regardless of the child’s disability status. At that point, parents must obtain alternate health insurance for their child, often through Medicaid or some other state or federal program.

There is some good news for families who find themselves in this position. As part of this year’s healthcare reform law, many private insurers must allow children to remain on their parents’ health insurance plans as dependent family members until they are 26 years old. While some states may require insurance plans to extend coverage even further than this, the new law makes sure that all children will have access to their parents’ insurance until at least age 26.

Unlike many provisions of the new law that do not go into effect until 2014, the age limit requirement begins to take effect in October 2010 and must be completely in effect as of the new year. Although the law applies to many types of employer-provided group health insurance, it does not apply to state-sponsored plans or ERISA plans. However, for a majority of families who receive health insurance through their employers, the new law adds several years of certainly to what was previously an unclear future for their children with special needs.

Improving Access to Home and Community-Based Services – Information Bulletin # 319 (8/2010).http://www.stevegoldada.com with a searchable Archive at this site divided into different subjects. To contact Steve Gold directly, write to stevegoldada@cs.com or call 215-627-7100.

Nearly five years ago, Congress amended Medicaid by adding Section 1915 (i), intending to increase community-based services instead of institutional Medicaid services by permitting greater flexibility than Waivers permit. Unfortunately, only a few states took advantage of this.

In enacting the Affordable Care Act in 2010, Congress made a number of additional changes which are extremely important to the disability community. However, unless your State opts to take advantage of these changes, they will not happen. These amendments take away many excuses the States have used in the past.

On August 6, 2010, CMS wrote a “Dear State Medicaid Director” encouraging States to take advantage of the ACA 2010 amendments. Here are the changes:

1. The ACA strengthened Section 1915 ( i ) to remove the requirement that

individuals had to meet an institutional level of care in order to

qualify for home and community-based services. Unlike eligibility for

Medicaid Waivers which require a person meet an institutional level of

care, the 2010 amendments permit your state to provide community-based

services for people who are not otherwise eligible for institutional

care. Heh – makes sense to provide services before a person loses more

ADLs.

2. Another big change is that the Affordable Care Act amended this

Section to permit States to provide community-based services to persons

with chronic mental illnesses and/or substance use disorders.

Services for this population are defined extremely broadly. This is

long overdue and will help a portion of the disability community that

has been shortchanged too long.

3. States now have the option to provide thee community-based services to

persons whose incomes are 300% of the SSI income benefit.

4. Benefits can be targeted either to specific population groups without

violating Medicaid’s comparability requirements. Alternatively, States

could target by functional needs. This permits States to have multiple

programs, each targeted at specific populations, e.g., one for persons

with physical needs and another benefit package targeted at persons

with chronic mental illnesses. It permits your State to define

populations’ needs with great precision and specifics.

5. Services can be narrowly defined, e.g., personal care or home health

aide, instead of the Waiver package of services. There goes a big

excuse States have used with Waivers, i.e., they had to provide a broad

range of services to everyone on the Waiver.

6. States have the option to offer consumers “self-direction.” In the

8/6/10 Dear State Medicaid Director letter, it states that “CMS urges

all States to afford participants the opportunity to direct some or all

of their HCBS. Self-direction permits participants to plan and

purchase their HCBS under their direction and control or through an

authorized representative.” Well, how about that?

These changes become effective October 1, 2010.

You and your State Medicaid officials have to begin this process now!

Let’s not let this slip away. There could be great financial savings if these provisions are used creatively.

Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

Back issues of other Information Bulletins are available online at

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Steve Gold, The Disability Odyssey continues

 Hospital Access Study

 Do you want better access to medical care? To address concerns in Illinois hospitals, Access Living is part of a project that will review accessibility in hospitals in six counties in and around Chicago.  In addition to physical accessibility, access can also be about attitudes or communication.  Here are some examples of problems the project will identify.

*For people who have trouble moving: Small exam rooms that make it hard to move around. No equipment to help you onto an exam table. Exam tables that are too high.

*For people who can’t talk, or people who have a psychiatric disability: Waiting a long time between the day you make an appointment and the day you see a doctor.  Being told to see a pediatrician, even if you are an adult. Being sent home early by the hospital.

*For people who are blind or have low vision:  Being told that your service animal is not allowed. Not being able to get information in accessible formats. Not having signs in Braille or with raised letters.

*For people who are Deaf or hard of hearing: No sign language interpreters. Not being offered assistive listening devices. Doctors and staff using your family members to speak with you.

If you have a disability and are willing to share your experiences in hospitals, please contact:

Judy Panko Reis, Access Living (800) 613-8549, TTY (888) 253-7003,jreis@accessliving.org.

Sarah Price, Equip for Equality, (800) 537-2632, TTY 800-610-2779,sarah@equipforequality.org

Andrés J. Gallegos, Robbins, Salomon and Patt, Ltd., (312) 456-0381, agallegos@rsplaw.com

CMS Announces $2.25 Billion in Grants to Extend Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration

Grants Help To Support Community-based Alternatives to Institutional Long Term Care

Americans with disabilities will have more help to live independently and remain in their homes and communities instead of in institutional long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, through the availability of $2.25 billion in grants to states. The new grant solicitation issued today by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) encourages states not yet part of the Money Follows the Person Rebalancing (MFP) Demonstration to apply for grant funds.

With passage of the Affordable Care Act, states already participating in the demonstration are afforded the opportunity to expand and extend their MFP grant program.

Due to the HHS Community Living Initiative, and resources made available through the Affordable Care Act, more people with disabilities and chronic care needs will have greater opportunities to live in their communities and achieve their goals. “The Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Demonstration has been critical to our efforts to deliver on the promise of the Americans with Disabilities Act and expand access to community living services,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

In a letter sent to Governors, celebrating the 20^th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Secretary Sebelius encouraged states to take advantage of the numerous community initiatives within the Affordable Care Act and leverage those options through active participation in the MFP demonstration.

Under the MFP demonstration, states will receive an enhanced Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for a one-year period for each individual they transition from an institution to a qualified home and community-based program. States will be able to transition multiple population groups including the elderly, people with intellectual, developmental or physical disabilities, mental illness or those who have a dual diagnosis. The enhanced FMAP funding will then be used by states to expand services and supports. In addition, states receiving a MFP grant award will focus on re-balancing their long-term care systems needs by increasing the use of home and community-based services and decreasing the use of institutional care.

On August 11, 2010 (2:00- 4:00p.m. EDT), CMS will facilitate a national call for all interested MFP demonstration applicants. Beginning in September, CMS will offer a series of technical assistance calls and training webinars to provide instruction to states on grant application development.

A copy of the invitation to apply for the “FY2010 Money Follows the Person Rebalancing Grant Demonstration,” including the application forms and information concerning the applicant’s national call, can be obtained at www.grants.gov. For more details about Money Follows the Person, please visit the CMS website at: http://www.cms.gov/CommunityServices/20_MFP.asp.

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Last revised: July 29, 2010

http://www.hrsa.gov/about/news/pressreleases/100727familytofamily.html. 

HHS Awards $4.9 Million to Support Families of Children with Special Health Care Needs

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today announced $4.9 million in grants to continue support for 51 Family-to-Family Health Information Centers in each state and the District of Columbia. 

Created in 2005, the centers are state-wide, family-run organizations that provide information, education, training, outreach, and peer support to families of children and youth with special health care needs and the professionals who serve them.  Funding for the centers was extended through 2012 by the Affordable Care Act.

“These centers help families make more informed health care choices for their children leading to better treatment decisions and improved outcomes, “ said Secretary Sebelius.

The Family-to-Family Health Information Centers are staffed by family leaders with children having special health care needs, and who have expertise in federal and state public and private health care systems, as well as by health professionals.

“With these new funds, this program will become a model for effective collaboration between families and health care professionals,” said HRSA Administrator Mary Wakefield, Ph.D., R.N.  “By joining forces, we can ensure that children with special health care needs get the best care and treatment available.” 

Since its inception, Family-to-Family Health Information Centers have served hundreds of thousands of families and health care providers.

For more information on the program, and other HRSA maternal and child health programs, visit http://www.mchb.hrsa.gov/.  See a List of awards.

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), part of the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary Federal agency for improving access to health care services for people who are uninsured, isolated, or medically vulnerable. For more information about HRSA and its programs, visit www.hrsa.gov.

Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at www.hhs.gov/news.