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Can you believe it?
HHS Gets 13 to Take Job of Saving Medicaid $10
Billion and Enhancing Service
July 8, 2005 – How would you like this job – come
up with ideas on how Medicaid can achieve $10 billion in spending
reduction during
the next five years, while at the same time coming up with ideas for
enhancements that will better serve the beneficiaries. Thirteen people accepted that job today, with the support
of 15 non-voting members, on the advisory commission named by HHS
Secretary Mike Leavitt.
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according to a new public opinion survey released today by the Kaiser
Family Foundation.
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June
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Democrats Won’t Join Medicaid Commission as
Non-Voting Members
May 26, 2005 – House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid announced today they will
decline to appoint non-voting members to the Bush Administration's
Medicaid Commission. They cited the “partisan nature of the Commission”
and the $10 billion in cuts for Medicaid by the Republicans as reasons.
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New Medicaid Advisory Commission Charged With
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HHS also wants them to develop ideas of improving
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May 20, 2005 – A Medicaid advisory commission was
announced today with the awesome assignments of saving $10 billion in
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better serve beneficiaries.
Read more...
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Named chairman is former Tennessee Republican
Governor Don Sundquist, whose term was noted for the growth of state
government, but primarily for his advocacy of a state income tax, which
seemed to end his political career. He also led National Bible Week and
urged all governors to establish such a week in their states. Executions
were resumed during his term after a 40-year lull.
Former Maine Governor Angus King, a political
independent who endorsed Democrat John Kerry for president, will serve
as vice-chair.
The news release by HHS described the commission as
“consisting of health policy leaders from both sides of the aisle, state
health department officials, public policy organizations, individuals
with disabilities and others with special expertise.”
Although, in May, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid announced they would decline to appoint non-voting members to the Bush Administration's
Medicaid Commission. They cited the “partisan nature of the Commission”
and the $10 billion in cuts for Medicaid by the Republicans as reasons.
Through the FY 2006 budget agreement, the
Department of Health and Human Services agreed to create this commission
to develop proposals on the future of the Medicaid program.
"In Washington and state capitols across America,
there is consensus that now is the time to reform and modernize
Medicaid," Secretary Leavitt said. "I look forward to having a robust
conversation in an open and bipartisan manner with the commission
members. Together with Congress and the states, we will create a plan
that will better help Medicaid fulfill its commitment to quality care in
a way that is financially sustainable."
In addition, the Secretary is holding open two
vacancies on the commission for current governors so that they may join
after Sept. 1, 2005, when the commission focuses on the longer-term
methods of modernizing the Medicaid program. The National Governors
Association Center for Best Practices will serve as a working group
tasked with informing the commission on the range of issues that will be
considered.
The commission members are:
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Nancy Atkins, commissioner for the Bureau for
Medical Services, Department of Health and Human Resources, West
Virginia
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Melanie Bella, vice president for policy,
Center for Health Care Strategies, Inc.
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Gail Christopher, vice president for health,
Women and Families at the Joint Center for Political and Economic
Studies and director of the Joint Center Health Policy Institute
-
Gwen Gillenwater, director for advocacy and
public policy, National Council on Independent Living
-
Robert Helms, resident scholar and director of
health policy studies, American Enterprise Institute
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Kay James, former director of the U.S. Office
of Personnel Management
-
Troy Justesen, deputy assistant secretary for
the office of special education and rehabilitative services, U.S.
Department of Education
-
Tony McCann, secretary of health and mental
hygiene, Maryland
-
Mike O'Grady, assistant secretary for planning
and evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
-
Bill Shiebler, former president, Deutsche Bank
-
Grace-Marie Turner, president, Galen Institute
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In addition to the voting members, the commission
will consist of the following non-voting members:
-
James Anderson, president and CEO, Cincinnati
Children's Hospital Medical Center, National Association of
Children's Hospitals
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Julianne Beckett, director of national policy,
Family Voices
-
Carol Berkowitz, pediatrician, president of the
American Academy of Pediatrics
-
Maggie Brooks, county executive, Monroe County,
New York
-
Valerie Davidson, executive VP, Yukon-Kuskokwim
Health Corporation
-
Mark de Bruin, senior VP of pharmacy services,
Rite Aid; chairman of the policy council, National Association of
Chain Drug Stores
-
John Kemp, CEO, Disability Service Providers of
America
-
Joseph Marshall, chairman and CEO, Temple
University Health System, American Hospital Association
-
John Monahan, president of state sponsored
programs for WellPoint; Blue Cross/Blue Shield Association and
America’s Health Insurance Plans
-
John Nelson, physician, immediate
past-president of the American Medical Association
-
Joseph J. Piccione, corporate director of
mission integration, OSF Healthcare System
-
John Rugge, CEO, Hudson Headwaters Health
Network, National Association of Community Health Centers
-
Douglas Struyk, president and CEO, Christian
Health Care Center, American Health Care Association/National Center
for Assisted Living and American Association of Homes and Services
for the Aging
-
Howard Weitz, cardiologist, Thomas Jefferson
University
-
Joy Johnson Wilson, director of health policy
and federal affairs counsel, National Conference of State
Legislatures
The Medicaid commission must submit two reports to
Secretary Leavitt. By Sept. 1, the commission will outline
recommendations for Medicaid to achieve $10 billion in reductions in
spending growth during the next five years as well as ways to begin
meaningful long-term enhancements that can better serve beneficiaries.
The commission, for its first report, also will consider potential
performance goals for Medicaid as a basis of longer-term
recommendations.
The second report, due Dec. 31, 2006, will provide
recommendations to help ensure the long-term sustainability of Medicaid.
The proposals will address key issues such as:
> How to expand coverage to more
Americans while still being fiscally responsible;
> Ways to provide long-term care
to those who need it;
> A review of eligibility,
benefits design, and delivery; and
> Improved quality of care,
choice and beneficiary satisfaction.
A full copy of the commission's charter is
available at
http://www.cms.hhs.gov/faca/mc/default.asp.
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