CMA optimistic as Covered California opens Sacramento – As Covered California, the state’s Health Benefit Exchange, opened today, California Medical Association (CMA) physicians remain optimistic. Throughout the health care reform debate, CMA strongly advocated for affordable access to care for California’s uninsured and for an expansion of health insurance coverage. “CMA has long supported access to health care for all patients,” said Paul R. Phinney, M.D., CMA president. “Today marks a positive inflection point in our nation's commitment to access to health care for all Americans Five categories of plans will be available through Covered California, consisting ... October 1, 2013 General Covered California, Health Benefit Exchange, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Foundation hires health policy leader to head exchange education program for providers The CMA Foundation has hired a health policy leader, Kena C. Burke, MPP, to manage a physician education program aimed at getting physicians up-to-speed on California’s health benefit exchange, Covered California. The program is expected to reach some 200,000 health care providers in the state. This program was made possible thanks to a $1.5 million grant, recently awarded jointly to the California Medical Association, the CMA Foundation, Latino Physicians of California, the California chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics and a number of county medical societies. As program director, Burke ... September 25, 2013 General Covered California, CMA Foundation, Health Insurance Exchange 0 0 Comment Read More »
Federal regulations bring delays to ACA milestones Deadlines and milestones relating to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are beginning to slide, as the federal government gets a better picture of how capable it will be of implementing the massive changes called for in the law. In July, the federal government announced that the penalty on employers for not providing employees health insurance would be delayed until 2015, while also scaling back income verification requirements that would have been used to determine subsidy levels for individuals purchasing coverage through the new insurance marketplaces. The income verification announcement, which came ... August 19, 2013 General Affordable Care Act, Covered California, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA, CMA Foundation partner for exchange's provider education grant program The California Medical Association (CMA) and the CMA Foundation have submitted a joint application to Covered California, the state’s health benefit exchange, for a portion of the $3 million set to be awarded as part of its provider education grant program. The program is expected to award grants to between three and six statewide organizations that will be responsible for educating health care providers about Covered California and how the exchange will operate come January 2014. CMA's application was submitted jointly with the Latino Physicians of California and the American ... August 19, 2013 General CMA Foundation, Covered California, Health Insurance Exchange, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
Plan departures leave questions for California policy holders While much attention has been given to the successful signing of health plans participating in Covered California’s new online insurance marketplace, it’s worth noting that some major players in the state’s current insurance market are refusing to play ball. In June, both United Healthcare and Aetna announced that they would not be participating in California’s individual market following the end of 2013. In announcing their departures, both companies noted that only a small portion of their overall business was conducted in California, and given the coming changes promised through the ... August 19, 2013 General Covered California, United Healthcare, Aetna, Health Care Reform 0 0 Comment Read More »
CMA Launches Exchange Resource Center In 2010, Congress passed historic sweeping health care legislation, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), which reformed the individual and small group health insurance markets and, beginning in 2014, will provide health insurance to much of the nation's uninsured. Under the ACA, two-thirds of California's uninsured may be eligible to purchase coverage through the health benefit exchange. The exchange's goal is to begin open enrollment on October 1, 2013 – with coverage beginning on January 1, 2014. To help educate physicians about the exchange and ensure that they are ... July 16, 2013 General, Managed Care Covered California, health insurance exchange, Affordable Care Act (ACA) 0 0 Comment Read More »
Physicians are encouraged to check Covered California's provider database in July As previously reported, there remain some uncertainties around the process of physician contracting with exchange plans. Beginning sometime in July, the exchange should alleviate much of the uncertainty as to who is and is not considered to be an exchange provider. This is because Covered California will be unveiling a centralized online provider database for the first time in July. Using this database, exchange patients will be able to see which providers are included in the respective exchange plans’ networks. This centralized database will also be utilized by the exchange’s eligibility ... July 8, 2013 Managed Care Health Care Reform, Health Insurance Exchange, Affordable Care Act, Covered California 0 0 Comment Read More »
