Learn from the Best, Not the Rest

Happy New Year! As far as we can tell, 2013 will be the year of healthcare—post-SCOTUS ruling and 2012 elections the ACA is quickly moving towards implementation. One of the biggest opportunities created by the ACA is the opportunity to provide better care coordination for dual eligibles, one of the country’s most vulnerable populations.

At the D.U.A.L.S. Forum you will hear best practices from health plan leaders who are successfully providing high quality, cost-efficient healthcare to this complex population.

Attend the D.U.A.L.S. Forum on April 4-5 in Baltimore to hear case studies presented by the following health plans:

• Network Health entered the Massachusetts pilot program in late-2012
• CareSource entered the Ohio pilot program in mid-2012
• BlueCross BlueShield of Massachusetts entered the Massachusetts pilot program in mid-2012
• Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan (BMCHP) entered the Massachusetts pilot program in late-2012
• L.A. Care Health Plan entered the California pilot program in early-2012

To view the 2013 program, download the agenda.

As a reader of the D.U.A.L.S. Forum Blog, you get a 15% discount off the standard rate when using code XP1804BLOG to register. If you have any questions about the agenda or event, please contact Kate Devery at kdevery@iirusa.com or visit our webpage.

We look forward to seeing you in Baltimore this spring!

Best,
The D.U.A.L.S. Forum Team

The D.U.A.L.S. Homepage
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New Proposal for Dual Eligibles presented by GWU

Dual eligibiles, those who receive both Medicaid and Medicare, are a relative small portion of those receiving medical coverage fromt the US government.  However, according to UPI, they account for 36% of all Medicare spending and 39% of Medicaid spending.  Part of the reason is the vast amount of coverage and plans they have to deal with in order to have their medical bills paid.  They also often have chronic conditions or are mentally impaired and need continuous care.

Jane Hyatt Thorpe, one of the authors, stated "The new state plan option allows states to design a permanent program in partnership with federal officials that integrates financing and care across the Medicare and Medicaid programs to better meet the needs of dual eligibles."

You can read the full proposal here.

At the upcoming Medicaid Managed Care Congress, taking place April 30-May 2, 2012, there will be a full day workshop entitled "Cost Containment Strategies for Dual Eligibles."  This will be a full day focusing on this aspect of the Medicare system.  For more information on this workshop and the rest of the program, download the brochure.  As a reader of this blog, when you mention code XP1726BLOG, you'll receive 25% off the standard rate when you register to join us in Baltimore.

How important is it to manage the care of dual eligibles? Should this be a priority to control healthcare spending in the future?

Dual Eligibles Workshop featured at this year’s The Medicare Congress

UMass Medical School's Center for Health Care Financing (CHCF) awarded a two-year; $7.3 million contract to help identify 1 million dual eligibles in California. Yesterday's post looks further into this.

Are you ready for the influx of business?

Attend the Dual Eligibles dinner workshop at the 8th Annual Medicare Congress to examine the challenges and opportunities for managing the dual eligible population. Enjoy dinner at this fun, informative event as we address the care needs and costliness of these beneficiaries. Dual eligibles are a high-need, high-cost population with different coverage and payment policies. Don’t lose out on this opportunity to integrate care and achieve operational efficiency, growth, and profitability. Tom Lescault, CEO, Scan Health Plan Arizona and Dr. Cary Sennett, CMO, Medassurant will be leading the workshop.

Visit the Medicare Congress’ webpage to download the brochure and find out more about this workshop and other presentations at this year’s event:
http://bit.ly/ho3q8t

California looking to identify their duel eligables

The UMass Medical School’s Center for Health Care Financing (CHCF) recently signed a contract with the State of California to identify the projected 1.1 million individuals who are eligible for both Medicare and Medicaid. Mass High Tech states that the CHFC believes that they will help California save $100 million throughout the contract, which will help California more effectively coordinate with the Social Security Administration and recover from past expenditures.

The Medicare Congress, taking place January 24-26, 2010, in Phoenix, Arizona looks at many of the issues facing Medicare today, including a the a dinner workshop titled Manage Dual Eligibles To Improve Care and Control Costs, lead by Tom Lescault, CEO, Scan Health Plan Arizona. To find out more about The Medicare Congress, visit the webpage and download the brochure.