State News

Johns Hopkins Hospital has filed more than 2,400 lawsuits in Maryland courts since 2009 against patients with unpaid bills. According to The Baltimore Sun, patients being sued include many residents from distressed neighborhoods surrounding the East Baltimore medical campus. A report from the Coalition for a Humane Hopkins, National Nurses United, and AFL-CIO reveals that the number of cases has been increasing, from 20 in 2009 to a peak of 535 in 2016.

Washington state has a history of leading the way on healthcare by seeking innovative approaches to expand coverage and ensure affordability, according to NPR. This includes the establishment of a "public option" health insurance plan that, in theory, will be more affordable for consumers. Public option plans will be available in all 39 counties, eliminating “bare counties” where one or no private insurance carriers provide coverage. Washington is the first state law to authorize the creation of a public insurance plan of this type, although other states are following suit. Colorado lawmakers approved legislation directing state agencies to develop a proposal for a public health coverage option and other states, including Connecticut, are considering public option legislation.

Though many advocates believe New Jersey’s surprise-billing law is working as intended, some doctors claim that they have been forced to take lower payments from insurance carriers, threatening their practices. According to NJ Spotlight, hospitals similarly argue that the law has reduced their leverage in contract negotiations with insurers over in-network payment rates. Signed in 2018, New Jersey’s surprise-billing law required greater disclosure from both insurance companies and providers and ensured that patients weren’t responsible for excess costs.

A new United Hospital Fund report reveals that New York accountable care organizations (ACOs) participating in CMS programs meant to reduce Medicare spending reduced spending by $11.5 million in 2017, after increasing spending by roughly $60 million in each of the two prior years. According to the United Hospital Fund, CMS still ended up about $40 million in the red after accounting for the ACOs that reported losses and distributing incentive payments to those that saved money. CMS started the Medicare Shared Savings Program six years ago to offer healthcare providers the opportunity to create an ACO that would be held accountable for the quality and cost of care of Medicare patients, in return for a share of any savings generated 

A new Nevada law limits the amount insured patients can be charged for emergency services when they receive care from an out-of-network provider, according to KTVN. The law will end surprise billing practices “that can leave patients on the hook for unexpected bills for emergency care that can run up to $10,000 or more." The Governor also signed Assembly Bill 170, which codifies the Affordable Care Act’s protections for people with pre-existing conditions into Nevada state law, providing Nevadans assurance that they won’t be denied healthcare based on a pre-existing condition regardless of what happens at the federal level. 

Iowa’s Governor signed a bill to create and fund the nation’s first statewide children’s mental health system, according to a press release. HF690 establishes required core services for children, regional crisis stabilization, mobile response teams, 24-hour hotline access to services and $1.2 million for home and community-based children’s mental health services to eliminate the waiting list that currently exists. This legislation supports the governor’s Executive Order, signed in 2018.

Healthcare organizations across the U.S. are developing new approaches to address patients’ social needs. Medicaid programs are uniquely placed to support these activities, given their central role in supporting low-income Americans, yet little evidence is available to guide Medicaid initiatives in this area. A study in Health Affairs examined how Medicaid funding was used to support social interventions in sites involved in California and Oregon’s payment reforms. Investments were made in direct services—including care coordination, housing services, food insecurity programs and legal supports—as well as capacity-building programs for healthcare and community-based organizations. Several factors influenced program implementation, including the local health system context and wider community factors. These findings offer insights to healthcare leaders and policymakers as they develop new approaches to improve population health.

Healthcare organizations across the U.S. are developing new approaches to address patients’ social needs. Medicaid programs are uniquely placed to support these activities, given their central role in supporting low-income Americans, yet little evidence is available to guide Medicaid initiatives in this area. A study in Health Affairs examined how Medicaid funding was used to support social interventions in sites involved in California and Oregon’s payment reforms. Investments were made in direct services—including care coordination, housing services, food insecurity programs and legal supports—as well as capacity-building programs for healthcare and community-based organizations. Several factors influenced program implementation, including the local health system context and wider community factors. These findings offer insights to healthcare leaders and policymakers as they develop new approaches to improve population health.

Rutland Regional Medical Center was the only Vermont hospital to receive an ‘A’ rating from The Leapfrog Group’s Spring 2019 Hospital Safety Grade for its efforts to protect patients from harm and provide safer healthcare, according to Vermont Business Magazine. The Safety Grade assigns an ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ or ‘F’ to hospitals across the country based on their performance in preventing medical errors, injuries, accidents, infections and other harms to patients in their care. Rutland Regional was one of only 832 hospitals to receive this rating, out of over 2600 nationwide.