Implementation of health care law proceeds

Print Story | Email Story
Mitt Romney (file photo)
Governor Mitt Romney announced on Monday that his administration has hit the first milestone in the implementation of the new health insurance law by submitting to the federal government for approval a comprehensive plan detailing how it will substantially reduce the number of uninsured in the Commonwealth. Romney also announced the formation of the MassHealth Fraud Prevention unit to insure the integrity of the $7 billion per year program, funded by $1.5 million in the health care reform bill. Until now, MassHealth had several programs in different parts of the agency addressing the issue of fraud. Approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is required to maintain the availability of $385 million of federal Medicaid funding during each of the next two fiscal years. Last year, CMS advised Massachusetts to submit its plan by January 15, noting that a minimum of 120 days would be needed to review the proposal without jeopardizing the continuous availability of the $385 million after July 1. The state missed that deadline as health care reform was not passed by the Legislature until April. “Despite the legislative delays, it is our hope that our partners in the federal government will expedite their review and approve the Commonwealth’s plan by July 1,” said Romney. “We will be aggressive in our efforts to secure the maximum level of federal funding and stand ready to provide any and all additional information that may be required.” Romney said a rapid response team comprised of Health and Human Services and MassHealth staff has been assembled to assist the CMS review process. Health and Human Services Secretary Tim Murphy said: “Implementation will be just as challenging as getting the legislation passed, but it is a challenge we relish. We look forward to working closely with the federal government and other stakeholders to make health care insurance available to every resident of Massachusetts.” According to the plan filed today, the recently approved health insurance law accomplishes the following key goals sought by the federal government: Subsidizes the purchase of private insurance for low-income individuals to reduce the number of uninsured; Directs more federal and state dollars to individuals and less to institutions; and Improves the fiscal integrity of the MassHealth program. Key milestones in the timeline submitted as part of the plan include the operationalization of the Connector Authority between May and October, the offering and enrollment of lower-income residents into premium assistance programs by October, the offering of private, non-subsidized products by January, and statewide open enrollment between March and May 2007 in anticipation of the individual insurance requirement that starts July 1, 2007. Meanwhile, the Legislature and the Executive branch are redoubling efforts to ensure program integrity in MassHealth. MassHealth is also planning a comprehensive effort to re-credential its providers. The effort, suggested by national program integrity experts consulted by MassHealth, will begin with an immediate targeted review of high-risk providers. “We’ve created this unit to build and document a coordinated process of detecting, identifying and referring suspected fraud and abuse within both the provider and member communities,” said Massachusetts Medicaid Director Beth Waldman. “Centralization will allow MassHealth to direct resources strategically and provide an efficient way to inform providers and members that we take fraud very seriously.” “We believe re-enrolling our providers will pay dividends and reduce risk to the program,” said Murphy. “And we are confident that the creation of the Fraud Prevention Unit will enhance our efforts to build an efficient and sound system for fraud and abuse identification and referral in MassHealth.” Massachusetts’ full submission to CMS is available at www.mass.gov/eohhs .
Share
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

Teacher of the Month: Cindy Chevett

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff

Cindy Chevett has been with Head Start her entire career. She says teaching is challenging but also very rewarding. 
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire County Head Start preschool teacher Cindy Chevett has been selected as the August Teacher of the Month. 
 
The Teacher of the Month series, in collaboration with Berkshire Community College, will run for the next nine months and will feature distinguished teachers nominated by community members. You can nominate a teacher here. 
 
To Chevett, the best part of being a teacher is seeing her students achieve even just the little things, such as writing the letter E or their name. 
 
"It is the best job ever," she says with a smile and tears in her eyes as she says, "I love seeing them achieve."  
 
She said although teaching can be challenging, the classroom environment is very fun and the job is very rewarding. 
 
"There's children that come in and can't really speak so that you can understand them, and modeling, and when they leave the classroom, you can understand them. That was one of my best achievements with the child," Chevett said. 
 
In Chevett's classroom, the students take control of their learning, instilling in them a love of learning. 
 
View Full Story

More Regional Stories

Sports
image description

After Tough April, Generals a Juggernaut Going to Saturday's...

Sports
Sports
image description

Pittsfield Walks Off with State Semi-Final Win

Sports
Sports
image description

Pittsfield Rallies Late to Reach State Final Four

Sports
Sports
image description

Pittsfield Softball Reaches State Final Four

Sports
Sports
image description

Pou, Pittsfield Win Western Mass Crown

Sports
Sports
image description

Hoosac Valley Claims First Western Mass Lacrosse Title

Sports
Latest Stories
Previous Next

What's Trending?