Idaho Looks to Restructure Medicaid Funding

By Idaho Capital Sun

Idaho is looking at restructuring how it pays for Medicaid, a free health insurance program that insures about 458,000 Idahoans, costing state taxpayers more than $4 billion last fiscal year.

But there’s mixed evidence that the funding structure that’s used by 41 state Medicaid programs, called managed care, leads to less spending on health expenses or better health care outcomes for patients, a panel of Idaho legislators on the Medicaid Managed Care Task Force heard in presentations Monday at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise.

Idaho’s Medicaid program is currently spread out between various funding structures. 

Dental care, mental health care, and substance abuse treatment are under a managed care structure, where a business contracts with the state to manage patient treatment. Under that system, the state pays a managed care organization a per-member, per-month fee for all people anticipated to receive Medicaid by the state that financial specialists predict before a contract is negotiated. 

That contrasts with a fee-for-service program, which can involve the state health department directly managing patient care, and approving individual fees for individual health care services. But experts note that systems with these titles can vary.

Join the Idaho Oral Health Alliance (IOHA) and the Idaho Oral Health Program (IOHP) in Boise on August 10 and 11 for celebration and education. Congressman Mike Simpson will be the honored guest on Thursday evening. All events are held at JUMP (Jack’s Urban Meeting Place), 1000 W. Myrtle St., downtown Boise. Please register by August 2.

August 10: IOHA 25^th Anniversary Celebration and Oral Health Conference Kick-off Reception. 5-7 p.m. Cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres and cash bar. Business attire. IOHA members receive two complimentary drink tickets. The brief program begins at 5:45 p.m., Sponsored by Willamette Dental Group, PacificSource Health Plans, and MCNA.

August 11: Idaho Oral Health Conference. 8-4:30. Free. Includes CE and lunch. The first 80 registered people will receive validated parking in the JUMP garage. Business attire. Sponsored by Delta Dental of Idaho.

For details and to register by August 2, visit: https://www.idahooralhealth.org/conference/

• Not an IOHA member? Join today. 
• Learn more about the IOHA. 
• Learn more about the IOHP.

Questions? Connect at [email protected]

Health Districts 1 & 2 – July 11^th, 10-11am MT  

• Registration Link: https://comaginehealth.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJEkdumvqDooE9BADWVv9o0JubMJgpyRZu0l 

Health Districts 3 & 4 – August 1^st, 3-4pm MT 

• Registration Link: https://comaginehealth.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJArcO2rqT0uE9ZUSH3qi4UfJpJqshCwPBoR 

Health Districts 5, 6, & 7 – August 9^th, 3-4pm MT     

• Registration Link: https://comaginehealth.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIlfuCrrTIqHt2rpFVCtxSct3fR8cP5rNGm 

Valor Health (Pediatrician)

Specialty: Pediatrics

Status: Full Time

Schedule: Traditional clinic work week, M-F

Call: Not required

Inpatient pediatric hospital care: optional but performed at the FMRI facilities, if performed.

Benefits:

• Full Medical and Dental
• Retirement 403B matching
• PTO & CME allocation
• Malpractice, including tail
• Sign-on incentives based on timely completion of onboarding requirements
• Medical directorship growth opportunities depending on interest and experience

Practice Highlights

Valor Health is looking for a board-certified pediatrician to provide pediatric care to the rural community of Gem County, Idaho, which sits in the scenic Payette River valley 30 miles northwest of Boise.

The position will involve the management & care of children with complex medical needs, as well as being a consultant and pediatric resource for the organization's family physicians. Most of the pediatric primary and urgent care will be performed by family medicine physicians. More complex pediatric patients will be either managed in conjunction with the family physicians or solely by the pediatrician with consultation, if necessary, from pediatric subspecialists in the nearby Boise metro area.

The position also includes a faculty role teaching and mentoring pediatric and family medicine residents from the Pediatric Residency of Idaho & Family Medicine Residency of Idaho. Leadership opportunities are available organizationally, locally, and regionally.

For more information, check us out at http://www.valorhealth.org/

Requirements

• Doctor of Medicine (MD) or Doctor of Osteopathy (DO) degree.
• Successful completion of an accredited ACGME/AOA Family Medicine residency program.
• Eligible to obtain Idaho medical licensure to practice medicine, including controlled substance registration with the Idaho Boards of Pharmacy and the DEA.
• Eligible to participate and receive payments from Medicare and Medicaid and commercial insurance companies and be free of any OIG exclusions.

To apply: https://talent.paylocity.com/Talent/Jobs/Details/890044

Pioneering First Responder Medicine Clinic Seeks Dynamic Primary Care Provider

At ERHC, our providers and personnel aren’t just valued employees – they’re family!

ERHC is seeking a versatile physician to join an exceptional team caring for a population of firefighters, law enforcement officers, paramedics/EMTs, and their families. ERHC is a welcoming, patient-centered, and independently owned outpatient health center offering “360 degrees” of care – from annual wellness examinations, continuity care, occupational health, and rehabilitation/physical therapy to mental health, acupuncture, and deep tissue massage. 

ERHC offers an opportunity to care for a motivated, physically active, and health-conscious patient population. Through an advanced scope of practice, ERHC presents an avenue to broaden providers’ medical expertise in an energized and supportive environment.

ERHC is seeking a Primary Care Physician/Medical Administrative Coordinator who will thrive in an environment that emphasizes innovation, quality, and compassion. This team member will balance medical practice (3 days/week) with administrative functions (1.5 days/week).

As Primary Care Physician, this provider will deliver broad-spectrum family medicine services, including comprehensive annual wellness exams, occupational/sports medicine, and continuity family care, an average of 3 days per week, plus rotating Saturdays (half-days, one in four weekends). As Medical Administrative Coordinator, this provider will invest approximately 1.5 days per week in medical executive functions, including shared Clinic oversight, team training, policy development, quality improvement, first responder agency relations, health outreach, and related due diligence.

Salary and Benefits: Competitive, incentive-based salary. Benefits include four weeks of PTO, silver-plan health insurance, 401K Match, and CME. In-house IT support; Dragon license and Dictaphone provided. Medical malpractice, cyber-insurance, workers’ compensation, and general liability insurance are provided.

Requirements: MD/DO; minimum of three years’ family medicine or internal medicine experience in primary care clinical practice. Willingness to perform administrative duties, upon assignment from Medical Director. 

Apply: https://er-hc.org/careers

Questions? Reach out to [email protected].