May, 2017 vol. 1 - In This Issue:
The fate of AHCA in the Senate is unclear, although we can hope for a more deliberative and well-informed consideration of its profoundly flawed provisions. It is evident that changes to the fundamental structure and financing of healthcare for our nation's most vulnerable are still on the table. Now is the time for the real experts in health care - from patients to the clinicians that care for them - to speak up about what works. Investing in access for all, in preventive care that staves off disease and disability and in evidence-based services for those with chronic illnesses must be the foundation of a healthy and productive society. Read on for more insight and share with your Senators, Governors and state legislators and regulators. The state decision makers are coming into more flexibility, with or without extra federal funds to make it happen. They're going to need solutions and here's hoping they realize it and reach out for your perspective and help.

 
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Letter: Fix health care? Give us more AHCCCS

Columnist Joanna Allhands says the Affordable Care Act primarily benefits the poor at the expense of the middle class. But she's not convinced there's relief in its proposed replacement.

Hey, Gov. Ducey, listen up.
 
Consider this an offer (er, suggestion) you can't refuse.
 
Most Arizona counties have just one remaining insurer for the Affordable Care Act. The Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) holds the solution to this problem.
 
AHCCCS works and works well, providing health-care services to 1.8 million Arizonans annually. There are nearly 200,000 Arizonans on the ACA. Why not roll the 200,000 into the 1.8 million?
 
This solution is simple and elegant. Roll the ACA into AHCCCS and create an income-based premium structure for those soon-to-be former ACA recipients.  

 
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Vital Directions and National Will
   


If the United States had undertaken road building or space exploration in the same way it is chasing health system reform, there would be neither an interstate highway system nor footprints on the moon. The successes depended on clear, bold, shared aims; strong investments in technical mastery; continuity of purpose over time; and continual learning at a large scale-not to mention considerable celebration. Health care reform has had none of these.   
 
 
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All Americans deserve quality health care  

A single-payer health-care system, along with optional private insurance, is a cost effective, less complex way to provide quality health care.  

WHY doesn't the most powerful nation on earth provide its citizens responsible health care and an effective payment system?
In 1982, I worked in a large urban hospital emergency room, and the recession had caused many workers to be laid off. During one shift, a man arrived with a serious illness. Because he lost his health insurance when laid off, he had not gone to the doctor, which, if he had, his illness might have been easily managed. Now he was facing a painful, expensive surgery.   

 
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Medicaid Overhaul to Hit Millions of Medicare Beneficiaries, Too
 
Dual-eligibles may suffer with per-capita Medicaid caps, says expert

Proposals to overhaul the Medicaid program, such as the recently withdrawn GOP repeal-and-replace bill, would significantly affect a large swathe of Medicare beneficiaries as well.

"Everyone says we're not touching Medicare. Per-capita caps do touch Medicare," Melanie Bella, MBA, a former director of the Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, during a Capitol Hill briefing hosted by the  National Coalition on Health Care on Monday. 


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California Tries Again To Move On Universal Health Care 

Many Californians are rallying around the idea of a single-payer health system, similar to those in Canada and parts of Europe. Efforts to establish universal health care in California have failed in the past. But with Republican leaders in Washington planning to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, voters are eager to try again. 


Passion + Quality = Change That Matters
  
I embrace the powerful opportunities in our evolving health care landscape. I founded Momentum Health Strategies to be a catalyst for change through continuous learning, diverse engagement and thoughtful policy and practice initiatives. I deliver innovative, strategic thinking and a passion for improving the patient experience. My personal drive and dedication to high-quality results will help you navigate the competitive terrain you face and convert your vision to action.

Momentum Health Strategies

Jennifer L Bright, MPA
(703) 628 - 0534