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March 12, 2013
House Republicans Release FY 2014 Budget As Sequester Begins
Earlier this morning, Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), Chairman of the US House of Representatives Committee on the Budget, unveiled the Republican budget plan for fiscal year (FY) 2014. The proposal is very similar to Chairman Ryan’s previous budget blueprints, containing significant cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, and discretionary spending, as well as the elimination of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) as a plan for budget deficit reduction.
The Ryan proposal would reduce the deficit $4.6 trillion over the next ten years by cutting many programs that serve the poor and low-income. Unfortunately, the proposal would yet again require the transformation of Medicaid into a “block grant” that would essentially cap the amount of money spent on the program each year. Also similar to last year, the Ryan budget includes changes to Medicare that would require seniors to choose between the voucher system proposed in Ryan’s 2011 budget or the traditional Medicare fee-for-service system. As is required by law, any changes to Medicaid and Medicare would not be included in the budget proposal itself, but instead must pass in separate legislation.
Senate Budget Committee Chairman Patty Murray (D-WA) announced plans to release the Senate budget tomorrow, with an expected committee markup of the legislation by Thursday. Her resolution is expected to include a more balanced approach to deficit reduction, with higher levels of revenue and stronger protections against cuts to non-defense discretionary programs, including safety-net programs.
For questions or more information, please contact Annie Walden-Newman at awaldennewman@nfprha.org or 202-293-3114 ext. 207.
NFPRHA to Host Emergency Membership-wide Budget Call THIS THURSDAY
NFPRHA will hold an unscheduled membership-wide call Thursday, March 14, at 1:30 p.m. ET, in advance of the bi-monthly service delivery call to discuss FY 2013 and what is next in sequestration implementation. If you would like to participate in the call, please RSVP by completing the online registration form. For questions or more information, please contact Annie Walden-Newman at awaldennewman@nfprha.org or 202-293-3114 ext. 207.
HHS Publishes Additional Guidance on Essential Community Providers
In a letter to qualified health plan (QHP) issuers, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides additional guidance to help health insurers successfully prepare for participation in the federally facilitated and state partnership exchanges.
The letter includes additional guidance on the requirement that QHPs contract with essential community providers (ECPs) – providers that traditionally care for low-income and medically underserved individuals. According to the guidance, health plans have two ways they can satisfy the sufficiency standard for including ECPs in their networks. Option one requires the plan issuer demonstrate that it includes at least 20% of all available ECPs in its provider networks and at least one ECP of each ECP category “in each county in the service area, where an ECP in that category is available.” HHS designates six different categories of ECPs and “family planning providers” is considered one category. HHS defines family planning providers to include Title X family planning health centers and Title X “look-alikes” to enable non-Title X organizations to be designated ECPs. Option two allows a plan issuer to satisfy the network adequacy requirement by including at least 10% of available ECPs in the plan’s service area, and issue a narrative justifying that it adequately meets the needs of the area’s medically underserved.
Comments on the guidance are due March 15, 2013. NFPRHA is preparing brief comments and will make them available via the NFPRHA website. For additional information on the exchanges and Affordable Care Act (ACA) implementation, please contact Dana Thomas at dthomas@nfprha.org or 202-293-3114 ext. 207.
Book Your National Conference Hotel Room by March 29 - Save Over $130 Per Night!
Reserve your hotel room for NFPRHA’s National Conference by March 29 to receive the special rate of $229 per night – a savings of more than $130 per night. To make your reservation, visit the hotel reservation page. You can also reserve a room by calling 1-866-837-4210 and using the code NMD28A.
NFPRHA’s National Conference will take place April 28 through May 1, at the Westin Alexandria in Alexandria, VA. Designed to provide family planning health centers with the information they need to navigate a successful path through health care reform, this is one conference you cannot afford to miss. View the full agenda and register at www.nationalfamilyplanning.org/nc.
New NFPRHA Fact Sheet on Medicaid Family Planning Expansions Available
As states work toward implementing the key provisions of the ACA – the expansion of Medicaid and the creation of health insurance exchanges – some states are examining the possibility of eliminating their current limited-benefit Medicaid programs, including their expansions of eligibility for family planning through state plan amendments (SPAs) and Section 1115 demonstration waivers. Ending Medicaid family planning expansion programs would limit access to care, limit states’ ability to meet the requirements of the ACA, and would increase – not decrease – state and federal spending.
To assist family planning providers and administrators, and support efforts to maintain Medicaid family planning expansion programs, NFPRHA has put together a fact sheet on the continuing importance of family planning SPAs and waivers. “Medicaid Family Planning Expansion Programs: Essential Coverage Post-ACA Implementation” details the importance of Medicaid family planning expansions during and after ACA implementation. The fact sheet contains talking points to use in discussions with your state officials, and can be shared broadly to educate policymakers about the why Medicaid family planning expansions matter now more than ever.
If you have any questions about NFPRHA’s Medicaid work, please contact Robin Summers at rsummers@nfprha.org or 202-286-6877.
New Study on Family Planning in Community Health Centers Available
On Thursday, March 7, the George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services and RCHN Community Health Foundation released an in-depth report describing how family planning services are furnished at community health centers (CHCs). The study focused on federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) throughout the US. While nearly all the FQHCs in the report provided some family planning services, the scope was often limited to the provision of oral contraceptives plus one other contraceptive, such as IUDs, implants, or injectables.
Not surprisingly, researchers found that CHCs that receive Title X funding were more likely to offer a wider range of family planning services (defined in the study as outreach, counseling, and a broad range of methods). Challenges reported by the CHC community to providing a broader range of services included the cost of providing the care, employing more skilled family planning providers, and addressing the unique needs of adolescents. The full report can be accessed via George Washington University’s website.
Republicans Continue Attempts to Undermine Contraceptive Requirement Rule
Last week, Representative James Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and 30 co-sponsors introduced H.R. 973, the “Religious Freedom Tax Repeal Act of 2013.” The bill would exempt any employer who refused to cover contraception in their health insurance plan for religious or moral reasons from facing penalties, including applicable taxes and possible lawsuits resulting from not providing the coverage. The sponsors of the bill are attempting to create a loophole to the ACA’s contraceptive coverage requirement rule which already provides an accommodation for employers who choose not to cover contraception for religious reasons.
Another group of 11 conservative Republicans, led by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-UT), filed an amicus brief in support of Hobby Lobby, one of the for-profit companies suing the federal government in opposition to the contraceptive coverage requirement. The Hobby Lobby case – along with several others filed by for-profit employers – has not moved forward in recent months.
For more information about the contraceptive coverage requirement, please contact Nici Paterson at npaterson@nfprha.org or 202-293-3114 ext. 211.
Register for NFPRHA’s March Service Delivery Call: Title X, FQHCs, and Sliding Fee Scales
On the March Service Delivery Call, the Life After 40: The Family Planning Network and the ACA staff will host a discussion about how family planning providers are successfully reconciling the different sliding fee scale requirements of the Title X and FQHC programs. Participants are encouraged to call in prepared to share strategies or challenges related to sliding fee scales.
Whether you're a resident expert or full of questions, please join us to discuss how family planning providers can manage a sliding fee scale that meets all program requirements. Register today for the call on March 14, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. ET. by completing the online registration form.
For more information about the Life After 40 project, please contact Melissa Kleder at mkleder@nfprha.org or 202-293-3114 ext. 209.
New Family Planning Resources Available
In today’s resources section: register for the National Academy for State Health Policy’s (NASHP) upcoming webinar about payment reform in the states on April 19; find out how to become involved in a national awareness campaign on ensuring women’s needs are met in any immigration reform package; and learn more about vouchers available for free professional exams on health information technology (HIT) skills.
NASHP – Strategies for Payment Reform in the States Webinar
NASHP will be hosting its second webinar in a series that focuses on steps states can take as they consider multi-payer approaches to payment and service delivery reform. The upcoming webinar, entitled, “Strategies for Payment Reform in the States: Selecting Innovative Models,” will feature Michael Bailit, President of Bailit Health Purchasing. It will discuss a range of payment models, with consideration of differing political landscapes across the states. Register here for the webinar, which will be held on March 19, 2013, from 3:00-4:30 p.m. ET.
NCIWR – National Awareness Campaign on Immigration Reform and Women
The National Coalition for Immigrant Women’s Rights (NCIWR) has announced a new national campaign, March for Immigrant Women: A Month of Action for Citizenship, Families, and Justice, to raise awareness and garner support for an inclusive immigration reform package that addresses the needs of women. A March 18 rally on Capitol Hill’s Upper Senate Park in Washington DC, organized by many national advocacy groups, will highlight the effort. Advocacy days and other events are planned throughout the month. Find out how you can get involved at http://nciwr.wordpress.com/march-for-immigrant-women/.
HRSA – Free Vouchers for Health IT Professional Exams
The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), in collaboration with the Office of the National Coordinator for Health IT is offering free vouchers for health professionals to take the Health IT Professional Exams (HIT Pro Exams) in order to validate their HIT skills and certify their knowledge set. These exams assess competency in one of six HIT workforce roles:
Clinician/Practitioner Consultant
Implementation Manager
Implementation Support Specialist
Practice Workflow & Information Management Redesign Specialist
Technical/Software Support Staff
Trainer
To request a voucher or additional information, email healthit@hrsa.gov and for more information, visit ONC’s Health IT Professional Exam website.
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