Iowa

In June of 2013, Governor Terry Branstad signed Senate File 446 into law, which authorized health care delivery and payment system reforms including expanded use of medical homes and ACOs.

Iowa is implementing a comprehensive PCMH-based health care payment and delivery system that will reduce health care costs, improve population health and improve patient care. Iowa is transforming health care across the state through the integration of several legislative initiatives including Health Homes, Integrated Health Homes (IHH), the Balancing Incentives Payment Program (BIPP), the Iowa Health and Wellness Plan, and the Mental Health and Disability Services (MHDS) Redesign. Wellmark, the predominant private payer across the state of Iowa, is partnering with the state in its effort to implement multi-payer ACO methodology statewide. Iowa plans to implement regional ACOs for Medicaid enrollees statewide in January of 2016.

 

CHIPRA: 
No
MAPCP: 
No
Dual Eligible: 
No
2703 Health Home: 
Yes
CPCi: 
No
SIM Awards: 
Yes
PCMH in QHP: 
No
Legislative PCMH Initiative: 
Yes
Private Payer Program: 
Yes
State Facts: 
Population:
3,070,800
Uninsured Population:
9%
Total Medicaid Spending FY 2013: 
$3.7 Billion 
Overweight/Obese Adults:
67%
Poor Mental Health among Adults: 
29.6%
Medicaid Expansion: 
Yes 

When an Iowa Family Doctor Takes On the Opioid Epidemic

This primary care doctor treats diabetes, rashes, strep throat - and opioid addiction. The country needs many more doctors like her.

News Author: 
Abby Goodnough

PTN - Iowa Healthcare Collaborative (Compass PTN)

The Compass Practice Transformation Network (Compass PTN) supports more than 7,000 clinicians across six states – Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and South Dakota – who are committed to expanding quality improvement capacity in their primary and specialty care practices, share clinical best practices and achieve common goals of improved care, better health and reduced cost.

Wellmark to participate on Iowa's health insurance public exchange in time for 2017 open enrollment

Iowans will be able to purchase Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield health insurance plans on Iowa’s public health insurance exchange beginning with the fall 2016 open enrollment period (for coverage starting January 1, 2017) the company announced today.

Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield saves $12M with ACO contract

While some accountable care organizations (ACOs) have struggled, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, of Des Moines, Iowa, has leveraged its ACO to cut healthcare spending and improve quality of care.

News Author: 
Joanne Finnegan

Iowa halts premium assistance for Medicaid expansion

Iowa's Medicaid expansion model, which pays beneficiaries' premiums so they can obtain private coverage plans, is coming to an end. In response, the state is seeking a waiver to move beneficiaries to its traditional Medicaid program.

News Author: 
Virgil Dickson

Community partnerships, health navigators crucial to engage patients

National ACO Summit: ACO leaders discuss successful strategies to improve patient engagement

Leaders of two accountable care organizations (ACOs) shared the strategies they use to actively engage patients and improve healthcare delivery and outcomes while reducing costs during Wednesday's preconference session of the sixth annual National ACO Summit in the District of Columbia.

News Author: 
Ilene McDonald

Four more hospital systems form Wellmark ACOs

Iowa’s largest health insurer continues to add hospital systems to its collection of health-care providers that have signed accountable care organization contracts.

Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield now has signed such contracts with 13 systems. The systems represent 29 of Iowa’s 118 community hospitals, including most of the large medical centers.

News Author: 
Tony Leys

Iowa Senate File 446

This legislation authorized health care delivery and payment system reforms including the expanded use of medical homes and ACOs. The law stipulates "Any integrated care model implemented on or after July 1, 2013, that delivers health care to medical assistance program recipients shall incorporate medical homes as its foundation."

CMS gives Arkansas, Iowa more leeway in Medicaid expansion waivers

The Obama administration is continuing to compromise with Republican-led states that expand Medicaid, allowing Arkansas for the first time to impose cost-sharing for beneficiaries below poverty level.

The administration also gave Iowa the nod to continue to not offer nonemergency transportation to beneficiaries despite criticism from patient advocates and data showing negative consequences. 

News Author: 
Virgil Dickson

Catholic Health Initiatives Value-Based Care program - Iowa

Mercy Health Network (MHN) Critical Access Hospitals (CAH), in partnership with Catholic Health Iniativies, is using the CMS Health Care Innovation award to test a model to transition a network of rural critical access hospitals to value-based care. 

Pagine

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