States with Republican governors kept up the pressure last week on Washington to infect the states greater control over health care under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). Twenty-one Republican governors sent a letter to Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asking for greater authority over some provisions of health reform, including the ability to define “indispensable” health benefits and put minimal criteria for participating in insurance exchanges. They endangered not to trot their ain state-established exchanges if HHS does not act on their requests. Sebelius rapidly reacted with her ain letter in which she reviewed the assorted options states have to trim costs in their Medicaid programs, and she bespoke she is continuing to review what authority she may have to “relinquish the maintenance of effort under current law.” Senate bills have already been introduced to address the role of the states in health care reform, which is certain to maintain the issue on the front burner. Visit Easy To Insure ME for more info

Federal

The House Committee on Ways & Means held a hearing last week on “The Health Care Law’s Impact on Medicare and Its Beneficiaries,” featuring testimony from CMS Administrator Donald Berwick, M.D., and CMS Chief Actuary Richard Foster. Berwick testified that the PPACA has had a positive impact on Medicare beneficiaries, noting that beneficiaries now have first-dollar coverage of cardinal preventive benefits, additional assistance with prescription drug costs, and an annual wellness visit with the physician of their choice. In response to referred noted by several committee members about the impact of funding cuts on Medicare Advantage, Berwick indicated that Medicare Advantage enrollment increased by 6 percent from 2010 to 2011. He suggested that the program is healthy and offers robust choices. Foster’s testimony reiterated his prior projection that the PPACA will cause Medicare Advantage enrollment to decline by about 50 percent by 2017 — from a projected 14.5 million under the pre-PPACA law to 7.3 million under the new law.  His testimony further explained that Medicare Advantage enrollees will experience “a big increase in away-of-pocket costs” and “less generous benefit packages” because PPACA will trim rebates to Medicare Advantage plans, with the reduction in rebates reaching ,500 per beneficiary by 2019.

The Administration last week published favourable guidance with respect to student health coverage that will result in little disruption, if any, to this business until at least the 2012-2013 donnish year. This guidance was announced in a Notice of Proposed Rule Making (rather than as an interim concluding regulation), which fortunately means that the rule is not effective immediately as has been the case with most regulations relating to PPACA reforms. The proposed student health rule would create a special class of individual coverage for student health pursuant to a set of factors, e.g., written contract between school and insurer, coverage only for students and dependents, health status may not be used as a condition of eligibility.  As Aetna has advocated, the impact would be delayed, as the rule (whenever finalized) would not be effective until policy years beginning on or after January 2012. Until then, student health is not subject to PPACA reforms.  And, when effective, student health would be excepted from the current guaranteed issue and renewability provisions of PPACA.  While it will be unclear for a while whether and how student health will be subject to the medical loss ratio (MLR) provisions of PPACA, we are encouraged by the fact that the proposed rule invites comments on whether student health should receive some sort of special accommodation (akin to the special rule for limited benefit plans) with respect to MLR, owing to the unique characteristics of the student health market.

States

ARIZONA:  The industry-supported exchange bill was introduced last week under the sponsorship of the House Health Committee Chairman and the respective chairmen of the House and Senate Banking and Insurance Committees. The bill provides for a market-based mechanism; governance by a board with insurer representation; no dual regulation; and a conditional repeal provision. The 1st hearing will be held this week. In other news, Governor Jan Brewer appointed Don Hughes, former AHIP retained counsel, as Special Advisor for Health Care Innovation. Hughes will help direct state efforts to improve the cost-effectiveness and accessibility of health care. He will engage in strategic planning with a focus embracing both public health pitying and Arizona’s large private health insurance industry.

CONNECTICUT:  A jointly held public hearing of the Public Health and Insurance and Real Estate Committees was scheduled for this week on two new health care bills. The 1st bill would establish the SustiNet Plan Authority, a quasi-public agency empowered to implement a public health care option. The SustiNet Plan is a health insurance program that consists of coordinated individual health insurance plans that provide health insurance products to say employees, Medicaid enrollees, HUSKY Plan, Part An and Part B enrollees, HUSKY Plus enrollees, municipalities, municipal-related employers, nonprofit employers, little employers, other employers, and individuals in Connecticut. The Authority is authorized, but not required, to begin offering SustiNet coverage to employees and retirees of non-state public employers, municipal-related employers, little employers, and nonprofit employers after January 1, 2012.  Beginning on January 1, 2014, SustiNet will offer coverage to individuals and employers.  Among other things, the bill directs the Authority to implement primary care case management and patient-centered aesculapian homes for all SustiNet Plan members, establish a pay-for-performance system, and establish procedures to prevent adverse selection.

The Committees also will catch testimony on a bill to establish the Connecticut Health Insurance Exchange pursuant to PPACA.  The exchange would be a quasi-public agency offering qualified health plans to individuals and qualified employers by January 1, 2014.  The bill would establish a 13-member board of directors to manage the exchange. The exchange would have the authority to review the rate of premium growth within and outside the exchange in order to develop recommendations on whether to continue limiting qualified employer status to small employers. It also would have the authority to charge assessments or user fees to health carriers to generate funding necessary to support the operations of the change. The bill directs the exchange board to report to the legislature by January 1, 2012 on whether to establish two separate exchanges, one for the individual market and one for the small employer market, or to establish a single exchange; whether to merge the individual and small employer health insurance markets; whether to revise the definition of “small employer” from not more than 50 employees to not more than 100; and whether to allow large employers to participate in the exchange beginning in 2017.

Aetna will subject comments on both bills through the Connecticut Association of Health Plans.

IDAHO: Draft legislation is circulating that would prohibit insurance companies and managed care organizations from refusing to contract with qualified providers solely because the provider: is not a member of a group, network or any other organization of providers contracting with the insurance company; or does not offer all of the services obtained through the group, communicate or organization of providers contracted with the insurance company. However, the provider may be required to comply with the practice standards and quality requirements of the contract specific to the services contracted. The bill generally is intended to impact insurers and managed care organizations. It does not contain an exclusion or exception for HIPAA-excepted benefits. As yet, the bill has not found a sponsor and has not been “introduced.”  While there remains a possibility that the bill could be introduced before the deadline for committee bill introductions, it is seen unlikely.

MINNESOTA: When the legislature convened the first half of its 2011-2012 biennium last month, Republicans controlled both legislative chambers for the first time since 1972. And, Republican lawmakers wasted little time introducing bills to repeal measures passed by the 2010 legislature to fund state medical assistance, general assistance medical care, and MinnesotaCare. In his 1st official act as Governor, Mark Dayton signed an executive order implementing early Medicaid expansion (to 133 percent of the federal poverty flat) for Minnesota, which is expected to make 95,000 more state residents eligible. Minnesota’s 8 million investment is expected to bring astir .2 billion in matching federal funds. Governor Dayton also signed an executive order removing the ban on applications for federal PPACA-related grants. Minnesota is expected to receive an exchange planning allowed soon. While Governor Dayton cleared the way for the state to seek grants for implemented federal health reform, it is unlikely that state legislators will be passing bills to implement the federal health reform law unless absolutely necessary. Other pending bills of interest include anti-PPACA legislation, a bill requiring guaranteed issue in the individual market, creation of a defining contribution program for childless adults with incomes at or above 133 percent of FPL (reduction from current level of 250 percent), the prohibition of dental plan fee schedules for non-covered services, and an autism coverage mandate. In addition, Governor Dayton named a new Commissioner of the Department of Commerce, Minneapolis attorney Michael Rothman.

NEVADA: The legislature convened on February 7 with a scheduled adjournment date of June 6. Governor Brian Sandoval will sponsor