The administration’s proposed Medicaid fiscal accountability regulation and its guidance encouraging states to implement Medicaid block grants have incurred widespread opposition among a variety of health care groups.

The Medicaid fiscal accountability regulation would, if adopted, impose new restrictions on how states raise their share of their Medicaid spending, potentially limiting state participation in Medicaid or necessitating tax increases to fill the funding gap if long-accepted financing tools are no longer available to them.

The Medicaid block grant guidance offers states a blueprint for curtailing their Medicaid costs by imposing limits on that spending that they negotiate with the federal government.

Numerous health care groups have expressed reservations or direct opposition to one or both of the proposals.  Among them:

• AARP
• America’s Essential Hospitals
• America’s Health Insurance Plans
• American College of Emergency Physicians
• American Health Care Association
• American Hospital Association
• American Medical Association
• Association for Community Affiliated Plans
• Association of American Medical Colleges
• LeadingAge
• National Association of State Budget Officers
• National Association of Medicaid Directors
• National Continuing Care Residents Association
• National Governors Association

Among those that submitted formal comment letters to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in response to the proposed Medicaid fiscal accountability regulation are DeBrunner & …

DeBrunner & Associates is pleased to welcome its newest client: Post Acute Medical, a specialty health care company based in Enola, Pennsylvania that focuses on providing post-acute care in the most efficient and cost-effective setting.

Welcome!…

DeBrunner & Associates is pleased to welcome its newest client: Howard University Hospital, located in Washington, D.C.

Welcome!…

Pennsylvania is among 21 states that will receive State Innovation Models Initiative Model Design Awards from the federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation.

The award of $3 million will be used to

…engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including public and commercial payers, providers and consumers, to develop a State Health Care Innovation Plan.

The purpose of the state innovation models program is to support

…states that are prepared for or committed to planning, designing, testing, and supporting evaluation of new payment and service delivery models in the context of larger health system transformation. The Innovation Center is interested in testing innovative payment and service delivery models that have the potential to lower costs for Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), while maintaining or improving quality of care for program beneficiaries.

The grant funds were awarded on a competitive basis, with funding decisions based on an initial round of state innovation model planning.  Michael Chirieleison, managing partner of DeBrunner & Associates’ Pennsylvania health care consulting practice, served on the committee that developed the commonwealth’s state innovation model proposal.

Learn more about the federal State Innovation Models Initiative here.…

DeBrunner & Associates has entered into a strategic alliance with Feinberg Shopp Associates, a Harrisburg-based health care consulting firm.

Like DeBrunner, Feinberg Shopp Associates works only in the health care arena.  David Feinberg is a veteran of Pennsylvania’s Medicaid program, including as the state’s Medicaid director, and has now been consulting for nearly 20 years.  Brad Shopp worked in Pennsylvania’s state government as a legislative aide before going into consulting and has focused on health care lobbying for 20 years.

“We’re thrilled to form this new alliance with Brad and David,” said Michael Chirieleison, managing partner of the firm’s Pennsylvania health care consulting practice.  “They understand the intricacies of Harrisburg and have outstanding relationships within both the legislative and executive branches of state government – relationships that will enhance our own strong presence in Harrisburg.”

Ellen Kugler, managing partner of the firm’s federal consulting practices, agrees that this new alliance will extend DeBrunner’s expertise in Medicaid and enhance its ability to serve its clients.

“I believe this partnership makes both our firms stronger and better-equipped to bridge the gap between the statehouse and Washington and deliver the positive results our clients seek.”

To see a news release announcing the strategic …