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Medicaid Policy … Healthcare Industry Opinions,

and a Meaningful Policy Focus

One of the most controver- best overall healthcare ing cost and promoting better care tivize Medicaid recipients to use lower
sial Medicaid policy efforts is policy platform support according to Bill Sampsel of Health cost options for primary care services,
mandating able-bodied the work requirement Metrics. “Our analysis of State of Florida and implement support systems that
Medicaid beneficiaries to policy versus 18% of their and national data, and many scientific allow Medicaid recipients to access the
work, search for work, or Democratic counterparts. studies supports initiatives for getting appropriate site of care.”
perform voluntary services. Efforts to implement the Medicaid patients out of emergency
Proponents of the work requirement policy departments and into lower-cost settings Richard Klass, Vice President and
Medicaid work requirement is mostly in states voting like urgent care centers and community Co-founder, KCI Partners, Inc., can be
believe the policy will Republican in the 2016 health centers run by safety-net hospital reached at rklass@kcipartner.com.
decrease cost by slowing or presidential election. As systems.” Specifically:
reducing enrollment, and it is of December 20, 2019, 17 • Nationally, Medicaid recipients 1 Found at: https://www.cbpp.org/most-people-
(2)
good policy to incentivize of the 19 states seeking account for 23% of hospital discharges estimated-to-lose-medicaid-coverage-under-work-
requirements-are-working-or-should-be
people to work or contribute BY RICHARD KLASS a Medicaid work require- and 32% of emergency department (ED)
to the greater good of society. ment waiver (Section visits. Most (92%) Medicaid ED utilizers 2 Found at: https://www.kff.org/medicaid/issue-
(6)
Policy critics opine a work 1115) voted Republican. are not admitted to the hospital. brief/medicaid-waiver-tracker-approved-and-pend-
ing-section-1115-waivers-by-state/
requirement adversely impacts people The courts are making the Medicaid • Florida Medicaid recipients comprise
that should be exempt due to such fac- work requirement a mute initiative. 19% of hospital discharges and 31% of 3 M. Brady (11/11/19), Modern Healthcare, GOP
(7)
tors as illness or disability. There is also While work requirement initiatives are emergency department visits. states to swerve as Medicaid work requirements hit
concern the target population cannot not totally legally dead, they are on life • Scientific studies show access barri- legal wall, According to Joan Alker, Executive
Director of the Center for Children and Families,
navigate very complex enrollment and support. States don’t want the added ers to primary care accounts for upwards Georgetown University McCourt School of Public
(3)
compliance requirements. cost burden of new information technol- of 87% of all ED visits. Policy, p 8.

• The Center for Budget and Policy ogy systems, administrative staff, and State and national policymakers are 4 Ibid, according to the U.S. Government
Priorities estimates between 77% (1.4 other associated administrative expens- aware of the benefits of promoting poli- Accountability Office report.
(4)
million people) and 83% (4.0 million es. Further, there is evidence the policy cies that will keep Medicaid patients out
5 Ibid, according to the New England Journal of
people) would lose Medicaid coverage if may not increase the number of of the emergency departments. Progress Medicine.
a work requirement was imposed nation- Medicaid recipients that work or enter towards implanting meaningful regula-
(1)
wide. into public service. Arkansas’ 2018 tions is slow. 6 Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,
South Florida Hospital News and implementation of the Medicaid work Gerald Cohen a South Florida health- HCUPnet, Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project,
Healthcare Report research shows health- policy resulted in 18,000 people losing care attorney concurs. “The industry 2016 data.

care industry executives and profession- coverage and fewer people providing does not have to wait for policy imple- 7 Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration,
als are split on this issue. More than half “community engagement activities.” mentation to: Expand access to commu- 2017/2018 data.
(5)
(57%) of respondents to a national study There is a better policy initiative that nity/primary care networks (number of
that believe the Republican party has the will have a meaningful impact on reduc- locations and hours of operation), incen-
Cover Story: The Business of Health Care - Social Determinants,

Economic and Political Impacts

Continued from page 1 the health care environment. Panels will multi-cultural, multi-lingual mecca of aca- promises to be dynamic and timely
nesses found similar negative results of address health topics – both current as demic research and health care delivery debate regarding the challenges present-
diet and lifestyle impact on productivity, well as a futuristic look at the business of which caters to a large and growing aging ed by the proposed policies of presiden-
the food and beverage industries began health care coverage, technology, and population with elongated work and life tial candidates and significant intercon-
marketing new products with less sugar government regulation that guide corpo- expectancy. These demographic and geo- nectivity with social, political and eco-
and smaller sizes,” he explained. rate initiatives. Experts will share graphic dynamics give a unique perspec- nomic determinants of health in the
Dr. Ullmann’s academic foundation in insights regarding pharmaceuticals, diag- tive on the intricacies of socio-economic United States and worldwide,” Dr.
economics also provides him insight into nostics, genomics, and medical devices and political influences and the Ullmann said.
the intertwined financial impact of and their effectiveness and accessibility. boomerang effect of health and business “The University’s School of Business
health and business in terms of the costs Discussion will include such aspects as policies. Consequently, the conference Executive MBA in Health Care Policy
and utilization of health care services. the opioid crisis, the debate about vacci- draws wide interest from a global audi- curriculum (rated #1 in the country) and
For example, as societal stigmas dissi- nations, the aging population, chronic ence. its other graduate and undergraduate
pate regarding divorce and mental health disease and mental health and the pres- In fact, featured panelist Julio Frenk, programs as well as its Center for Health
as well as certain aspects of physical sures they can place on business deci- M.D., the current president of the Management and Policy are incubators
health, there is a correlated impact on sions – from human resources to market- University, is a former minister of health in for innovative thought. Year after year we
work time missed due to court appear- ing innovation. Mexico and knows the predicators of con- come away from this program enriched
ances or counseling sessions, doctors’ Attendees have the opportunity for cern and interest in the North and South with ideas that intellectually challenge
appointments and the overall emotional valuable networking with leaders of both American continents. This includes the our thinking and resolve. Eventually that
status of workers, life expectancy, causes the business and service providers of the intercultural dynamic of multi-genera- contributes to the launch or acceleration
of early retirement, quality of work out- health industry and sharing of potential tional health needs; the anticipated con- of new methodologies of health care
put or workplace safety due to stress or solutions and/or steps to follow to sur- tinued influx of technology and accompa- delivery designed to positively impact
family issues. “Both physical and mental vive or even avoid negative trends. nying professional and technical educa- both personal and business outcomes,”
health issues can provoke dysfunctional Research indicates that quality provision tion needs; and, growing health care costs he concluded.
patterns on workplace productivity of health care requires an understanding in the USA and Canada, the Caribbean and This year’s conference will be held
charts; so, purposely addressing the of and business acumen regarding deliv- Latin American countries. Indeed, a panel Friday, March 27, 2020 at the University
social aspects of employee health is a ery methodology effects not only on of ministers of health from Latin America of Miami Watsco Center. Previous con-
management concern,” he concluded. patient outcomes but also the political and the Caribbean will provide important ferences have had escalated attendance
Given the current political and eco- ramifications of regulations and econom- insights regarding these issues and and sold out, so immediate registration is
nomic climate, speakers include such ic factors which can shift businesses beyond. advised.
senior leaders from the American from a path of endurance and success to “With each successful conference we
Medical Association, American Nursing costly missteps and failures. Experts will have learned and listened to our audi- For information, discounted hotels
Association, America’s Health Insurance thoroughly explore these issues. ence response to a wide range of health and registration, visit
Plans as well as pharmaceutical, techno- The University of Miami - with global care, business and government leader- www.bus.miami.edu/healthcare2020 or
logical, diagnostic and other aspects of faculty and student input - is located in a ship issues. This election year there email healthcare@bus.miami.edu.

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