All Entries Tagged With: "COBRA"
Healthcare reform and hospitalist reimbursement
As the rolls of the unemployed continue to grow, so too will the roll of the uninsured. No doubt this is having an impact on the reimbursement received by hospitals and physicians when they care for these individuals. As hospitalists, a large portion of patients we care for are unassigned and unfunded patients. We are on the frontlines in this battle to deliver care to the uninsured (and underinsured).
There are some provisions in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Stimulus Bill) that are designed to assist in this fight. Included in the Stimulus Bill is a provision to help people who lose their jobs to be able to afford health insurance under the COBRA laws while they seek new employment. This provision will subsidize 65% of the premium payment for a worker who was involuntarily terminated and meets eligibility requirements. Sounds good….right? Here are the pros and cons:
President signs economic bill to jumpstart healthcare reform
President Barack Obama signed the economic stimulus bill into law on Tuesday, estimated at $787 billion in tax cuts and spending during the next two years. Called the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R. 1), the law targets healthcare as one of the catalysts to renovate the U.S. economy.
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act includes more than $100 billion in Medicaid adjustments and Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) subsidies for unemployed workers, according to Healthcare Finance News. The bill also includes $19 billion for health information technology integration.
The President will release details on the first budget proposal on Feb. 26, outlining the plan for the 2010 fiscal year, according to Reuters.
