Transforming Colorado’s Health Care System: The Colorado Health Care Innovation Plan Kick-Off

“Governor John Hickenlooper and Sue Birch, Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing, request your help in creating a Colorado Health Care Innovation Plan that will serve as a guide to health care transformation across the state.

The Opportunity: Colorado has won a $2 million award from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to develop and refine a Colorado Health Care Innovation Plan. We are one of only three states chosen to receive funding for this effort. This is our chance to convene experts from across the state and build an innovative and integrated vision of health care that will guide our efforts for years to come.

The Background: All of us are working to make Colorado the healthiest state in the nation. We know that this will require a coordinated, efficient, effective and integrated health care system that improves health outcomes, increases patient satisfaction and lowers costs. We have taken many steps to move our system toward these goals, but much remains to be done. As the Governor said at the release of The State of Health: Colorado’s Commitment to Become the Healthiest State, we have to be “all hands on deck” when it comes to health.

How: We are seeking broad input from the consumer, employer, payer, provider, public health and education communities. Our goal is to reach consensus on a vision of sustainable health that works for Colorado.

When: The Stakeholder Group will meet three times between now and September. Each facilitated meeting will require advance preparation as we come together to solve problems, build on great ideas and achieve consensus.

We have scheduled the first meeting from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 29, at History Colorado, 1200 Broadway, Denver. 

RSVP: By May 23 to Kathy Helm, ColoradoSIM@coloradohealthinstitute.org

Please read The State of Health to prepare for the meeting. www.colorado.gov/stateofhealth" [Source: CHI]

Free EHR & Meaningful Use Boot Camp

When: June 27, 2013 11:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Location: DoubleTree Westminster, 8773 Yates Dr, Westminster,CO , 80031

Interested in learning more about Meaningful Use? Want to find out if you’re eligible for incentive funds?  Attend the free EHR and Meaningful Use Boot Camp for health care professionals who want to incorporate Meaningful Use objectives into their practices and potentially receive incentive payments...Registration is required for this event...Click here to learn more and here to register.  [Source: CORHIO]

[Webinar] Stocking the Shelves: Exchanges Work to Certify Health Plans

Wednesday, May 29th | 2:30 - 4:00 PM EDT

"Open enrollment is only months away, and health insurance exchanges are working to "stock their shelves" with health plans so that individuals and small businesses seeking coverage have options to choose from. This State Refor(u)m webinar will explore the key elements--benefit design, consumer protections, actuarial value, network adequacy, marketing requirements, accreditation, rates, and more--of certifying health plans for the exchange. 

Three states, each with a separate approach, will share their strategies:
1.    a state-based exchange that is actively negotiating with plans;
2.    a state-based exchange that is focusing on integrating the exchange into its larger vision for  quality improvement; and
3.    a federally facilitated exchange state that is actively working with the federal government to certify plans."  Register here.  [Source: NASHP]

Connect for Health Colorado

The Colorado Health Benefit Exchange (COHBE) recently began using their new name, Connect for Health Colorado, in conjunction with the launch of a new public education campaign across the state. Their new website, www.ConnectforHealthCO.com, features a cost-savings calculator, videos from Coloradans about the importance of having health insurance, FAQs and other resources to prepare Coloradans for the opening of the new online marketplace and customer support network in October. Recent activities and updates:

• Their Board approved the submission of comments to the federal government related to navigators.
• The General Assembly passed House Bill 13-1245 which will provide transitional funding to support the early operations of Connect for Health Colorado. View a summary of the legislation.
• Their Board voted to approve the submission of a Level 2 Establishment Grant application to the federal government prior to the May 15, 2013, deadline.
• Their Board will meet Monday, May 13, at 8:30 a.m. Learn more. 
• Their Individual Experience Advisory Group will meet Tuesday, May 14, at 10:30 a.m. Learn more.
• Their Outreach and Communications Advisory Group will meet Wednesday, May 15, at 3 pm. Learn more.  

Connect for Health Colorado will launch a new health insurance marketplace and support network in October that will allow individuals, families and small employers to compare and purchase health plans from companies including the major providers in the state in a convenient way. They plan to provide high quality customer assistance by phone and in person, as well as access to new financial assistance to reduce costs. Learn more at www.ConnectforHealthCO.com.

Second round of funding announced for CMS Health Care Innovation Awards

"This morning, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation announced a second round of funding for Health Care Innovation awards. Non-binding letters of intent are due by June 28. Applications will be made available starting June 14 and will be accepted until August 15. Thus, this opportunity clearly favors organizations with programs that are already in place.

This round features some important distinctions from last year's Innovation Challenge, specifically seeking applications in the following categories:

• Models to rapidly reduce Medicare, Medicaid and/or CHIP spending in outpatient and post-acute settings, particularly diagnostic services, outpatient radiology, high-cost physician-administered drugs, home based services, therapeutic services and post-acute services.
• Models that improve care for populations with specialized needs. Priority areas include high-cost pediatric populations, children in foster care, adolescents in crisis, and persons with Alzheimer's disease, HIV/AIDS, serious behavioral health needs, or requiring long-term support and services.
• Models that transform the financial and clinical models for specific types of providers and suppliers. Priority areas include models designed for specific physician specialties (e.g., oncology or cardiology), and pediatricians who provide services to children with complex medical issues.
• Models that improve the health of populations - defined geographically, clinically, or by socioeconomic class - through activities focused on prevention, wellness, and comprehensive care that extends beyond the clinical service delivery setting and addresses the social determinants of health. Priority areas include, but not limited to, models that develop comprehensive population-based interventions, integrate clinical care with community-based interventions that focus on the underlying determinants of health, and integrate behavioral health care and primary care.

CMMI held a nationwide conference to provide an overview of the funding opportunity.  A replay of the call will be available by calling 855-859-2056 or 404-537-3406 until 11:59pm on May 17, 2013. The security code is 31833 and the conference ID is 59268802.

In the meantime, here are links to the press release and FAQs about this opportunity.

• Press Release
• Fact Sheet" [Source: CIVHC]

Free resources for patients with diabetes

"Newly diagnosed patients with type 2 diabetes have a host of questions. The Where Do I Begin? booklet is available in English and bilingual Spanish from the American Diabetes Association. You can order free copies of Where Do I Begin? to give to patients looking for more information on living well with diabetes at www.diabetes.org/clinicians.

Patients can enroll in Living With Type 2 Diabetes, a free 12-month program That offers information, recipes, tips and more.  Patients can enroll at www.diabetes.org/living."  [Source: Association of Clinicians for the Underserved]

Diabetes Prevention Program in Colorado

"Eighteen sites offer the Diabetes Prevention Program in Colorado, including the YMCA of Metro Denver (720-524-2747). Two insurance plans in Colorado, UnitedHealthCare and Kaiser Permanente, cover the Diabetes Prevention Program for their members.  To find a DPP site near you, please call 1-800-DIABETES or view the sites offering the DPP in Colorado...

Taught by trained lifestyle coaches, this 16-week program includes weekly sessions on nutrition and physical activity, such as how to read food labels, how to develop and maintain a healthy diet, and how to deal with stress without overeating. People who lose just 5 – 7 percent of their body weight (10 to 14 pounds for someone weighing 200 pounds) greatly reduce their risk of developing diabetes. The Diabetes Prevention Program helps them reach this goal by eating healthier and increasing physical activity to a 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

To find out more about the Diabetes Prevention Program, please visit the DPP in Colorado or contact Kelly McCracken at kelly.mccracken@state.co.us."  [Source: COPrevent]