Medicaid Fraud Legislation
On March 8, before the regular session ended, the legislature passed ESSB 5978, which creates a Medicaid fraud false claims act. Its enactment was assumed by the 2012 supplemental budget that passed the Senate, as well as the second House-passed supplemental. It is estimated to reduce 2011–13 revenues by $4.9 million.
October 28 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Governor wants state workers to pay more for health care benefits…they decline
State workers enjoy significantly richer health care benefits than do most private sector employees, as documented in this Thrive Washington paper. Currently, Washington pays 88 percent of the premium costs for state employees for individual or family coverage. In 2003-05, state employees paid, on average, 16.3 percent of the cost of their coverage (up from 6 percent in FY2001). […]
July 18 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Governors expect tough times to linger
News from the National Governors Association summer meeting in Salt Lake City was decidedly grim. State governments, beneficiaries of stimulus dollars that sustained spending during the worst days of the recession, continue to face ongoing fiscal challenges. As the governors watch the debt and deficit debates in D.C., most acknowledge the end of federal assistance. […]
March 07 , 2011 - Emily Makings
K-12 Employee Health Care Savings
Washington State Wire has a good article by Erik Smith today on K-12 employee health care. As he notes, the state auditor recently released a report on the subject (the executive summary is here). State employees get their health insurance through the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB); school districts may participate in the PEBB plans, […]
March 01 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
As we were saying about compensation comparisons …
… they’re not easy to get right. USA Today headlines today that Wisconsin is one of 41 states where public workers earn more than their private sector counterparts. According to the paper’s analysis of data from the U. S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, State, city and school district workers earned an average of $50,774 in […]
February 28 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Medicaid: A Budgetary Problem for Many States
An article in the Wall Street Journal today, “Governors Scramble To Rein in Medicaid,” talks about the concerns both Republican and Democratic governors (including our own) have regarding rising Medicaid costs–especially given widespread budget problems: About eight million Americans joined the Medicaid rolls between 2007 and 2010, many because they lost jobs. The federal government […]
February 02 , 2011 - Emily Makings
Health Care Hot Spots
Last week's New Yorker has an article about the idea that we can lower health care costs by focusing on the neediest patients. It profiles a Camden, N.J. doctor who took the medical billing records of the local hospitals and set about mapping the areas of the city whose residents had the highest hospital costs. […]
February 01 , 2011 - Richard S. Davis
Thrive Washington suggests positive ideas to put state on sustainable budget path
Thrive Washington, a research and communications partnership between the Research Council and Washington Roundtable, has looked at budget reforms, contracting out, and health care policy. This series of white papers provides a good platform for responsible state budgeting in hard times. And, these proposals will accelerate the transition to better times. Sunday, the Herald of […]
November 04 , 2010 - Richard S. Davis
Washington ranks in top 10 for health insurance mandates
The Council for Affordable Health Insurance recently released Health Insurance Mandates in the States. Here’s why it’s important: Policymakers are increasingly focused on how to reduce the number of uninsured Americans and lower the cost of health insurance,” stated CAHI Executive Director J.P. Wieske. “While some state and federal legislators continue to pass new mandated […]