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December 16, 2011
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Updated! Even as the U.S. Supreme Court considers constitutional challenges to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), efforts continue at the state and federal levels to prepare for implementation of key provisions of the Act scheduled to take effect in 2014. This flow chart provides a high-level picture of the ways that people will obtain health coverage in 2014, assuming the Act is implemented as it exists today, reflecting the complexity of the public/private hybrid of U.S. healthcare coverage retained by the Act.
August 31, 2011
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The most critical health care decisions facing patients and families are often made under the most difficult of circumstances—in emergencies, or when patients are not able to speak for themselves. Advance directives offer a solution but in order for them to be effective, health care providers need to know they exist and have ready access to them. One way to accomplish this is through statewide electronic registries of advance directives.This paper discusses advance directives available under Michigan law, models for state and regional advance directive registries, and approaches for encouraging their use.
August 24, 2011
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Electronic prescribing (also known as e-prescribing) is a system that enables providers in health care settings—e.g. doctors’ offices, hospitals, and long-term care facilities—to electronically write and store prescription information and send it directly to pharmacies. Advanced features of some e-prescribing systems have the potential to enhance physicians’ decision-making capabilities and increase their use of e-prescribing. Although the use of e-prescribing is increasing, providers continue to encounter significant barriers to the implementation and effective use of e-prescribing systems. It is important to understand these challenges in order to ensure the widespread adoption and effective use of e-prescribing.
June 28, 2011
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We can be certain that Medicaid eligibility will expand greatly in 2014, but actual Medicaid enrollment numbers will depend on the outreach and enrollment processes used by individual states. Michigan can learn from states that have successfully expanded eligibility in public insurance programs as it develops a comprehensive strategy for reaching and enrolling those who are currently eligible and the newly eligible population in 2014. This paper examines the structure of the Medicaid program today, describes enrollment and outreach strategies used by other states, and identifies opportunities to increase Medicaid enrollment in Michigan.