SAMHSA's Weekly Financing News Pulse - March 6, 2009

Table of Contents

This Week's Trends 

• Hospitals in seven states (AZ, CA, CO, GA, NE, NJ, NY) have been forced to close, eliminate programs or layoff employees as governors eye hospitals as a potential key to addressing budget woes.  
• Eight states (AL, DE, GA, HI, ID, NY, RI, WA) report using first-round Medicaid Stimulus funds to fill budget shortfalls.
• Many states (CO, FL, LA, MI, MO, OH, WA, WV) plan health care expansions despite economic downturn.  Four states (AR, IA, NE, UT) have considered or will expand SCHIP programs.  Additionally, two states (OK, UT) are considering laws which would expand the availability of private insurance for needy citizens and four states (CT, MD, WA, WI) have universal health care bills under consideration in their legislatures.
• Behavioral health faces cuts, layoffs, and closures in 10 states (CA, GA,IL, IA, NV, NC, OH, OR, PA, VT)

National Health Financing News

• President Obama Nominates HHS Secretary and Names Director of White House Office for Health Reform
• President Obama Hosts Health Care Summit
• President Obama Open to Health-Reform Board
• Senator Baucus on Health Reform
• Community Health Centers to Receive Stimulus Funding, Possibly More
• Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Raise Lifetime Health Insurance Caps
• President Obama’s Health Plan Likely to Require Influx of Federal Workers
• Senators Propose Bill Allowing Prescription Drug Reimportation
• Families USA Reports that Many U.S. Residents Under 65 Lacked Health Insurance Over The Past Two Years
• Survey Says Employers Will Reduce Contributions to Employee Health Care in 2010
• Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health News
• Senator Grassley to Introduce Legislation Modifying Not-For-Profit Hospitals’ Executive Pay
• Report Says Hospital Profits Dropping
• Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) Issues 2010 Medicare Spending Recommendations
• Insurers Oppose President Obama’s Proposed Competitive Bidding for Medicare Advantage (MA)
• Lack of Federal Implementation Guidelines May Delay Stimulus’ COBRA Subsidy
• WellCare Reports Net Loss, Expects Continued Decline

Around the Hill: Hearings on Health Financing

• House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees: Legislative Presentations of Veterans’ Service Organizations
  10 a.m. March 5, 106 Dirksen
  10 a.m. March 12, 106 Dirksen
  9:30 a.m. March 18, 334 Cannon
• House Veterans Affairs Subcommittee on Health: Veterans’ Health Bills
  10 a.m. March 3, 334 Cannon
• House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense: Defense Psychological Health and Traumatic Brain Injury Programs
  10 a.m. March 3, H-140 Capitol
• Senate Special Aging Committee: Health Care Revision and the Elderly
  10 a.m. March 4, 562 Dirksen
• Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee: Fiscal 2010 Budget: Veteran’s Programs
  9:30 a.m. March 10, 418 Russell
• Senate Finance Committee:  Fiscal 2010 Budget: Health Care Proposals
  10 a.m. March 10, 215 Dirksen
• House Education and Labor Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions: Strengthening Employer-Based Health Care
  10:30 a.m. March 10, 2175 Rayburn
• House Veterans’ Affairs Committee: Fiscal 2010 Budget: Veteran’s Programs
  2 p.m. March 10, 334 Cannon 

Around the States: State and Local Behavioral Health Financing News

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