On February 21, 2012, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that seven organizations will receive a total of $639 million in federal low-interest loans to launch new, consumer-governed health insurance plans in eight states. The plans, authorized by the Affordable Care Act (ACA), are scheduled to open for business in 2014 and primarily will serve people under age 65 in the individual and small-group insurance markets. [More]

Objective: This article summarizes the main points of the recent legislation reauthorizing Title IV-B of the Social Security Act and reinstating waiver authority to Health and Human Services (HHS), known as the Child and Family Services Improvement and Innovation Act (CFSII) and points out several modifications that child welfare agencies should be aware of. [More]

Forty-five states, several US territories, and the District of Columbia have adopted the new Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects (CCSS-ELA). The standards are widely touted as providing a clear, rigorous pathway that will prepare students to be college and career ready. States, districts, and schools are poised to align curriculum, instruction, and assessment. CCSS-ELA are complex, with implications for instruction and assessment in not only English language arts, but also history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. [More]

n a new January 2011 brochure directed at parents, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) asks, “Does your school need a fresh start?” and, “Are your children getting the education they need?” The brochure is intended to help parents understand the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program and encourages them to become actively involved in turning around low-performing schools. The brochure stresses that ED is offering states billions of dollars in competitive SIGs to support state and local efforts to turn low-performing schools into “models of educational excellence.” [More]

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published a proposed rule on January 13 to implement section 3001 of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on Medicare “value-based purchasing” for inpatient hospital services. [More]

Wisconsin’s health information exchange (HIE) planning board released on July 19 its plan for developing and implementing an electronic health information network. The Wisconsin Relay for Electronic Data (WIRED) for Health Board’s health information technology strategic and operational plan represents the intensive, dedicated, collaborative efforts of many public and private stakeholders throughout the state. [More]

New Mexico released a strategic plan on July 19, entitled “Implementing Federal Health Care Reform – A Road Map for New Mexico.” The plan fulfills Governor Bill Richardson’s Executive Order, on April 20, 2010, which established a Health Care Reform Leadership Team that includes eight members of the Governor’s Cabinet. The plan provides a matrix outlining each of the major provisions of the federal health care reform law that New Mexico must address through full implementation in 2014. [More]

On July 12, the State of New York announced $140 million in additional state funding to support the development and use of health information technology. This includes competitive grants to advance the development of Patient Centered Medical Homes (PCMHs) using electronic health records for the entire continuum of care to improve coordination, reduce duplication, and avoid medical errors (saving money as well as lives). [More]

On July 16, CMS issued a Notice (CMS-1338-NC) of the Medicare 2011 Prospective Payment Rates for Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs). The Notice is published in the Federal Register for July 22, 2010 and will be effective on October 1, 2010. The Prospective Payment System (PPS) for SNFs has been formulated by a succession of federal laws, the latest being section 10325 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The SNF PPS rate is a per diem rate covering all costs (routine, ancillary, and capital-related). The net FY 2011 rate will be an increase of 1.7 percent. The Notice sets forth the SNF Market Basket Index and calculated wage indices for various parts of the country. [More]

US DHHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced July 21 the award of $88 million in grants, provided under the Affordable Care Act, to support evidence-based home visiting programs focused on improving the wellbeing of families with young children. Through the Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting Program, nurses, social workers, or other professionals meet with at-risk families in their homes, evaluate the families’ circumstances, and connect families to the kinds of help that can make a real difference in a child’s health, development, and ability to learn. [More]