Feb, 11, 2022

State Health Updates

  • California
    • The California Department of Health Care Services released a request for proposals (RFP) for the Medi-Cal managed care plans procurement. The purpose of the RFP is to solicit proposals from firms that are able to provide managed health care services to Medi-Cal enrollees, the state’s Medicaid program. The RFP will be used to procure commercial health plans in the following plan model types: Two-Plan Model; Geographic Managed Care; and Regional Model.
    • Governor Newsom signed legislation extending COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave for workers. The legislation ensures that employees continue to have access to up to 80 hours of COVID-19 supplemental paid sick leave through September 30, 2022, which may be used by employees who have been advised to quarantine, those caring for COVID-impacted family members, attending a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, and more.
  • Colorado – The state launched a new tax time enrollment period for health coverage. Starting this tax season, residents can mark on their Colorado tax return that they are uninsured and interested in finding out if they qualify for free or low-cost health coverage. By doing so, uninsured tax filers opt-in to share their information with Connect for Health Colorado, the official health insurance marketplace. They can then qualify for a special enrollment period with Connect for Health Colorado or be connected to coverage with Health First Colorado. Residents must file their Colorado state tax return and select the new checkbox option on their return by April 15 to qualify for this special enrollment period.
  • Delaware – The Delaware Department of Health and Social Services announced that during Delaware’s ninth open enrollment period, a total of 32,113 Delawareans enrolled for health insurance on HealthCare.gov, an all-time high, increasing 26.8 percent over the open enrollment total for 2021.
  • Massachusetts – The state launched a new program to simplify sign up for coverage through Massachusetts Health Connector, the official health insurance marketplace. Uninsured Massachusetts residents can check a box on their state tax forms to quickly start the process of getting health insurance. By checking the box on the tax form, individuals authorize the Department of Revenue to communicate select elements of the tax filer’s information with the Health Connector. The Health Connector will use this information to create and send tailored information to the tax filer, and to work with residents towards obtaining the most appropriate health plan.
  • New York – NY State of Health, the state’s official insurance marketplace, has launched a new campaign to encourage consumers to “stay connected” by signing up for text messages so they will know when it is time to renew their health insurance. The advertisements also encourage New Yorkers to update their information in their NY State of Health accounts. After the federal PHE ends, consumers will once again need to take action to keep their coverage. This campaign is the first step NY State of Health is taking to connect with consumers regarding this change and help them avoid a coverage gap.
  • Oregon
    • The Oregon Health Authority announced that its biannual Oregon Health Insurance Survey data showed a record-high 95.4 percent of people in Oregon had health coverage in 2021, up from 94 percent in 2019. This was the first year since the ACA expansion that insurance coverage increased significantly. The gains were driven largely by federal pandemic rule changes for Medicaid, which ensured that people enrolled in Medicaid coverage stayed covered.
    • The Oregon Health Authority announced that it will not seek a renewal of its long-standing waiver regarding the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) services benefit for children and adolescents in its upcoming 1115(a) Medicaid waiver renewal application. After careful consideration of community input and a comprehensive internal review, this change will assure that, as required by federal law, children covered under the Oregon Health Plan will have the right to an individual consideration of medical necessity to take into account their individual circumstances, including their developmental stage.
  • Pennsylvania – Governor Wolf signed legislation which requires the Department of Health to establish and maintain a toolkit to provide information on the early detection and diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The toolkit aims to promote better understanding of the importance of early detection among healthcare workers and the public, and promote information about diagnosis, treatment and prevention.