Medicaid: Minn. program prepares for influx of boomers; Other news

Changes to Medicaid programs make news in Minnesota, where officials are preparing for an influx of baby boomers into the system. In Kansas, Medicaid changes there are attracting public comment, and in Oregon a group asks for more time to institute a collaborative care program.

Minnesota Public Radio: State Proposes Medicaid Adjustment As Boomers Enter System
The Minnesota Department of Human Services unveiled a proposal this week to adjust the state's Medicaid program to prepare for the expected influx of aging Baby Boomers. The agency plans to hold at least two public meetings in the next week to gather input on the plan, which includes proposals for more consumer engagement and the streamlining of the state's purchasing systems. DHS Commissioner Lucinda Jesson said the biggest change in the plan is an increased emphasis on home and community services that allow people to stay longer in their homes. "We're not trying to take anything away from people who need the intensive high-end services. If they need that, and they qualify for Medicaid, they should have those services," Jesson said (Collins, 6/19).

Kansas Health Policy Institute: Witchita KanCare Forum Draws More Than 200
Gov. Sam Brownback's plan to remake the state Medicaid program got a chilly reception Monday at the first of two scheduled public forums on KanCare. There were nearly two hours of comments and questions from a crowd of more than 200 people gathered at a Wichita State University auditorium. Most of the 40 comments were negative. Those who spoke were officially capped at three minutes each, though many went much longer (Cauthon, 6/19).

The Oregonian: Changes To Oregon Health Reforms Cause Delay By Portland-Area Medicaid Group
As reforms to the Oregon Health Plan kick in, a consortium that hopes to provide more efficient care to low-income people in Clackamas, Multnomah and Washington counties has asked the state for more time. The Tri-County Medicaid Collaborative had applied to be in the first wave of coordinated care organizations approved by the state under a law passed in February. The organizations will integrate care and focus on prevention to cut Medicaid spending. However, the Portland-area group has now decided to pull out of the first round of CCO approvals-- which aim to be up and running by August -- to instead target the second round of approval, meaning a start-up in September (Budnick, 6/19).