If
you’re like me, you may be astounded that 2013 is coming to a close. What a whirlwind of a year! Each month this article has, in some way or
another, emphasized that our industry is transforming at staggering rates. I’ve stressed the significance of partnerships
as the main imperative to successfully survive this transition and the Colorado
Rural Health Center’s (CRHC) importance as your catalyst to collaboration. Throughout this month’s editorial, please
note the testimonials of our members and partners.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) is upon us! Time for speculation about what provisions
will survive has passed, and scenario planning for the ACA’s implementation
must now be our mission. In 2013, our
policy agenda focused on the highest priorities for rural healthcare providers
and their patients, which all aligned with the forthcoming ACA
implementation.
Access to care aimed to support
legislative action that would increase our rural residents’ abilities to
acquire quality and affordable services at the appropriate time. With Colorado’s Medicaid expansion, we hope
our advocacy efforts will show fruitful results in allowing thousands new
access to care.
Commercial coverage
was introduced into the marketplace with the intention of creating a
capitalistic platform for payers to compete. Tied into access to care, our
priority was to advocate for the rural voice and to promote options that would
cover the most rural residents at the highest reimbursement rates for our
members.
Accountable care
was a 2013 policy priority focused on securing resources for programs that
would help providers meet new standards while maintaining a high level of
quality care. Various state legislations
surrounded accountable care, and we were there in each discussion assuring that
our policymakers understood the uniqueness of rural healthcare facilities.
Integration of care
was a conversation surrounding projects to increase the cohesiveness between
physical and behavioral healthcare, which has been a problem exacerbated in
rural areas of Colorado. We feel this is
an area where our advocacy helped make great strides as part of larger united
voice among our partner organizations.
Workforce
priorities spotlighted incentives, such as loan repayment, and scope of
practice. We educated our state and
federal legislators on the importance of loan repayment as a recruitment tool
for underserved communities.
Additionally, we advocated for scope of practice policy that would
increase the number of providers in rural areas, while also maintaining high
quality of care.
Safety net payments
were a common topic throughout the legislative session while we, and our partner
organizations, took action against proposed policy that would reduce payments
to these vital healthcare facilities. We
continue to strategically evaluate the intended and unintended consequences of
healthcare payment reform through our policy and advocacy efforts.
You’ve told us that rural healthcare policy is your priority,
and we will be putting forth our excellent degree of advocacy in 2014. As over half of our members have renewed for
2014 and we’re welcoming many new healthcare facilities to our organization, we
understand that you value having our voice unite yours. Here’s a peak at what to expect in policy
during the next year…
2014
will be an interesting year for healthcare in Colorado, but it is likely to
have a softer presence in the legislature. Given that implementation is
in full swing, it’s not anticipated that there will be any major policy
proposals in healthcare. It is possible that funding and oversight for
K-12 and higher education will take the center stage. Additionally, it’s
likely we’ll see some bills that address the social determinants of health such
child care tax credits, child care assistance program and other anti-poverty
proposals.
The state’s financial position continues to improve as
evidenced by the Governor’s policy proposal in November. Funding is being
restored to many programs, and the state reserves are being rebuilt after the
wildfires and flooding. For healthcare, the proposal included an increase
in Medicaid provider rates, funding for the increased Medicaid caseload, new
resources for programs that serve people with developmental disabilities, and
funding for a new project called the Primary Care Specialty Collaborative.
Please be sure to enjoy the holidays, because next year we
know you’re going to be busy! We expect
to hear a lot from you regarding our support with implementation of the
ACA. As always, I like to close this
article by sincerely thanking our members and partners on behalf of myself and
our staff. It’s truly an honor being
able to serve and advocate for Colorado’s rural healthcare.
