News - Part 10

In abrupt reversal, Anthem covers transgender care

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon One of Colorados largest health insurance companies has reversed itself and is now covering care for transgender patients. Kelly Costello, 32, of Denver, received stunning news last week. One day after getting a formal notice that Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Colorado would not cover chest reconstruction surgery, the company abruptly overturned its decision. Costello received a written notice that Anthem has reversed its decision and now will cover some or all of the services. Costello had paid about $8,000 in out-of-pocket expenses for the surgery he underwent in April. Costello is overjoyed. Im…

Opinion: Worse health in Denver despite robust health care system

By Aubrey Hill Summer in Denver abounds with fun opportunities: Rockies games, festivals, farmers markets, outdoor movies and parks that cover 4,000 acres of the city. Denver is consistently named one of the healthiest cities in the country, and its easy to see why especially when you factor in its robust health care system of 12 hospitals, dozens of safety net clinics and nearly 3,500 doctors. Despite outward appearances though, the data show that Denver residents are actually in worse health. In fact, the data on Denvers population in general is quite striking. Overall, a higher percentage of Denver residents…

Colorado receives $116 million exchange grant

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon Colorado will get another $116 million to help launch the states new health exchange, Connect for Health Colorado. Federal cuts known as sequestration chopped $9 million from the states $125 million request. Last month, exchange CEO and Executive Director Patty Fontneau said that some programs may have to withstand higher cuts than others because managers already have signed contracts for services or technology so they cannot spread the cuts evenly across all programs. Myung Oak Kim, director of communications and outreach for the exchange, said the cuts shouldnt impact customers. The reduction in the grant due…

REACH: Make time to meditate

By Liza Schrank An ancient mind-body practice, meditation uses breathing to quiet the mind and help us become more present in what we do. It is rooted in Eastern religion, and while there is no consensus on the definition of meditation, it has been described as a defined technique, logical relaxation, and a self-induced state. Other elements may include a state of psycho-physical relaxation, self-focus, mental silence (or an altered state of consciousness), a mystic experience, enlightenment or suspension of logical thought processes. One of the many beauties of meditation is that it allows us to become more mindful in…

Opinion: The role of the âemployer mandateâ in the Affordable Care Act

By Bob Semro The decision last week to delay implementation of the Affordable Care Acts employer mandate has received lots of attention. Pundits and proponents and opponents of the ACA have argued over the decision. Some pointed to the delay and said it is proof of a train wreck in implementing the health care law. Others said the delay wont mean much at all in the long run. What was missing from the (mostly) political debate was a thorough explanation of the mandate, officially known as the employer responsibility provision. Simply put, the employer-responsibility provision will require some businesses to…

Opinion: Finding systems of care that drive value

By Eric Worthan We are all health care consumers, whether paying directly or indirectly for coverage or care. In the past, many people were unaware of specific health care costs because there was little cost-sharing involved, and price transparency in health care has been limited. Yet as patients pay higher out-of-pocket costs, they are taking a closer look at doctor and hospital bills and rightly so. The recent spotlight on facility fees for physicians employed by health systems illustrates one aspect of health care sticker shock. We spend about $2.8 trillion a year on health care; thats almost 18 percent…

Feds brake, Colorado hits accelerator on health reform

By Katie Kerwin McCrimmon The Obama Administration may be hitting the brakes on a key component of health reform, but Colorado is pushing the accelerator. Colorado exchange managers have no plans to tinker with the states small business or individual health exchange. To be honest with you, we cant undo our plan, Patty Fontneau, CEO and executive director of Colorados exchange, said during an exchange board meeting on Monday. To not offer choice would cripple us. The Obama Administration last week postponed for one year the requirement that businesses with more than 50 employees provide health insurance across-the-board or face…

Opinion: Who is to blame for rising health costs?

By Robert Smith Princeton economics professor Uwe Reinharts strident New York Times editorial about the ultimate party responsible for out-of-control health care costs properly emphasizes the employers crucial role in the health care system. U.S companies, nonprofits and government entities pay for the majority of our health care costs. They have been the sloppiest purchasers of health care in the world, he writes, because they have passively paid for just about every health care bill put in front of them. Employer passivity has supported an opaque and chaotic pricing system, inappropriate incentives, rampant medical inflation, waste and lagging quality. Employers…

Collaboration targets reducing hospital re-admissions

By Diane Carman Its much easier to develop innovative health care initiatives in Colorado because were not having the conversation about whos the biggest Bolshevik, said U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet at the opening of the Healthy Transitions Colorado collaborative Monday. The goal of the collaborative over the next few years is to save $80 million in health care costs, prevent 8,700 hospital re-admissions and keep people out of the hospital a cumulative 34,000 days, Bennet said, all the while providing greater care for the people you serve and the people I serve. Because Coloradans have shown a willingness to address…

Driving stoned a growing public health issue in Colorado

By Tom Walker Included in the laws passed in the waning hours of the 2013 session of the Colorado Legislature is one that has state, county and local officials bewildered. The so-called driving-stoned law, intended to minimize the public health threat of impaired drivers on the roads, is expected to be tough to enforce and likely will spark a host of changes for the legal community. The measure legalizing marijuana for recreational use was passed by voters in November. On the day after Memorial Day, Gov. John Hickenlooper signed measures asking voters to approve taxing the sale of non-medical use…