Health Beat: Arkansas Medicaid Officials Travel To White House

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ARKANSAS MEDICAID OFFICIALS TRAVEL TO WHITE HOUSE
Arkansas was one of eight states invited to the White House on Wednesday morning for the launch of the Health Care Payment Learning and Action Network.

The launch is tied to the federal government’s efforts to move toward a system that pays for quality rather than volume, much like Arkansas’ payment reform initiative, which will likely be a hot topic of conversation this year as a 16-member legislative panel considers the fate of the Private Option and other health care reforms.

Dawn Stehle, Arkansas’ Medicaid director, will attend the White House event. President Obama is speaking at the event along with Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell. The event starts around 9 a.m. CST and is expected to be live-streamed at www.whitehouse.gov/live.

OBAMA ADMINISTRATION CELEBRATES 5TH ANNIVERSARY OF ACA
In a news release from the White House last week, President Obama gave a statement highlighting the achievements of the Affordable Care Act, including that more than 16 million uninsured Americans now have health care.

“On the five-year anniversary of the Affordable Care Act, one thing couldn’t be clearer: This law is working, and in many ways, it’s working even better than anticipated,” Obama stated.

“After five years of the Affordable Care Act, more than 16 million uninsured Americans have gained the security of health insurance – an achievement that has cut the ranks of the uninsured by nearly one third. These aren’t just numbers. Because of this law, there are parents who can finally afford to take their kids to the doctor. There are families who no longer risk losing their home or savings just because someone gets sick. There are young people free to pursue their dreams and start their own business without worrying about losing access to healthcare. There are Americans who, without this law, would not be alive today,” the president said.

To read President Obama’s full statement, click here.

SAY WHAT? TED CRUZ SIGNS UP FOR OBAMACARE
The Twittersphere was all lit up Tuesday night after Republican Presidential candidate Ted Cruz told CNN’s Dana Bash that he will sign up for health care coverage through the Affordable Care Act.

“We’ll be getting new health insurance and we’ll presumably do it through my job with the Senate, and so we’ll be on the federal exchange with millions of others on the federal exchange,” Cruz said.

Asked by Bash whether he would accept the government contribution available to lawmakers and congressional staffers for their health care coverage through the ACA, Cruz said he will “follow the text of the law.”

“I strongly oppose the exemption that President Obama illegally put in place for members of Congress because (Senate Minority Leader) Harry Reid and the Senate Democrats didn’t want to be under the same rules as the American people,” Cruz said, before repeating: “I believe we should follow the text of the law.”

To read more of this story, click here.

MATERNITY LEAVE BILL APPROVED
A bill that would allow state employees to receive up to six weeks maternity leave was approved Tuesday in committee. The House Public Health, Welfare and Labor committee approved the bill, House Bill 1426, sponsored by Rep. Clarke Tucker, D-Little Rock.

Under the bill, all employees who work for a state agency as well as most executive, legislative and judicial branch employees, would be eligible to receive up to $500 a week for six consecutive weeks. The leave would also run concurrent with any federal leave the employee would be eligible for. The bill now heads to the House floor and must clear the State Senate.