State News

The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing evaluated the impact of telemedicine policy changes during COVID-19, reported State Network. The report found that the percent of telemedicine visits increased from 0.2% of services before the pandemic to 20.3% during the height of the pandemic. The top diagnoses among adult telemedicine users were opioid dependence, generalized anxiety, major depression, hypertension, diabetes and back pain. Urban providers delivered a higher proportion of services via telemedicine compared to rural providers, which may be due to lower broadband access in rural areas. Federal qualified health centers were the highest adopters of telemedicine; at the height of the pandemic, telemedicine visits were 61.3% of all visits.

Virginia’s governor has signed the Commonwealth Health Reinsurance Program into law, according to State of Reform. The program requires the State Corporation Commission to establish a reinsurance program with the goal of expanding access to healthcare and lowering premiums, especially for those who are not eligible for federal subsidies. The law will help offset premiums that currently average $650 a month. 

The Georgia General Assembly unanimously passed a bill that would automatically enroll children who receive food stamps into Georgia’s Medicaid program, according to Northwest Georgia News. An estimated 60,000 Medicaid-eligible children will gain healthcare coverage through an automatic enrollment process that eliminates bureaucratic paperwork. Once the bill is signed by the governor, it will need approval from the federal government.

A study of healthcare costs found the charge for a natural baby delivery at North Dakota’s six largest hospitals can range from $4,343 to $15,056—a difference of 347%, according to the Dickinson Press. The cost comparisons were part of an analysis of hospital costs in North Dakota presented to the North Dakota Legislature, which is studying healthcare costs compared to other states. The North Dakota insurance commissioner pointed out that the wide range of prices and difficulty in getting price information illustrate the disadvantage consumers find themselves in when trying to compare prices.

The Minnesota governor’s office announced the publication of vaccination data by race and ethnicity, made possible through a partnership between the state and the Minnesota Electronic Health Record Consortium, reports KSTP. The data will inform additional targeted strategies to ensure equitable distribution of vaccine to Minnesotans disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 as a result of systemic inequities. There is hope that the ongoing partnership will also provide the infrastructure needed for future public health crises. 

Utah’s governor signed the Mental Health Access Amendments into law, which now require remote mental health visits to be reimbursed at the same rate as in-person visits, reports State of Reform. This law makes permanent some of the temporary telehealth measures enacted during the coronavirus pandemic. Utah now joins the ranks of only a few states who have permanently enacted payment parity for mental health visits. 

Although hospitals must publicly release their prices in response to a new federal requirement, this information is often difficult for consumers to navigate, reported AboutHealthTransparency.org. To help Philadelphia residents navigate price comparison information, the Philadelphia Inquirer compiled a database with prices for more than 70 common services for 29 hospitals and 43 insurance companies. This revealed wide cost variations for medical services that can be scheduled in advance. For example, the price of a hip or knee replacement in the Philadelphia area ranged from $12,234 to $60,666.

The New Jersey governor announced members to the state’s Healthcare Affordability Advisory Group. The committee, established by executive order, is comprised of members across hospitals, providers, employers, consumer advocates and policy leaders. The Group’s objective is to advise the Healthcare Affordability Interagency Workgroup on the development and implementation of healthcare cost growth benchmarks. The benchmarks provide an opportunity for increased oversight and accountability. 

John often lacks benefits or health insurance because he is self-employed and frequently works in construction, landscaping or general maintenance work, reports That's Medicaid. Now in his early 60s, John was living with a hernia for years, until it became strangulated and sent him to the emergency room and into surgery. After being discharged, he feared being set back by the cost of the operation, but a local nonprofit helped him apply for Medicaid. John will be on Medicare in a few years, but Medicaid is providing him with peace of mind in the meantime and relief from otherwise large costs for his surgery.