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28 April 2011

California Edition
Calendar Aetna Seeks A Smaller Rate Hike
Regulatory Pressures May be Forcing Moderations
May 4-7 Aetna, Inc. has backed off a proposal insurers are aware of both the federal health
submitted to the California Department of reform law, and a bill in the Legislature that
8(2/>-*4/(!<++-=/(;/-4!->!'3&+/=/(4!N*-1:+A! Insurance earlier this year to raise rates on its would provide more scrutiny and require their
<!0/+=1++/-4!->!/++1)+!+1=3!(+!<8O+!(40! individual policyholders an average of 17.9%, applications be much more rigorous in terms
:(22/(;/.)!=(*)A!PABA!B)/0!(40!M(4!F-**/+-4! and instead will raise rates just 12.2%. of what they’re putting forward for rate
(*)!E)&4-;)!+:)(E)*+A!GK##JG$6KQIA Aetna twice agreed to reduce the rate increases,” said Anthony Wright, executive
82/=E!9)*)!L-*!F-*)!M4>-*@(;/-4 hike after a review by Insurance director of Health Access, a Sacramento-based
Commissioner Dave Jones, having led a advocacy organization.
request for a 15.6% increase last month but Aetna’s rate ling was made public at
since reducing it further. The new rates go into virtually the same time the Assembly Health
May 11-13 effect for about 43,000 policyholders on July Committee approved AB 52 Tuesday. That bill
1. would allow state regulators to reject rate
“Aetna policyholders will benet from hikes considered excessive, and permit civil
Aetna’s decision to lower their proposed July litigation by consumers to potentially block
9-+:/;(2!<++-=/(;/-4!->!?-1;3)*4!8(2/>-*4/(! 1st rate increase,” Jones said in a statement rate increases. The federal Patient Protection
(441(2!@));/45A!?;A!B)5/+!B)+-*;6!C(4(!
'-/4;A!<!0/+=1++/-4!->!/++1)+!=-4>*-4;/45! issued late Wednesday night. He added that and Affordable Care Act also requires insurers
3-+:/;(2+!/4!?-1;3)*4!8(2/>-*4/(!>-*!"#$$! the change will save Aetna’s enrollees about to publicly announce rate increases in
(40!%)&-40A!D)&4-;)!+:)(E)*+!/4=210)! $6.8 million in premiums over the next year. advance of their imposition.
');)*!'*-4-.-+;6!FACA!!GH"IJGK"IA Last year, Aetna sought and received Currently, no regulatory body in
permission to raise rates an average of 19% on California has the right to reject health
82/=E!9)*)!L-*!F-*)!M4>-*@(;/-4
its approximately 65,000 individual insurance premium increases outright, but
policyholders in California, although some insurers are clearly under increased pressure
saw their premiums go up as much as 30%. to keep their rates in line. Jones publicly
In a ling with the DOI last month, Aetna announced his support for AB 52 in two
June 3-5 claimed its medical costs increased 14.9% in statements issued by his ofce on Wednesday.
2010. It projected an increase of 12.5% for Blue Shield of California last month
2011. backed off on a series of rate hikes that would
8(2/>-*4/(!9)(2;3!8(*)!7)(0)*+3/:! An Aetna spokesperson would only have increased some premiums for individual
<=(0)@&A!B)4(/++(4=)!R+@)*)20(!B)+-*;6! conrm that it was working with DOI on its policyholders by as much as 87%. The
M40/(4!S)22+A!?:-4+-*)0!%&!;3)!8(2/>-*4/(! rate application and declined further Department of Managed Health Care recently
F)0/=(2!<++-=/(;/-46!;3/+!).)4;!/+!/4;)40)0! immediate comment. sent a letter to the San Francisco-based health
;-!51/0)!@)0/=(2!:*(=;/=)+!;3*-153!;3)! “I’m not ready to declare victory until I
1:=-@/45!=3(45)+!%)/45!T*-153;!%&!
*)>-*@A!GHUIJGVUIA take a look at the new ling, but I will say the
Continued on Next Page

82/=E!9)*)!L-*!F-*)!M4>-*@(;/-4

E-Mail
info@payersandproviders.com with
the details of your event, or call
(877) 248-2360, ext. 3. It will be
published in the Calendar section,
space permitting.
www.lakesidecommunityhealthcare.com

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Payers & Providers NEWS Page 2

Top Placement... Rate Hikes (Continued from Page One)


Bottomless Potential
plan asking to justify the imposition of a endorsed AB 52 and won a voter initiative
37.5% average premium increase that went victory governing automobile insurance rate
Advertise Here into effect on Jan. 1. It sent a similar letter to increases back in the late 1980s, added that
(877) 248-2360, ext. 2 Anthem Blue Cross asking why it intends to criticism from regulators and the public only
raise rates on May 1 for products regulated by has a limited effect.
the agency more than similar products under “Jawboning only works for a little while.
the DOI’s jurisdiction. They’re not going to keep rates lower forever
In Brief “Our action...helps to further rein in
the ‘wild west’ of rate increases for consumers
because they’re getting a ‘tut, tut’ from the
government,” she said.
in the individual health coverage market," And despite what appears to be a
said DMHC spokesperson Lynne Randolph. potential future of more moderate premium
Judy Dugan, research director for increases, Wright remained concerned that
Orange County Consumer Watchdog, a Santa Monica-based Aetna’s hike would still put nancial pressure
Supervisors Vote advocacy group, said plans such as Aetna on its policyholders.
Against Cal-Optima were not only greater public scrutiny, but may “I’m not sure most consumers would
Product Expansion also have overestimated the cost of providing cheer a double-digit hike (in lieu of) a 30%
care to their members. “If their medical cost increase,” said Wright, who sits on the Payers
The Orange County Board of trends came in low enough, they would have & Providers editorial board. “We’re still going
Supervisors took the first step to refund premiums to policyholders, which to take a closer look at those lings, and we
toward prohibiting its quasi-public they don’t want to do,” she said. still have work to do.”
Medi-Cal managed care health Dugan, whose organization has
plan from enrolling commercial
members.
The board voted unanimously
earlier this week to amend Cal-
Optima’s charter to prohibit it from
entering into commercial ventures.
CDPH Fines Nursing Facility $100,000
A second vote in May is scheduled
to finalize the change.
Citation Stems From 2010 Strangulation of Patient
The move was prompted by
concerns in Orange County’s
business and political communities The California Department of Public Health According to the CDPH and published
that Cal-Optima would compete
has issued the most severe citation under state reports, an employee walked into a patient
on California’s health insurance
exchange when it began selling law and levied a $100,000 administrative room and caught 33-year-old nursing assistant
coverage in 2014. penalty against a Bay Area skilled nursing Maximo Hong Fajardo, Jr. allegedly pinching
The exchanges are part of the facility where a patient was allegedly the nostrils of 87-year-old patient Barbara
Patient Protection and Affordable murdered by a staff member last year.
Care Act, which has little popular McIver while covering her face with a pillow.
support in the mostly conservative The penalty was issued against the San Fajardo ed the facility and proceeded to
county. Several Medi-Cal managed Francisco Nursing Center – formerly known carjack and crash two vehicles and attempted
care plans statewide have as the Convalescent Center Mission Street – to carjack a third vehicle when bystanders
announced their intent to compete for violating state regulations prohibiting the apprehended him.
on the exchanges.
abuse of patients. It stemmed from a bizarre
Moreover, business leaders
were unhappy with the notion that and gruesome incident that took place on the
Cal-Optima could take premises on March 22, 2010.
membership away from Continued on Next Page
commercial health plans.

Molina Issues 3-for-2


Stock Split
Long Beach-based Medicaid
managed care insurer Molina
Healthcare will issue a three-for-
two split of its stock.
Each Molina shareholder will
receive a dividend of one share of
stock for every two shares they

Continued on Page 3

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Payers & Providers NEWS Page 3

Longer ALOS!* CDPH (Continued from Page One)


Advertise Here
McIver was non-responsive, and it was later on McIver – who suffered from dementia –
(877) 248-2360, ext. 2 determined she died of asphyxiation. occurred on Fajardo’s rst day on the job after
Fajardo, who had been licensed as a nursing a two-week training period. No formal
*For our ads, not your hospital
assistant since 1999 and had no criminal evaluation of Fajardo took place during his
record, has since been charged with McIver’s training period. The nursing director refused to
murder. He is expected to go on trial later check on Fajardo the day of the alleged
In Brief this year.
In its report, the CDPH noted that
murder, even though a colleague repeatedly
informed her he appeared disoriented.
Fajardo had been hired and assigned to care The CDPH issues three classes of
for seven patients, even though he had no citations, with AA being the most severe. The
own. The distribution will be prior experience caring for elderly or frail $100,000 ne is also the highest permitted
made on May 20 for shareholders patients. He was given no formal orientation under law. The facility could lose its license if
of record on May 9. Trading based or informed of his specic duties and it receives another AA citation within two
on the split will commence on obligations to the patients. The alleged attack years.
May 23. The issuance is expected
to increase Molina’s float by
about 15 million shares, to just

Plans Say Bills Are Too Burdensome


under 46 million.
“We are pleased to expand
the opportunity for additional
investors to participate in our
success and to provide existing Claims Pending Legislation Could Cost $709M
shareholders with a stock
dividend to reward them for their
continuing confidence in our The primary lobbying group for the state’s legislative session, the potential impact on
company,” said Molina Chief health maintenance organizations says bills premiums was $280 million, and $400 million
Executive Officer J. Mario Molina, in the session prior to that, according to CAHP
M.D. pending in the Legislature mandating
additional healthcare coverage would impose data.
Molina trades on the New
York Stock Exchange under the more than $709 million in additional However, CHBRP took issue with the way
symbol of “MOH.” Shares were premiums on Californians – a claim the state CAHP performed its calculations. “We don't
down slightly Wednesday, the day
agency in charge of analyzing such legislation agree with CAHP's methods of adding up all
the split was announced, but the the dollars of the marginal impact of each of
stock is trading near its 52-week called inaccurate.
high of $42 per share. The California Association of Health the bills since if all the bills were to pass into
Plans declared that 12 pending bills that law there would be overlap,” said director
Blue Shield Claims mandate expanding coverage for benets such Susan Philip. For example, Philip noted that
as autism, breast cancer screenings, mental two pharmacy benet bills currently pending
Initiative On Green would likely be consolidated into a single bill
health services and acupuncture could add as
Front at a future date.
much as $790.1 million to premiums if
passed. The group used analyses compiled by Most bills would impact premiums no
Blue Shield of California has more than one-tenth of 1%, according to
claimed it has reduced the the California Health Benets Review
amount of paper it uses in Program, which briefs the Legislature on Philip. But SB 155, a bill that would require
communications by 45% over the healthcare bills. more maternity service coverage by preferred
past two years, preventing the CAHP spokesperson Nicole Kasabian provider organizations, could impact
discharge of more than 3,500 tons premiums by as much as 3.5%. However, that
of greenhouse gases, 26 million Evans said the impact on premiums was much
higher than in past years. During the previous bill was not included in the CAHP analysis
gallons of wastewater and 1,100
tons of solid waste. because it does not represent PPOs.
The San Francisco-based
non-profit health plan disclosed
the data as part of its report on
social responsibility initiatives.
"We're committed to
HEALTHCARE’S BEST ADVERTISING VALUE ]

reporting tangible numbers that


demonstrate the impact of our PAYERS & PROVIDERS reaches 5,000 hospital, health plan and non-
social responsibility work
wherever possible," said Nancy prot executives statewide. There is no better venue for marketing
Shaw, corporate social your organization or conference, or recruiting new staff.
responsibility manager for Blue
Shield of California. "By
measuring our efforts, we're able
to track our progress on initiatives
LEARN MORE HERE
that benefit the environment, the
community, and our members.”
OR CALL (877) 248-2360, ext. 2

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Payers & Providers OPINION Page 4

9-21:)!;6!<++1)!$=
Small Practices Avoid EHR Installation
'(&)*+!,!'*-./0)*+!/+! Changes Must Be Made to Encourage Adoption
>1%2/+3)0!).)*&!?31*+0(&!%&!
'(&)*+!,!'*-./0)*+!'1%2/+3/456! With the federal government’s electronic health all the trafc to exit and take back roads.
778@!A4!(441(2!/40/./01(2! record (EHR) incentive program hitting high- Bottlenecks and trafc jams would be a way of
+1%+B*/>C/-4!/+!DEE!(!&)(*! gear, early signs are that it is a success. life, commerce could not ow smoothly and
FD$GE!/4!%12H!1>!C-!$#! The program for providers ling for the transportation costs would be high. !
+1%+B*/%)*+I@!<C!/+!0)2/.)*)0!%&! payments through the Medicaid system began Three steps in particular will help improve
)J:(/2!(+!(!'KL!(CC(B3:)4C6! on Jan. 6 in about a dozen states and has EHR adoption rates among small medical
-*!(+!(4!)2)BC*-4/B!4)M+2)CC)*@ already distributed $37 million in payments. groups:
The Medicare system incentive program will 1. EHR systems must improve their usability.
begin nationwide on April 18. ! While most EHR systems have improved steadily
These payments will be awarded to physicians in terms of speed and ease of use in recent
A22!(0.)*C/+/456!+1%+B*/%)*!(40! and hospitals that have demonstrated years, some physicians still nd them difcult to
)0/C-*/(2!/4N1/*/)+O “meaningful use” of EHRs through use. One area that holds signicant
FP==I!"GPJ";Q# either Medicaid or Medicare. potential is voice recognition. Many
/4R-S>(&)*+(40>*-./0)*+@B-: The government’s goal is to older physicians are used to
have virtually 100% of the nation’s dictating their notes. Advanced
T(/2/45!(00*)++O physicians and hospitals using and EHRs now incorporate dictation
P$P!U@!V-22&M--0!W(&6!X1/C)!Y exchanging EHRs for patient data.! and voice commands. !
Y1*%(4H6!8A!E$Z#Z However, we are seeing some 2. Health information exchanges
trends that indicate a substantial (HIEs) must expand. HIEs are
number of physicians, primarily in currently operating only in scattered
W)%+/C) small medical groups, will be left regions around the country.. It is
MMM@>(&)*+(40>*-./0)*+@B-: out. ! very difcult for physicians to
L(B)%--H A survey conducted in early realize signicant value from
MMM@R(B)%--H@B-:[>(&)*+>*-./0)*+ 2010 by SK&A found that only EHRs when they cannot send and
?M/CC)* 28% of solo practitioners had By Brad Melis receive information from other
MMM@CM/CC)*@B-:[>(&)*+>*-./0)*+ adopted EHRs, while 71% of physicians and hospitals. !
physicians in large medical 3. EHR vendors must become
groups (26+ doctors) had done so. A more more involved with the meaningful use program.
recent survey, conducted after the meaningful Vendors must become more committed to
\0/C-*/(2!Y-(*0 use program was launched by the National helping physician customers meet the
XC).)4!?@!9(2)4C/4)6!'*)+/0)4C6! Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), found that meaningful use standards. Too often, vendors
?3)!8(:0)4!]*-1> while 41% of ofce-based physicians are feel their obligation is to simply get their EHR
planning to achieve meaningful use and qualify installed in a physician’s ofce.
^-++!]-20%)*56!<::)0/(C)!'(+C! for the incentives, 14% said they were not Second, vendors should take the time to get
83(/*:(46!7-+!^-%2)+!V-+>/C(2!,! planning on qualifying or applying for involved in working with federal ofcials in
T)0/B(2!8)4C)* payments.! shaping Stages 2 and 3 of the meaningful use
Who are these reluctant physicians who program.
A4C3-4&!W*/53C6!\_)B1C/.)! remain dependent upon paper records? Studies There will be no turning back the clock; the
K/*)BC-*6!V)(2C3!ABB)++!8(2/R-*4/(! show them to be solo practitioners or era of EHRs has arrived. Small, independent
physicians in smaller, independent medical medical groups face a unique set of challenges
V)4*&!7-1%)C6!83/)R!XC*(C)5&!
`RR/B)*6!a))4(4 groups that are not closely afliated with a when implementing EHRs and connecting to
hospital. They tend to be older physicians who larger regional networks. Our national drive to
T(*H!L/41B(4)6!T(4(5/45! are not comfortable with computers or the adopt EHRs and move to a new level of
K/*)BC-*6!A2.(*)b!,!T(*+(2 Internet. ! efciency and accountability will not be
We can’t afford to ignore small medical complete until we get these physicians
groups. About 40% of all physicians are solo incorporated into the new world of connectivity.
practitioners or work in a medical group of six
or less. When the federal incentive program
'1%2/+3)*[\0/C-*J/4J83/)R ends in four years, if we have 20 or 25% of the Brad Melis is executive vice president of
nation’s physicians unable to collect and ChartLogic in Salt Lake City.
^-4!X3/4H:(4
transmit EHRs, it will be considered a failure.
)0/C-*S>(&)*+(40>*-./0)*+@B-: Op-ed submissions of up to 600 words are
For example, imagine a 1,000-mile interstate
highway with a gap every 100 miles, requiring welcomed. Please e-mail proposals to
editor@payersandproviders.com,

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Payers & Providers MARKETPLACE/EMPLOYMENT Page 5

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Payers & Providers MARKETPLACE/EMPLOYMENT Page 6

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-)!B)&%!3;#-!)-%!;)5&:!/#77!4)-!M;+-AB#-!#3!VWWE<XVE<YZ=I!%F3:!>I!)&!%EB#+7!;+B!#3!%,+3)&[2#$%&'#-,2&)*+,%&':9)B:!
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*New England Journal of Medicine, 2004.

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Payers & Providers MARKETPLACE/EMPLOYMENT Page 7

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