State in Process of Drafting the Health Improvement Plan

Posted on by adminwisconsin

Greetings!  We wanted to provide you with a quick update on the status of the Wisconsin Health Improvement Planning Process. Staff at the Department of Health Services have been working hard to pull together draft ideas around the selected health priorities. Learn more about the priorities and the selection process on our website.

As we heard from you during the State Health Assessment review process, we know your communities are doing many great things and we hope you can share what you have learned and successful approaches with others. We’ll be seeking your input soon!

Thank you for your interest and partnership in this important work!

-The WI-HIPP Team

DHS: Medicaid projected to end biennium below budget

Posted on by adminwisconsin

July 6, Wisconsin Health News

Declining Medicaid enrollment has led the Department of Health Services to predict the state will end the 2015-’17 biennium below budget for the program, according to a report released last week.
The projection suggests that general purpose revenue expenditures will be 3 percent below budgeted levels for the biennium. That’s in part due to a decline in Medicaid enrollment, which dropped by more than 6,000 between March and May.

Other factors playing a role in the projection include slower growth in prescription drug expenditures, higher drug rebate revenues and less growth in personal care and home health services.

“These positive trends in enrollment and service utilization indicate good things about ongoing improvements in the state’s economy and the department’s efforts to control Medicaid costs through better coordination, improved managed care rate setting methodologies, and fraud and abuse prevention efforts,” Tom Engels, interim DHS secretary, wrote in a letter to lawmakers on the Joint Finance Committee.

Engels stressed that the margin could be “easily reversed” if enrollment, provider claims or other factors turn out “slightly less favorable than assumed.”

Read more.

WHN to Hold Conference on the “Future of Healthcare”

Posted on by adminwisconsin

Wisconsin Health News is hosting a daylong conference on July 28th focusing on the future of healthcare.

National and state health leaders will analyze the trends, policies and innovations shaping the state’s changing healthcare landscape. Panelists will discuss the growing prevalence of partnerships, the intersection of healthcare and community population health, the impact of data and more.
For additional conference information, click here.