The CHI Connection: September 2012

It’s been a busy third quarter at the Colorado Health Institute. CHI’s health policy experts helped to draft Colorado’s State Innovation Models (SIM) Grant request to the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation. CHI team members made presentations across Colorado, from legislative town hall meetings to the Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce’s health care committee, and from the annual meeting of the Colorado Public Health Association to a gathering of students at the Anschutz Medical Campus hosted by the Colorado Area Health Education Center.

CHI continued its year-long series of learning labs by hosting a diverse gathering of stakeholders for a lively discussion about the state’s Medicaid Accountable Care Collaborative project. And CHI was chosen to present a poster at the Engaging Communities in Education and Research Conference in Vail. This year’s topic is “Cultivating Campus-Community Partnerships for a Healthy Colorado.”

Here’s a recap of our new publications, webinars and blogs as well as weekly posts by president and CEO Michele Lueck.

New CHI Publications

“New Approaches to Paying for Health Care,” researched and written in partnership with the Center for Improving Value in Health Care (CIVHC), examines strategies to reform the health care payment system, shows how the new models are being used in Colorado and discusses their potential impact on improving quality and controlling costs.

“Colorado’s Health Care Safety Net: 2012 Primer,” updates information and data on the providers who care for Colorado’s most vulnerable residents. The safety net database is downloadable for the first time and an updated map is available. 

“Counting Colorado’s Uninsured: The Latest Estimates – 2011 American Community Survey,” reports on the number and percentage of Coloradans who lacked health insurance coverage in calendar year 2011 from the ACS.

“Counting Colorado’s Uninsured: The Latest Estimates – 2011 Current Population Survey,” reports on the number and percentage of Coloradans who lacked health insurance coverage in calendar year 2011 from the CPS.

SNAC Labs 2012-13 include a suite of publications related to learning labs led by CHI surrounding an initiative led by CHI surrounding the Accountable Care Collaborative in Colorado.

CHI’s 10th Anniversary Webinar Series

CHI finished up the first half of its 10th Anniversary Webinar Series with this offering:

“The Supreme Court Ruling on the Affordable Care Act: Implications for Colorado” (June 28, 2012)featured president and CEO Michele Lueck discussing the most important questions for Colorado resulting from the ruling. Download the presentation and listen to the recorded webinar. Also, read CHI’s brief on the ruling.

“Addressing the Boomer Challenge: Long-term Services and Supports (August 2, 2012) featured CHI analysts Amy Downs and Tasia Sinn presenting an overview of how these services are provided in Colorado to our rapidly increasing population of seniors. Download the presentation and listen to the recorded webinar.

Here is the schedule for the next five webinars in the series, along with registration links.

  • November 8: Five Trends and the Election: Health Care in Colorado - Michele Lueck, President/CEO (Register)
  • November 14: Colorado's Medicaid Toolbox: Approaches to Improving Quality and Controlling Costs - Jeff Bontrager, Director of Research on Coverage and Access (Register)
  • November 28: 2013 Budgets and Strategies: Colorado's Health Agencies - CHI Staff (Register)
  • December 12: To Expand or Not To Expand: Colorado's Looming Medicaid Decision - Michele Lueck, President/CEO (Register)
  • December 19: Legislative Forecast: Health Care Policy Trends to Anticipate in 2013 - Megan Lane, Director of Legislative Services (Register)

The Quarter’s Most Popular CHI Blogs

  1. The Medicaid Expansion Decision: Who Will Be Affected by Claire Zelie
  2. An Unwanted Lesson in Care Coordination by Tim Dunbar
  3. Choosing a Benchmark Health Insurance Plan: What is Essential for Colorado by Sara Schmitt
  4. Health Policy Infographic Round-Up: August 2012 by Emily King
  5. On the Road and Finding the Care in Health Care by Brian Clark

From Our CEO: Postings by Michele Lueck During the Third Quarter

Medicaid Expansion: Let the Discussion Begin (September 19, 2012) 

As we head into fall, our thoughts turn to the upcoming legislative session. What is clearly on the radar, for obvious and urgent reasons, is the expansion of Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Health Reform and Unintended Consequences (September 4, 2012)

Ed Sealover, in last week’s Denver Business Journal, reported on a new survey from Mercer, the large human resources consulting firm. Mercer’s findings suggest that employers are thinking long and hard about the impact of the Affordable Care Act on their employees, on their benefit packages and on their overall profitability. The news may be surprising. It’s what I would consider one of the unintended consequences of the act.

Finding Hope for Improving Health Amidst Tragedy (August 28, 2012)

Like many other Coloradans, I have struggled over the past weeks – both professionally and personally - to come to terms with the Aurora theater shootings.

Introducing our Colorado College Public Interest Fellow

Finally, we are proud to announce the addition of Natalie Triedman, who is working at CHI for a year as part of the Colorado College Public Interest Fellowship program.

Natalie graduated from Colorado College in May 2012 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in global health. Her self-designed major integrated medical sciences and public health, providing her with a truly interdisciplinary perspective on health issues. Natalie worked with peers to craft a global health minor, which will be formally offered at the college next year.

While attending CC, Natalie took an EMT class and put this training to use while working at a free rural clinic in Namibia during 2009. Her international health experiences continued in 2010 when she studied public health and traditional medicine for six months in Chile. While in Chile, Natalie completed an independent study project that examined barriers in access to HIV/AIDS medical care for prisoners and other vulnerable populations.

View profiles of all CHI experts.

For more information: 

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Contact: Deborah Goeken, Senior Director of Operations and Communications

Phone: (720) 382-7094 

CHI is a trusted source of independent and objective health information, data and analysis for the state's health care leaders. CHI, celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2012, is funded by the Caring for Colorado Foundation, Rose Community Foundation, The Colorado Trust and The Colorado Health Foundation.