2nd Blog in This 3-Part Glass-is-Half-Full Series: The Path to Progress is Paved with Social Determinants

If you haven’t checked it out yet, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s Leadership Network (in which I’m delighted to participate) is a consistently interesting and thought-provoking component of RWJF’s bold, expansive effort to create a Culture of Health in our country. I particularly liked one of the latest commentaries on this Linked-In site, which I urge […]

7th Annual SOC Symposium Discussion of Recommendations With Federal Partners

On October 9th a small group of attendees from the 7th Annual Stewards of Change Symposium discussed key findings and recommendations with federal leaders from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight and Food and Nutritional Services.  Over the past three months many participants contributed to the review […]

MEDICAID’S ENHANCED MATCH: DEAD OR ALIVE AFTER SUPREME COURT DECISION?

There are at least three reasons why the 90/10 Federal match will not be affected by the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision this week regarding the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act (ACA).  First, the basis for changing the Medicaid match for IT systems is deeply rooted in federal regulation, not statute.  In effect, CMS simply […]

The Fierce Urgency of NOW

In my 36-year career with the federal government, I have never seen a better time to reach our goals of achieving interoperability across the Health and Human Services Divide. From across the broad spectrum of stakeholders, organizations, key decision-makers and thought-leaders are all signing on. Like many of us, I have collected and treasured favorite […]

New Funding Opportunities for Interoperability

Now is a great time to be a health and human services government leader committed to breaking down service silos to create a true system of care, at least for eligibility determination.  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act has put States on the fast track to developing new eligibility systems for Medicaid in order […]