Alison's Musings

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Well, the excitement of securing the Medicaid Transformation Demonstration (formerly known as the Waiver) has worn off and you might hear some deep breathing at BHT as we figure out how to move forward on these interconnected health projects to achieve the highest impact. This work was always going to be challenging, but when you add threats to the Affordable Care Act our deep breathing gets a little heavier… The BHT Board and many of our partners have expressed concerns about the disruption to the health system if we see ACA Repeal and Replace. We have concerns that the progress we’ve made in our region to reduce the uninsured rates (check out ACA effects on BHT Region (aka Congresswoman McMorris Rodgers Congressional District)). We by no means think that this is a perfect law. But it has helped our region improve coverage, and coverage is a first step to improving access. We’re focused on moving our work forward despite this uncertainty, and remain confident in our region’s ability to work together to transform the way we deliver community health. We will not be deterred by politics.

So enough about that, let’s get to work. The next step for our Accountable Community of Health is to launch the planning process for the Medicaid Transformation Demonstration Projects. As you can imagine there is a lot to know and understand. We are committed to sharing the resources we have created and information as we learn. A few points to remember:

  • The demonstration projects are funded through a contractual relationship between the federal government and the state of Washington.
  • BHT, as our region’s Accountable Community of Health, will be a partner to the state to implement.
  • We’ll be in charge of planning, selecting and implementing the projects that meet the state and federal criteria.
  • This is not a Grant program. We have to earn the investment through the achievement of outcomes. It’s going to be a much different model than many philanthropic or government contracts are structured, so please be patient as we figure this out together.

And because we need to keep our energy and good humor up, here’s a link to our new favorite Doctor: ZDOGGMD