Mid-week update

The FEHBlog was pleased to read in Fierce Healthcare that there's at least one other consultant who is optimistic about healthcare re-reform.

Rita Numerof, president of healthcare management consulting firm Numerof & Associates, who describes herself as a longtime proponent for healthcare reform, isn’t convinced that the fear, angst and worst-case scenarios bandied about in the last few days are based on facts. She suggests Americans take a deep breath and see what unfolds. “We didn’t get here overnight,” Numerof told FierceHealthcare in an exclusive interview, “and it won’t be gone overnight. No one has said you are going to lose coverage. The fear-mongering is not helpful.” * * * 

Instead of the individual mandate to buy a “particular kind of insurance with particular provisions at a narrow price range,” she believes Trump’s action will set in motion an opportunity for real consumer choice. The limits of the insurance coverage within the current exchanges don’t mesh with society’s view that “people should not be forced to buy things they don’t want and don’t need.”

The FEHBlog heartily agrees with Ms. Numerof. One size does not fit all.

Federal News Radio reports that

After years of pressuring from the Postal Service and a series of stalled bipartisan bills, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee has made postal reform a top priority for this Congress. Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah), the committee’s chairman, told lawmakers Tuesday at a goal-setting organizational meeting that last year’s efforts served as a “good starting point” for getting a postal reform bill on President Donald Trump’s desk within the next two years.

The FEHBlog will be following this effort, which includes a Postal Service Health Program within the FEHBP.  Here's a link to a video recording of the meeting. Earlier this week, Chairman Chaffetz announced that Rep. Mark Meadows (NC) will chair the government operations subcommittee whose jurisdiction includes our beloved FEHBP.

And ruh roh, the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association have joined forces in an effort to reform health plan pre-authorization practices according to this Modern Healthcare report.  The groups have created 21 pre-authorization principles which seek to place the focus on clinical care rather than cost.  (Here's a link to the AMA's announcement.) The FEHBlog didn't realize that those factors could be separated in this case. As the FEHBlog understands it, prior authorization exists to make sure that clinical evidence supports a more expensive treatment.