HIGHLIGHTS

The Board of Directors of Denver Health and the Mayor of Denver Colorado Honor Doug Clinkscales Retirement

Doug Clinkscales, CEO, Denver Health Medical Plan, is retiring after more than 20 years of service at Denver Health. Denver Health Medical Plan became an ACAP member last year. In his 20 years, Clinkscales created the Denver Health Medical Plan, as well as Medicaid Managed Care. Denver Health Medical Plan is owned by the Denver Health and Hospital Authority.

The Authority's Medicaid Managed Care revenue has grown from zero to an estimated $58 million in 2007 under the incomparable leadership of Mr. Clinkscales. The Board of Directors of the Authority credited Mr. Clinkscales for his admirable work negotiating the Authority's Medicaid contract with the State of Colorado, which contract has led to the growth of the Authority's Medicaid Managed Care membership from 9,000 members in May of 2006 to over 33,000 members today. The Authority and the Board of Directors acknowledged Mr. Clinkscales' unwavering work in growing the Denver Health Medical Plan from $4 million in revenue in 1997 to an astonishing $40 million today.

Georganne Chapin CEO of Hudson Health Plan Describes Importance of Universal Healthcare in Letter to New York Times

Georganne Chapin's letter to the editor follows below and is responding to an op-ed piece by Bob Herbert.

To the Editor:

Bob Herbert documents the human tragedies and absurd eventual financial costs that result from our fragmented public insurance system ("Young, Ill and Uninsured," column, May 19). The trouble is that all of the contemplated expansions of coverage for children have an inherent flaw: they are based on the same month-to-month, prove-you're-eligible, fall-through-the-cracks insurance model that killed Devante Johnson.

The difference between universal coverage and universal health care is not semantic; it is real and fundamental. If we truly want all children to get the health care they need, then we must simply give all children the health care they need, not require parents to repeatedly prove that their children are worthy of publicly financed services.

When a child needs health care, he must be presumed eligible, not the opposite. That's how every other civilized country in the world does it, and they do it for a fraction of the cost we spend per capita in the United States.

Ted Herman, Vice President of Communications at Hudson Health Plan, Describes "Defeatism" Among Single-Payer Advocates in Letter to New York Times

Mr. Herman's letter to the editor follows below and is responding to an op-ed piece by Nicholas Kristof.

To the Editor:

Confronted too often with the sentiment so succinctly expressed by Nicholas D. Kristof when he writes that "even if a single-payer system isn't politically possible right now" ("A Short American Life," column, May 21), I can't help but wonder what makes us different from the other developed nations that made the successful transition to national universal health care systems.

I'm tempted to blame the usual cast of special interests: enormously profitable commercial insurance and pharmaceutical companies; and providers who maximize revenues by promoting costly tests and procedures that deliver high margins but dubious outcomes.

But I'm beginning to wonder if it isn't our own repetition of the defeatist notion that a national health care solution isn't politically feasible that contributes to our inability to ultimately realize substantive health care reform.

The public needs to be disabused of the myths that portray the national health systems of other nations as inferior to ours when the reverse is demonstrably evident by measure of their health outcomes and per capita expenditures compared with ours.

If at first you don't succeed, try, try again â€” and recognize that the special interests are hoping that we'll grow weary and settle for less when we deserve better.

CHCS WebExchange Conference -- Medicaid Best Buys: Managed Care Models for Aged, Blind, and Disabled Beneficiaries

David Labby of CareOregon will be speaking.
Tuesday, May 29, 2007, 1:30-3:00 p.m. (ET)

Aged, blind, and disabled beneficiaries make up only 27 percent of Medicaid enrollees, but account for close to 70 percent of total Medicaid spending. By managing the care of these beneficiaries more effectively, state Medicaid programs and health plans can improve health outcomes and better manage costs. This 90-minute web conference will discuss innovative state and health plan strategies for improving care management for adults with chronic illnesses and disabilities. The discussion will be moderated by Melanie Bella, Senior Vice President of the Center for Health Care Strategies. Speakers include:

ACAP to Host Dinner for Members During 15^th Annual Medicaid Managed Care Congress

On June 13-15 at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront in Baltimore, MD, the Institute for International Research will hold the 15^th Annual Medicaid Managed Care Congress, the best practices event for states and plans looking to improve healthcare quality and control costs. ACAP is hosting an informal dinner for ACAP plan representatives attending the meeting. As in the past, the dinner will be sponsored by Newkirk. Newkirk produces identification cards and post-enrollment member materials for many Medicaid and Medicare health plans. The dinner will be held on Thursday night, June 14^th at Charleston Restaurant, which is a short walk from the hotel (http://www.charlestonrestaurant.com/). Please let Jenny Babcock (jbabcock@communityplans.net) know if you would like to attend by Friday, June 8.

Please also consider attending the session called “How are States and Health Plans Collaborating to Improve the Quality and Enhance Access to Care?” on June 13 at 3:30 pm. ACAP members Georganne Chapin, President and CEO, and Janet Sullivan, M.D, Chief Medical Officer, both of Hudson Health Plan, will participate in a panel discussion, with Foster Gesten, Medical Director of the Office of Managed Care, New York State Department of Health. The panel will be moderated by Jenny Babcock, ACAP Assistant Director for Policy.

ACAP members receive a 15% discount to the Congress. Please enter priority code P1258ACAP when registering to get the 15% off the current registration price. A detailed agenda is available at: http://www.iirusa.com/MMCC. Please contact Jenny Babcock at jbabcock@communityplans.net if you have questions.

Jim Hooley was recently elected as Chairman of Affinity Health Plan's Board. Jim has only been on the Board since Jan 2006, he was unanimously elected Chair for a one year term beginning May 2007. Jim formerly served as Chairman of ACAP and CEO of Neighborhood Health Plan in Boston.

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat/Sun
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4	5	6	7 Pharmacy Directors Roundtable Cancelled	8	9/10
11	12	13	14 Marketing and Communications Directors Roundtable ACAP Dinner at Medicaid Managed Care Congress in Baltimore	15	16/17
18	19	20	21 Provider Relations Directors Roundtable	22	23/24
25	26 CMO/QM Directors call with CHCS and ACAP to discuss asthma specifications	27	28	29	30/1

Mon	Tues	Wed	Thurs	Fri	Sat/Sun
					30/1
2	3	4	5	6	7/8
9 Program Committee Call	10	11	12 Quality Management/Disease Management Directors Roundtable Program Committee Call	13	14/15
16 Executive Committee Call	17 Medicare SNP Roundtable Call	18	19	20	21/22
23 ACAP Board Meeting	24 ACAP CEO Summit	25 ACAP CEO Summit	26	27	28/29
30	31