California has selected four counties to participate in a demonstration program that could significantly better healthcare coverage for thousands of individuals who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Patients with dual eligibility could expect a system to be up and running next year.

The state health department has announced that the counties of Los Angeles, San Diego, San Mateo and Orange will be the first to participate in the three-year program that officials expect will save money and improve the quality of care for patients.

John R. Graham, director of healthcare studies for the Pacific Research Institute (PRI), is cautiously optimistic.

"So, to bundle that and have one payer, one private insurer manage the whole thing, is probably going to be beneficial," he predicts. "Now, the reason I'm cautious about it is why are the county health departments and why is the state deciding who is the health insurer that will cover the dual eligibles in the county?"

The project would require some health plans to offer a combined monthly payment from Medicare and California's Medicaid programs as The Golden State forges full-speed ahead with implementation of the federal healthcare overhaul.

"All health insurers should be able to compete, and Medicare and Medicaid should have a bundle payment, but the individual beneficiary should be the one that decides I want to go with HealthNet or I want to go with Anthem Blue Cross," Graham contends. "It shouldn't be the state or the county."

Gov. Jerry Brown recently announced that regardless of the decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court on the measure, California will move forward with employing portions of ObamaCare, including the individual mandate.

Source: http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=1575074