Philip Swanger, MBA

The federal Low-Volume Adjustment and Medicare-Dependent Hospital programs help ensure rural folks have access to care by providing financial support to rural, geographically isolated and low-volume hospitals. That's why the Colorado Hospital Association included the extension of these critical programs, set to expire on Sept. 30, on its recently updated list of Advocacy Priorities. Click the link for CHA's Federal Advocacy Toolkit, in PDF format. #ruralhealthcare #AccessToCare #MedicaidMatters https://lnkd.in/gqr2B5Tv

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The Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing - HCPF received notice from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services that Colorado will receive just over $200 million for the first period of the grant, December 2025 through September 2027, for its Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) to transform health care in Colorado’s rural and frontier counties. This is among the first awards to be allocated to approved states, totalling more than $1 billion to Colorado through federal fiscal year 2030. #ruralhealth #colorado Kim Bimestefer Marc Williams Jared Polis Kay Whitley Michelle Mills Polly Anderson https://lnkd.in/g7TwPZ6c

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Advanced Health Coordinated Care Organization, which serves Oregon’s Medicaid population, has selected 1upHealth to lead its interoperability initiative and support critical data exchange goals. Using our full suite of solutions for CMS-0057 compliance, Advanced Health will meet federal interoperability requirements while improving member care across rural and underserved communities. About the new partnership, 1upHealth CEO Andrew Boyd said, "As we look across our customer base, we’re seeing a common theme. Payers are moving from mandate to mission; finding ways to use required interoperability investments to support their broader organizational purpose. We are proud to partner with Advanced Health as they work to make a difference in the health and well-being of their members and the communities they serve.” 🗞️ Read the full press release: https://bit.ly/4pHagw6

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Two Pacific Northwest hospital systems are coming together. MultiCare Health System and Samaritan Health Services have announced their affiliation plans. If the deal is finalized, Samaritan will become part of MultiCare. William Robertson, CEO of MultiCare, said the health system is seeking "like-minded organizations to ensure Pacific Northwest communities have long-term access to local care." https://lnkd.in/e5Brv53k

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With Colorado’s new budget law, SB25B-001, and Executive Order D 2025-14 already in effect, health care providers should prepare for increased oversight from HCPF, including audits, recoupments and stricter coverage determinations. Ryan Thurber and Bragg Hemme share the specific budget cuts and impact on all Medicaid providers: https://lnkd.in/gJUwFQ6J. #Medicaidprovider #healthcareprovider #coloradohealthcare

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🌟 The latest in our Medicaid Leadership Spotlight Series: Jennifer Strohecker, Utah's Medicaid Director Utah's Jen Strohecker brings decades of experience bridging pharmacy practice and public service with drive to close cracks in care for vulnerable populations. 🔹 Leading Through Crisis: When the Change Healthcare cyberattack disrupted pharmacy systems earlier this year, Strohecker mobilized 350 staff who made 30,000+ outbound calls to high-risk members in one weekend. Utah Medicaid served over 35,000 members during the three-week outage, with providers trusting the state to make them whole while systems were down. 🔹 Innovation in Action: Utah is pioneering reentry care through its Section 1115 waiver, providing comprehensive ambulatory services in prisons, jails, and juvenile facilities for up to 90 days before release. With mental illness rates in Utah jails six times higher than the general population, this initiative creates "warm handoffs" to community care and breaks cycles of repeated incarceration. 🔹 Sustainable Funding Model: Utah's ACA Fund—protected by state statute and funded through multiple sources—enables comprehensive services like dental care and housing support without competing against traditional Medicaid resources. 💡 Her Advice to Partners: Find common ground in serving members, understand Medicaid's complex context, embrace incremental change, and "don't get stuck in 'we've always done it this way.'" 📖 Read the full Q&A https://lnkd.in/ews7BGdu

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Molina Healthcare of Nevada presented a $40,000 grant to the Nevada Primary Care Association to support the implementation of the Azara DRVS tool to local Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs). This data analytics and reporting platform connects FQHCs with the HealtHIE, Nevada’s hospital alert system. The partnership aims to improve continuity of care by utilizing this innovative tool to notify participating health centers when a patient is admitted to or discharged from a hospital, enabling timely and coordinated follow-up. Through this grant, more health centers will have access to timely, critical data. They will use the Azara DRVS Transitions of Care Module to improve health outcomes by tracking patients admitted to and discharged from the Inpatient/Emergency Department and providing the best care possible.

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The Iron Triangle of Healthcare is Flourishing in Oregon: Bad Federal and State Policy Will Impact Patient Access and Potentially Affect Quality. Oregon’s Medicaid program pays hospitals 54 cents per dollar of care. So it goes n8 https://lnkd.in/gt3FcuSH #hospitals #healthsystems #healthcarereform #healthinsurance

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The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services approved Washington state’s Rural Health Transformation Program plan. CMS offered a budget of about $181 million for year 1 of the program. These funds will support the hospitals, clinics, and providers that rural families rely on every day. While the need remains significant, this investment will help rural communities take important steps forward in accessible, safe, and sustainable health care. Learn more about what's next: https://loom.ly/CrkpKl0

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