The Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) on July 2, 2012 released an RFP seeking to help organizations develop robust payment reform projects that would promote a patient-centered approach to care delivery and would integrate behavioral and physical healthcare. This is the third round for MeHAF grants focused on payment reform. The Foundation funds up to four grants between $75,000 and $100,000 per year.
The intent of the RFP is to provide grants to Maine non-profit organizations to advance substantive payment reform efforts that would control costs without sacrificing access and quality of care. Successful projects will address improving the health of populations and reducing per capita costs of healthcare.
Projects funded under this RFP must help position Maine’s health system to be eligible and competitive for ACA opportunities or for pilot or demonstration projects fielded by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovations.
The proposals are due August 10, 2012. Webinars were held July 16th and July 17th. For more information, go to www.mehaf.org/advancing-payment-reform-maine-2012. Answers to frequently asked questions will be summarized and posted on the MeHAF website on July 24, 2012. Email Cathy Luce, MeHAF Grants Manager at cluce@mehaf.org for further details.
The statewide health information exchange referred to as HealthInfoNet is making news, as the HIN has launched a first in the nation’s pilot program to archive X-rays, mammograms, and other digital records in the Cloud. This new digital archive will save personnel and patient time, diagnostic costs and administrative, transfer, and storage costs. Anticipated savings are projected to be $6 million over seven years.
HIN’s healthcare provider participants collectively generate 1.4 million of the total 1.8 million electronic images produced in the state each year. Pilot participants include MaineGeneral Medical Center in Augusta and Waterville, Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, and Cary Medical Center in Caribou.
