Working for Coverage, Access and Quality

In FY2017, Vitalyst continued to invest significantly into areas of health system improvement across a spectrum of opportunities, many of them related to the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA).

The Cover Arizona Coalition’s 700 members once again rose to the occasion. Against the backdrop of extensive health care policy debates during and following the 2016 presidential election cycle, the Coalition nonetheless succeeded in enrolling nearly 200,000 Arizonans into Marketplace coverage, 20,000 children into KidsCare and more than 400,000 adults into Medicaid through legislative restoration and expansion.

Vitalyst also released two key reports related to the ACA:

• Achieving the Promise of Accountable Care Organizations (October 2016) – Accountable Care Organizations are reimagining care coordination in large part due to the Affordable Care Act’s lesser known provisions. This report – and the sold-out October conference co-hosted by The Hertel Report – assessed the progress made in Arizona so far.
• The ACA Marketplace in Arizona: Insurer Participation, Affordability and Network Adequacy (February 2017) – As it has changed consumers’ access to affordable coverage, the influx of ACA Marketplace participants has also significantly impacted insurers and their networks. This report includes analysis of the data compiled so far, and recommendations related to health literacy, standardizing plans, developing PPO enrollee protections, optimizing telemedicine and more.

Beyond the ACA, Vitalyst was proud to contribute alongside 120+ organizations working on the Phoenix Health Care Sector Partnership, developing strategies to address workforce shortages and talent pipeline issues. Vitalyst funded the development, publishing and distribution of several workforce demand surveys designed to frame strategies and spur dialogue. We also hosted a webinar on the topic this year. Click here to gain access to all of the demand surveys and more.

Vitalyst also had vision screening in its sights in FY2017. We are proud to have worked with Virginia G. Piper Charitable Trust’s Eyes on Learning group to continue development of a comprehensive vision screening program. Vitalyst convened an expert panel and stakeholder group to update vision screening guidelines for the Arizona Department of Health Services. We additionally informed child health providers of enhanced reimbursement for vision screening equipment through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System.