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AP: Nebraska health billing still a mess
OMAHA, Neb. — Six months after its second major overhaul in a decade, the
Nebraska Health and Human Services System has made strides toward its
governor-issued goals but remains haunted by past problems.
"We're cleaning up a lot of messes, and we're turning over rocks and finding
more messes," said Christine Peterson, HHS' chief executive officer.
Among the biggest messes are an audit showing a sloppy bill collection system,
poor accountability in the foster care system and continued deficiencies at the
Beatrice State Developmental Center.
Read the full
article.— Timberly Ross, Associated Press, December 24, 2007.
President signs Medicare, Medicaid and SCHIP Extension Act
President Bush on Saturday
signed S. 2499, which extends funding for the State
Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) through March 31, 2009 and provides a 0.5
percent increase in the Medicare physician payment update for six months. Passed
by Congress Dec. 19, the legislation also provides regulatory relief for
long-term care hospitals; permanently sets the inpatient rehabilitation
compliance threshold at 60 percent for cost reporting periods starting July 1,
2006; extends Section 508 geographic reclassifications through Sept. 30, 2008;
extends cost-based outpatient lab services for rural hospitals with fewer than
50 beds in certain low-population areas; and extends for six months the ability
of independent labs to bill Medicare directly for the technical component of
certain physician pathology services provided to hospitals.
— AHA News Now, January 2, 2008.
Sen. Ben Nelson helps stop Medicare rehab rule
WASHINGTON — With the help of Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Congress has blocked
a Medicare rule that would have forced rehabilitation hospitals nationwide to
turn away thousands of patients recovering from heart or lung ailments or joint
replacements.Marsha Lommel, president of Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital in Lincoln, said the
action will particularly help older patients return more quickly to health and
stay out of nursing homes.
But a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
(CMS) said Congress' intervention is one reason health care costs keep going up in America.
Read the full article.
— Jake Thompson, Omaha World Herald, December 29, 2007.
For uninsured, Medicare makes a healthy impact
Uninsured people 55 and older, particularly those with diabetes and
cardiovascular disease, significantly reduce their risk of declining health
after they enroll in Medicare at 65, according to research.
Read the full article.— New York Times, January 2, 2008.
Clinton, Obama clashing on health
Hillary Rodham Clinton is on the attack against
her main rival, charging that Barack Obama's health plan would leave millions of
Americans without medical protection while hers would provide coverage to all. The
assertion, flatly rejected by the Obama campaign, rests on a pivotal difference
between the two Democratic presidential candidates' health proposals.
Read the full article.— Baltimore Sun, December 27, 2007.
Goeser appointed to president/CEO of Methodist Hospital
OMAHA, Neb. — Methodist Health System President and CEO
John M. Fraser announced that Stephen L. Goeser has been promoted to president
and chief executive officer of Nebraska Methodist Hospital, effective January 1, 2008.
Mr. Goeser will have overall administrative responsibility for Methodist
Hospital and its divisions, including the Methodist Women’s Hospital.
Mr. Goeser joined Methodist Hospital in June 2004 as vice president with
responsibility for the administrative direction of the hospital’s Home Health
program, the Methodist Estabrook Cancer Center and the departments of Pastoral
Services, Volunteers in Partnership (VIP), Medical Records, Transcription,
Referral Communications and the Hospital and State Tumor Registries.
Read more.
Fremont Area Medical Center names Booth new president/CEO
FREMONT, Neb. — The Fremont Area Medical Center (FAMC) board of trustees announced
last week that Patrick (Pat) Booth has been named president and
chief executive officer of Fremont Area Medical Center, a 90-bed acute care and
162-bed
long-term care nonprofit health care facility. Booth will succeed Mike Leibert,
who has
held the position since 1999, effective January 28, 2008.
“Pat Booth is an exceptional and experienced leader, with over 25 years spent at
hospitals
similar in size to Fremont Area Medical Center, as well as large health
systems,” said
Joel Jelkin, FAMC board of trustees chairman. “His wide range of experience in
hospitals of varying sizes and knowledge of the market area were important
factors in his
selection.”
Booth is currently providing consulting services to a hospital system in Indiana
by
serving as interim vice president. From 2004 to March 2007, he served as the
associate administrator for Boys Town National Research Hospital.
Read more.
U.S. Ruling backs health benefit cut at 65
The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said that employers could eliminate
health benefits for retirees when they turn 65 and become eligible for Medicare.
The new regulation allows employers to establish two classes of retirees, with
more comprehensive benefits for those under 65 and more limited benefits for
those older. More than 10 million retirees rely on employer-sponsored health
plans as a primary source of coverage or as a supplement to Medicare.
Read the full article.
— New York Times, December 27, 2007.
Valuable tax credit and tax preparation assistance available for low-income
workers
People who work but don’t earn a lot of money may be eligible for the Earned
Income Tax Credit (EITC), as well as free help preparing their tax return.
Community Action of Nebraska and the State EITC Coalition have teamed up to help
spread the word to qualifying tax filers that extra assistance is available during
the 2008 tax season. Last year, volunteer tax preparers helped filers gain more
than $4.9 million in Earned Income Tax Credit, and more than $3.5 million in
Child Tax Credits.
The EITC is a valuable but complex tax break for lower-income workers. Workers who qualify for EITC also may qualify for free tax
preparation assistance.
Find out where you or your employees can get free tax preparation assistance for the 2008 tax
season by calling 2-1-1 or 877/557-2200, or visit the Community Action of
Nebraska Web site at www.canhelp.org.
Click here for the
full article or
download a printable brochure.
Implementation of an EMR in a Community Hospital Webinar
January 9, 2008
Ensuring Compliance: The 30 Patient Safety Practices for Better Health Care Webinar
January 10, 2008
Chargemaster Pricing, Charge Compression and Devices Webinar
January 15, 2008
Smoke-free
Lobby Day
January 22, 2008 – Lincoln, NE
Preventing Health Care Associated Infections Webinar
January 29, 2008
Recent Stark II Developments Impacting Hospitals - Reporting and
Phase II Webinar
January 31, 2008
The Joint Commission Medical Staff Standards: 2008 Update Webinar
January 31, 2008
Click here for a list
of upcoming NHA audioconferences and webinars.
Visit the
Events page on the NHA Web site for more information on any of the events.
If you have an event you would like listed in Newslink or on the NHA Web site,
submit it to Heather Bullock, marketing and events coordinator, at
hbullock@nhanet.org. Send news items to Christy Rasmussen, director of
communications, at crasmussen@nhanet.org.
NHA Newslink is published by the Nebraska
Hospital Association, 3255 Salt Creek Circle, Suite 100, Lincoln, NE 68504-4761.
Phone 402/742-8140, Fax 402/742-8191. Contact Christy Rasmussen, director of
communications, at 402/742-8151, or email,
crasmussen@nhanet.org.
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