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Archive Subscribe to NHA Newslink January 26, 2012 |
LEGISLATIVE WATCH Legislative Bills 952, 926 strive to stop Medicaid cuts Emergency bill introduced to stop cuts to Medicaid program House panel passes bill to repeal health care law’s CLASS Act GOP prepares bill to replace Obama's Supreme Court-bound health care law Senator Nordquist introduces state-based health insurance marketplace
Time is right to address nursing shortage
Obama to shift strategy on health care in 2012 Can accountable care organizations improve health care while reducing costs? States moving forward to implement health reform’s affordable insurance exchanges President's State of the Union address skimps on health care issues 2012 federal poverty guidelines published
Last chance!
January 2012 education specials for NHA members BBGH 'pays it forward' again to Gordon Memorial Hospital Health care reform continues to bring uncertainty to the health care industry
Speech therapists provide services at AMH HHS launches health IT challenge to improve care transitions for hospital-discharge patients
Obama Administration officials, health care
leaders join together at Innovation Summit
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LEGISLATIVE NEWS Legislative Bills 952, 926 strive to stop Medicaid cuts LINCOLN—For a long time, Maura Farruggia of Omaha thought she would never hear her granddaughter, Kareaden, say "grandma." Farruggia and her husband have cared for the 6-year-old, who is inflicted with cerebral palsy, legal blindness and other disorders, since 2006. Medicaid changed everything. Kareaden can walk with assistance, speak and attend school, thanks to Medicaid-funded respite care — a temporary professional care for the disabled. But assistance for many like Kareaden may be on the line with the Division of Medicaid & Long-Term Care's $21 million in Medicaid spending cuts, mostly relating to private and home nursing services. Read more» — The Daily Nebraskan, Jan. 14, 2012 Emergency bill introduced to stop cuts to Medicaid program
LINCOLN—Senator Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha, introduced a
bill on Wednesday, Jan. 11, to stop controversial changes to the Medicaid
program. State statutes require Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
to submit a report by December 1 each year, outlining any changes for the next
year.
Read more»
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The House Ways and Means Committee voted to repeal the health care law’s controversial CLASS program, clearing the way for a floor vote next month. The Community Living Assistance Services and Supports (CLASS) Act was intended to provide insurance for long-term care, but the Health and Human Services Department stopped implementing the program after determining that it would not be financially sound. Republicans hope the push to repeal CLASS will leave Democrats with a politically uncomfortable choice — repeal part of their signature health care law or vote to preserve an unworkable program. Read more» — The Hill, Jan. 18, 2012 GOP prepares bill to replace Obama's Supreme Court-bound health care law
WASHINGTON, D.C.—House Republicans will be ready with a
plan to replace President Obama’s health care law once the Supreme Court
determines the law’s fate this summer, Rep. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) told reporters
Wednesday. Republicans have made good on their promise to try to repeal Obama’s
health care law, but the “replace” part of their “repeal and replace” strategy
has proved more difficult. Pitts said Republicans will be ready for the opening
a Supreme Court ruling will provide — no matter what the justices decide.
Read more» Senator Nordquist introduces state-based health insurance marketplace
OMAHA—Senator Jeremy Nordquist of Omaha recently introduced
LB 835 into the legislature. The bill would create a state-based Nebraska health
insurance marketplace. Senator Nordquist says under the Affordable Care Act,
each state is required to establish a health care exchange or the federal
government will create one for them.
Read more»
Juliann Sebastian, Ph.D., R.N., dean, College of
Nursing, University of Nebraska Medical Center writes, "As I testified before a
legislative hearing in November for Interim Study Resolution 285, the shortage
of nurses poses a threat to the health of Nebraskans. As Nebraska's population
ages, one of the most important factors in maintaining our quality of life is to
have an adequate number of well-qualified nurses."
Read more>> Obama to shift strategy on health care in 2012 President Obama, who offered to work with Republicans last year to revamp the health care reform law, is expected to adopt a much different tone in Tuesday’s State of the Union address. Bruised from the huge GOP electoral gains in 2010, Obama said he wanted to work in a bipartisan fashion on health care in last year’s speech. Republicans scoffed at what was called an olive branch, and worked to repeal the entire law. While the GOP-led House passed such a measure, the legislation was defeated in the Democratic-controlled Senate. Read more>> — The Hill, Jan. 22, 2012
It's often said that the main method of paying health care providers—with a fee for each service—results in increased and wasteful spending. Such a system, its critics say, rewards providers just for doing more procedures, rather than for providing efficient and high-quality care. One major effort to fix that system, promoted by the federal health-overhaul law and some private insurers, is to create accountable care organizations, or ACOs. Medicare's main ACO program is launching this year, while many health plans are already working with providers on ACO-style payment models. Read more>> — Wall Street Journal, Jan. 23, 2012
Twenty-eight states are on their way toward establishing a key component of
health care reform—Affordable Insurance Exchanges—according to a report issued
by the White House. “States are taking strong steps to implement health reform,”
said White House Deputy Chief of Staff Nancy-Ann DeParle. “The Obama
Administration is working in partnership with state leaders across the country.
We will ensure Americans in every state have access to an exchange and the same
kinds of insurance choices as members of Congress.”
Read more» President's State of the Union address skimps on health care issues In his State of the Union address
on Tuesday, President Obama spent little time discussing health care and the
federal health reform law, Politico reports.
Read more»
This notice provides an update of the Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS) poverty guidelines to account for last calendar year’s
increase in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index. Effective date is
the date of publication, unless an office administering a program using the
guidelines specifies a different effective date for that particular program.
Read more>>
Last chance!
January 2012 education specials for NHA members Cozad's specialty clinic closer to completion
COZAD—Construction is entering the final stages for the new specialty clinic,
which is being built on the east side of the Cozad Community Hospital. The
facility will accommodate about 20 specialty physicians with specific
accommodations in such areas as dental surgery, 0B/GYN, orthopedics, cardiology,
podiatry and ear, nose and throat. Cozad hospital administrator Lyle Davis said
that an official opening is being planned for the new structure sometime this
spring.
LEXINGTON - Dr. Joseph Miller of Plum Creek Medical Group has two passions.
Most know about the work he does in Haiti, but few know about his other passion.
Miller discussed this other passion with about 30 community members during a
Wellness Connection luncheon. The event, sponsored by Lexington Regional Health
Center, discussed the topic of Patient-Centered Medical Home (PCMH).
Read more>> BBGH 'pays it forward' again to Gordon Memorial Hospital Another donation from Box Butte General Hospital (BBGH) to Gordon Memorial
Hospital (GMH) continues the "pay it forward" philosophy of BBGH. The donation
was made possible by a dedicated monetary gift to the Box Butte Health
Foundation (BBHF). The money donated to BBHF was used to purchase a new
telemetry station for the Cardio-Pulmonary Rehab Department at BBGH, which
allowed them to donate the equipment it replaced to GMH.
Read more>> The health care industry made strides in technology and equipment but health
care reform remains an area of uncertainty. Methodist Hospital expects
advancement of a renovated surgery area, said Steve Goeser, president and CEO.
Robotic technology advanced in the last year has made surgeries less invasive
and recovery times speedier, said John Woodrich, president and chief operating
officer at BryanLGH Medical Center.
Read more»
NELIGH—In November of 2011, Kelly Anson and Audrey Rose, MS, CCC, SLP began offering services at Antelope Memorial Hospital. "We are excited to have Kelly and Audrey provide speech therapy services at Antelope Memorial Hospital," said Matt Belitz, MPT, ATC, CSCS. "Speech-language therapists work with the full range of human communication and its disorders. They evaluate, diagnose and treat speech, language, cognitive-communication and swallowing disorders in individuals of all ages - ranging from infants to the elderly." Read more» — The Press, Jan. 18, 2012
HHS launches health IT challenge to improve care transitions for hospital-discharge patients The National Coordinator for Health Information Technology today announced a Discharge Follow-Up Appointment care transitions challenge – the second as part of the Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC) Investing in Innovation (i2) Initiative. With the support of Health 2.0 and Partnership for Patients, ONC launched the Discharge Follow-Up Appointment challenge in support of ONC’s Investing in Innovation (i2) program. The i2 Initiative is a bold new effort to spur innovations in health IT. The program utilizes prizes and challenges to facilitate innovation and obtain solutions to intractable health IT problems. Aligned with the Obama administration’s innovation agenda, i2 is the first federal program to operate under the authority of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010. Read more>> — HHS, Jan. 26, 2012
— HHS, Jan. 26, 2012
Top 12 health care quality concerns in 2012 — HealthLeaders, Jan. 4, 2012
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Mark your calendar for Advocacy Day 2012 NHA’s Advocacy Day highlights the 2012 legislative issues impacting Nebraska hospitals and health systems, and how they deliver quality and affordable care to their communities. Additionally, Advocacy Day provides health care advocates and leaders with the opportunity to visit with and educate state senators about how health care legislation will affect them. Your participation is important! Having a strong understanding of legislative issues and how they impact your hospital and community is critical for health care executives. Your knowledge of the legislative issues and state health care policy allow you to effectively be a voice and advocate. We will be the most successful when legislators and policymakers hear your grassroots stories describing the realities of health care in Nebraska. To learn more, click here. To download an Advocacy Day brochure, click here. vents
CMS CoP patient visitation rights: ensuring compliance
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