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CMS releases proposed 2009 outpatient/ASC rule 07/03/2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today released a proposed rule updating Medicare payment rates for hospital outpatient and ambulatory surgery center services for calendar year 2009. According to the rule, CMS would continue to transition to the new ASC payment rates, with ASC services paid at a 50/50 blend of the 2007 ASC payment and the 2009 ASC payment, which are 65% of the hospital outpatient rate. Hospitals reporting seven outpatient quality measures in 2009 would receive a 3.0% inflation update, while eligible hospitals not submitting data would receive a 1.0% update. The proposed rule outlines the process for validating hospitals’ quality data; proposes adding four new imaging efficiency quality measures for public reporting in order to receive a full update in CY 2010; and seeks comment on 18 other quality measures for potential inclusion at a future date. It also would alter how CMS pays for imaging services when multiple services are provided in one session, by creating a single payment for certain multiple imaging services such as ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The rule also changes the way partial hospitalization services are paid, reduces payments for separately payable drugs, and proposes changes to the hospital Medicare cost report for drugs and biologicals. The rule will appear in the July 18 Federal Register, with comments accepted until Sept. 2. AHA staff is analyzing the rule, and a Special Bulletin with further details will be sent to AHA members on Monday.
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Hospital employment climbs 0.07% in June 07/03/2008
Employment at the nation's hospitals rose 0.07% in June to a seasonally adjusted 4,635,900 people, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. That's 3,100 more than in May and 122,500 more than a year ago. Without the seasonal adjustment, which removes the effect of fluctuations due to seasonal events, hospitals employed 4,646,200 people in June, 22,300 more than in May and 119,400 more than a year ago. The nation's overall unemployment rate was unchanged in June at 5.5%.
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FDA alerts practitioners to complications involving cervical spine treatment 07/03/2008
The Food and Drug Administration this week alerted health care practitioners to life-threatening complications associated with using recombinant human Bone Morphogenetic Protein in the cervical spine, a use not approved by the agency. In the past four years, the FDA said it has received at least 38 reports of complications involving the use of rhBMP in cervical spine fusion. The complications were associated with swelling of neck and throat tissue, which resulted in compression of the airway or neurological structures in the neck. In light of these reports, the agency recommends that practitioners use approved alternative treatments or consider enrolling as investigators in approved clinical trials. For more information, see the FDA notice.
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AONE CEO named chair of National Patient Safety Foundation 07/03/2008
Pamela Thompson, CEO of the American Organization of Nurse Executives, an AHA subsidiary, has been named chair of the National Patient Safety Foundation Board of Directors. Thompson has served on the NPSF board since 2002 and is the first registered nurse to serve as chair. “We’re delighted with the appointment of Pam to chair of the NPSF Board,” said NPSF President Diane Pinakiewicz. “Her deep professional experience and passionate commitment to patient safety brings valuable perspective to our Board. We’re grateful for her staunch support and look forward to her contribution in this new role.” Founded in 1997, the NPSF is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to improving patient safety and reducing medical errors through research, education and dissemination of programs.
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ASHHRA forum to focus on role of HR in quality and patient safety 07/03/2008
The American Society for Healthcare Human Resources Administration, an AHA professional membership group, will convene a July 24 forum in San Diego on “The Role of HR in Quality and Patient Safety.” The Thought Leader Forum will feature a group of health care workforce and quality experts, including AHA-member CEOs. Findings from the two-hour forum, prior to the 2008 Health Forum and AHA Leadership Summit, will be compiled into a summary and shared with AHA-member CEOs as well as ASHHRA members. A second Thought Leader Forum on “The Role of HR in Health Care Workforce Issues” is scheduled for Oct. 11 in Austin, TX, prior to the ASHHRA Annual Conference and Exposition. The forums are under the direction of the ASHHRA Think Tank, an ad hoc advisory committee to the ASHHRA Board of Directors.
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Joint Commission reorganizes hospital standards for 2009 07/02/2008
The Joint Commission has reorganized its hospital standards and elements of performance for 2009, and for the first time has made them available online. The reorganization added no new requirements, but clarified the language of existing requirements, some of which were deleted, consolidated or separated. The Joint Commission also renumbered and reordered the standards to allow electronic sorting and the addition of new requirements in the future. The Joint Commission plans an extensive outreach effort to help organizations understand the changes before the standards take effect on Jan. 1.
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Panel to advise HHS on mental health preparedness 07/02/2008
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has convened an expert panel to recommend ways to help protect and restore individual and community mental health during and after public health emergencies. The Disaster Mental Health Subcommittee plans to submit recommendations within six months to HHS’ National Biodefense Science Board, which in turn will make recommendations to the HHS secretary. “We all can experience psychological consequences during and after a disaster, and there are things that can be done to mitigate these effects and improve our overall response and recovery,” said NBSB Chair Patricia Quinlisk. The recommendations will address communication, education and other interventions. The NBSB advises the secretary regarding chemical, biological, nuclear and radiological health emergencies.
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AHRQ: Pneumonia a leading reason for hospitalization 07/02/2008
More than 1.2 million Americans were hospitalized for pneumonia in 2006, the most common reason for hospitalization other than childbirth, according to a new analysis from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Other leading reasons for hospitalization in 2006 were hardening of the arteries (nearly 1.2 million), congestive heart failure (nearly 1.1 million) and chest pain (857,000), according to data from the agency’s Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project.
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Study examines parity in state health coverage initiatives 07/02/2008
While more than one in four uninsured U.S. adults has a mental illness or substance-use disorder, many state initiatives to cover the uninsured neglect those conditions, according to a new study by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. Eleven of the 18 states examined included parity in mental health coverage in at least one program or proposal for the uninsured, while only five included parity for substance-use disorders, the study found. Among other concerns, few states included mental illness and substance-use disorders in their wellness and chronic disease management programs, the groups said.
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CMS updates chemotherapy coverage reference 07/02/2008
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services today expanded the list of resources that Medicare local contractors use to determine whether a cancer chemotherapy drug may be covered under Medicare Part B. Elsevier Gold Standard’s Clinical Pharmacology compendium has been added to the Medicare compendia, which lists drugs and biologics approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
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