Kissito Alerts April 06
April 6, 2009 by admin
Filed under Healthcare Alerts
Source: National Journal
Title: Will health care reform squeeze doctors?
Date: 4/6/09
URL: http://healthcare.nationaljournal.com/2009/04/will-health-care-reform-squeez.php?rss=1
- Medical providers are increasingly nervous about proposals that Democrats and Republicans are pushing as a source of savings for healthcare reform.
- Questions many have are: would these proposals be an unfair hardship on doctors and hospitals?, would the result be rationed care?, would doctors be forced to abandon their small practices and become hospital employees?, if payments are combined, then who should control the rates?
Source: McKnights
Title: Congress to reconcile separate budget resolutions after recess
Date: 4/6/09
- The House and Senate, are planning to iron out the difference in their budget resolution when they return to session April 20.
- The House Resolution, unlike the Senate’s version, includes instructions for budget reconciliation, which would fast track health care reform.
- The Senate budget contains fewer specifics on how to fund health care reform, among other initiatives.
Source: WMBB Channel 13 ABC News
Title: Inspections begin to check nursing homes in flooded areas
Date: 4/3/09
- Law enforcement officers have been deployed to 17 countries in the Florida Panhandle to ensure the safety and well being of Medicaid recipients residing in the state’s nursing homes, assisted living facilities and other care facilities.
- Investigators will assess whether the site is habitable and report any safety concerns to the proper authorities.
Source: Healthcare Association of NY State
Title: Approved budget resolutions preserve Obama’s health reform framework
Date: 4/3/09
URL: www.hanys.org/news/index.cfm?storyid=890
- Both chambers of Congress approved their respective budget resolutions for FY 2010.
- Specifics of how Obama’s reserve fund would be financed are not included in the Senate and House budget resolutions.
- Congressional leaders from both chambers are now set to begin.
Source: MedPage Today
Title: High readmission rates found in medicare population
Date: 4/2/09
URL: www.medpagetoday.com/hospitalbasedmedicine/Hospitallists/13557
- A study in the April 2nd issue of the New England Journal of Medicine reported some 20% of all Medicare recipients hospitalized in one 15 month period were readmitted within 90 days.
- Two thirds of those hospitalized with medical conditions, as well as 51.5% of patients undergoing surgery, were rehospitalized or died within a year of discharge.
- The researchers estimate that 10% of rehospitalizations were likely to have been planned and suggested the remaining 90% experienced a breakdown in post discharge care.
- Half of all patients rehospitalized within 30 days had no record of outpatient care following the initial discharge and as late as 3 months after discharge20% still had not been seen by a physician.
Source: McKnights
Title: AHCA: Medicare payment bundling could have unintended consequences for long term care.
Date: 4/2/09
- The bundling of Medicare payments after a hospital stay could have negative repercussions for long term care and merits further investigation, the AHCA said Wednesday.
- Bruce Yarwood, AHCA CEO, stated “we strongly endorse a site-neutral post acute care payment system where payment levels will be based on the condition of the individual being served not the location of the service”
Source: Health Care Finance News
Title: Congress poised to vote on budget
Date: 4/2/09
URL: www.healthcarefinancenews.com/news/congress-poised-vote-budget
- Congress is expected to vote today on the FY 2010 budget.
- Republicans are concerned they will not get a chance for a fair debate if the budget passes on majority.
- The House version of the budget, approved March 25, reflects the president’s major priorities.
Source: NY Times
Title: Study finds many on medicare return to hospital
Date: 4/2/09
URL: www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/health/02hospital.html?_r=2&ref=health
- As many as a fifth of all Medicare patients are readmitted within 30 days of discharge and a third are rehospitalized within 90 days.
- A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine estimated the cost of the unplanned return trips was $17B in 2004 alone.
- Follow up care and clear discharge information can stop many readmissions from happening.
- About one n four of the nation’s hospitals derive 25% of their admissions from return visits by patients.
Source: NY Times
Title: Doctors Are Opting Out of Medicare
Date: 4/2/09
URL: www.nytimes.com/2009/04/02/business/retirementspecial/02health.html?_r=2&ref=health
- Some doctors are no longer accepting Medicare, either because they have opted out of the insurance system or they are not accepting new patients with Medicare coverage.
- Doctor’s reasons are, reimbursement rates are too low and too much paperwork.
- Doctors who are enrolled fall into two categories, participating and non participating. The latter receive a lower reimbursement from Medicare and the patient must pick up more of the bill.
- In a June 2008 report, MedPAC said that 28% of the Medicare beneficiaries it surveyed who were looking for a PCP had a problem finding one to treat them.
-->